Innovations in Agricultural E-Commerce: Analyzing Purchase Decisions and the Role of Consumer Credibility

E-commerce has become a revolutionary innovation in transforming the marketing of agricultural products, creating broader market access while enhancing distribution efficiency. Digital technology enables agricultural products, which previously relied on traditional distribution chains, to be sold directly to consumers through online platforms. This study analyzes the factors influencing the purchasing decisions of agricultural products on e-commerce, with a case study focused on the Shopee platform. Using a quantitative approach, data were collected from 176 respondents in Kendari. The collected data provide in-depth insights into consumer behavior and the factors driving their purchasing decisions. This study evaluates the impact of three key variables advertising attractiveness, the effectiveness of influencer-based marketing, and the significance of customer reviews on consumer purchasing decisions. These findings are expected to offer strategic contributions to agribusiness players and e-commerce platform managers in enhancing the competitiveness of agricultural product marketing. One of the key findings is that credibility plays a very significant role in influencing purchasing decisions. The results show that credibility, whether from advertisements, influencers, or customer reviews, has a greater impact on building consumer trust and strengthening their loyalty to the products offered. Furthermore, credibility is shown to serve as a significant mediating variable in the relationship between marketing factors and purchasing decisions. Credibility mediates the relationship between advertising attractiveness and purchasing decisions, influencer marketing and purchasing decisions, and online customer reviews and purchasing decisions. This suggests that marketing elements such as creative advertising, collaborations with influencers, and active management of customer reviews not only serve to attract attention but also build consumer trust, which ultimately drives stronger purchasing decisions. Keywords: Agricultural, E-Commerce, credibility, customer reviews, advertising attractiveness, purchase decisions