A Study On Customer Perception Towards Online Marketing With Special Reference To Chennai

Author: LawSphereX

Category: Technology, Cyber & Privacy

Published: 2026-08-23T17:24:06.844029+00:00

Updated: 2026-08-26T17:12:33.658+00:00

A STUDY ON CUSTOMER PERCEPTION TOWARDS

ONLINE MARKETING WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO

CHENNAI

G.P. Kanmani. B.Com. LL.B. (Hons), Saveetha School of Law, SIMATS University, Chennai

ABSTRACT

Online marketing is the process through which consumers directly purchase goods or services from a seller in real time, without intermediaries, over the internet. Initially, online shopping faced skepticism, as consumers were concerned about payment security, fraud, and product reliability of products. Mobile shopping and omnichannel experiences have further shifted perceptions towards a seamless, integrated digital digital experience. The aim of this study is to identify the major problems customers face during online shopping. The objective is to examine these issues and explore the effective domains of online marketing, To examine the effective domain of online marketing and to identify the level of agreeability towards categories of branded products among the monthly income of the responded. The methodology of this research is empirical, based on firsthand information.

Convenience sampling, a non-probability sampling technique, was used with a sample size of 200. The findings suggest that gender influences purchasing decisions, with men favouring electronics and women gravitating toward clothing and jewellery, though evolving preferences may be shifting these trends. In conclusion, understanding gender influences and embracing emerging technologies can help businesses refine their online marketing strategies, improve customer perceptions, and adapt to changing market trends. Therefore, the paper suggests that to enhance customer perception of online marketing, businesses should prioritise transparency, personalization, social proof, excellent customer service, and consistent messaging across all channels.

The future scope of the study lies in exploring the impact of emerging technologies, such as AI and AR, on online marketing strategies and customer perceptions. Keywords: Transparency, Personalization, trust, social proof, customer service.

INTRODUCTION:

Online marketing is the process whereby consumers directly buy goods or services from a seller in real time, without an intermediary service, over the internet. Initially, online shopping was met with skepticism, as consumers worried about payment security, fraud, and the reliability of products. Today, sustainability and ethical considerations are influencing customer loyalty, as consumers increasingly demand responsible practices. Mobile shopping and omnichannel experiences have further shifted perceptions towards a seamless, integrated digital experience. Government initiatives have played a crucial role in shaping customer perception towards online marketing. Regulations such as data protection laws (eg. GDPR) have enhanced trust in online transactions by ensuring privacy and security.

Indian laws prioritise consumer protection in online marketing, ensuring a fair and transparent digital marketplace. The Consumer Protection Act 2019, safeguards consumers rights, prohibiting unfair trade practices, false advertising, and covering consumer grievances. Additionally, the e-commerce rule 2020 regulates e-commerce platforms, mandating transparency in product information, price and refund policies. The Information Technology Act 2000 oversees online activities including data protection, privacy and cybercrime. Furthermore, the Advertising Standards Council of India guidelines promote responsible advertising, while the Spam Regulated and Data Protection Law regulate commercial communications and personal data usage.

Other key laws include the Indian Contract Act, 1872 Sale of Goods Act, 1930 and Payment of Settlement Systems Act 2007, which govern contracts, sales and online payments, respectively. The laws collectively protect consumer interests and promote a secure online marketing environment in India. Several factors influence customer perception towards online marketing. Trust in the platform’s security, including secure payment systems and data protection, plays a critical role in shaping confidence. The quality of customer service, including prompt responses and helpful support, also affects perception. Lastly, ethical practices and brand values, particularly regarding sustainability, are becoming increasingly important to customers.

Current trends in customer perception towards online marketing highlight a shift towards greater personalization, with AIdriven recommendations and tailored content enhancing user experiences. Data privacy concerns remain significant, driving demand for clearer privacy policies and secure payment systems. Lastly, faster delivery times and easy returns are increasingly influencing customer loyalty and satisfaction. In developed nations like the US and UK, trust in e-commerce is high, driven by strong digital infrastructure, security regulation, and widespread online shopping habits. In contrast, emerging markets such as India and Brazil show growing optimism but face

challenges related to internet connectivity, security concerns, and digital literacy. The aim of the study is to find out the major problems faced by customers during online marketing.

OBJECTIVES:

● To find the major problems faced during online marketing. ● To examine the effective domain of online marketing. ● To identify the level of agreeability towards categories of branded products among the monthly income of the responded.

REVIEW OF LITERATURE:

The aimed to examine how online marketing impacts consumers, revealing that personalised advertisements and social media marketing positively influence customer trust and decisionmaking. Clear product information and case of website navigation were identified as key factors in shaping perceptions. (Sharma & Chawla 2020) The explored consumer perceptions of e-commerce advertising strategies through mixed methods (surveys and interviews with 200 participants). Findings indicated that social media and email marketing were viewed as trustworthy, while intrusive pop-up ads led to negative perceptions. Personalised marketing campaigns were highly effective in enhancing consumer engagement and satisfaction. (Kumar & Singh 2021) Investigated the role of online reviews in shaping customer perceptions, surveying 400 consumers. The study found that positive reviews induced skepticism.

Peer reviews were more credible than traditional marketing content, with customers relying heavily on ratings and feedback in their purchasing decisions. (Patel 2022) Examined customer perception of online marketing strategies in the fashion industry using an experimental design with 300 participants. Results showed that influencer marketing was perceived as more authentic and relatable compared to traditional advertisements, particularly among younger consumers. Influencers perceived credibility greatly influenced customer trust and brand engagement. (Mehta & Joshi 2023) Analyzed factors influencing customer perceptions of online shopping platforms through a survey of 600 shoppers. They found that website usability, security, and customer service were crucial for building positive perceptions.

Long delivery times, unclear policies, and poor customer support were key factors in diminishing trust and satisfaction with online shopping

experiences. (Singh & Verma 2021)

A study of customer perception towards online marketing with special reference to Tambaram.

Online marketing is considered to be a very lucrative platform for the customers as they can buy goods and services using websites and apps over the internet. It is also considered as a form of electronic commerce and the topic of the present research and objective is to identify factors that influence online marketing. (B. Donbosco, R. Malarvizhi 2022) A study on buying behaviour of consumers towards online marketing in Chennai city has

studied that in today’s world, the internet has grabbed the mind of retail sellers. Global digital measurement and analytics firm come score has conducted a survey. A survey concludes that India has become the world’s third largest user by passing Japan after China and USA. This new era of E-commerce has focused on understanding the consumer’s perception about “online marketing”. (C. Suguna 2019) Customer perception towards online marketing: A study of Gurugram. The study is focussed on customer perception towards online marketing. The study is conducted on primary data with the questionnaire. The study shows that the age group of up to 25 years received the highest response of 41.7% towards online marketing followed by 36.1% of the age group of 25-34 years. (K. Rani 2020) A study on customers perception towards online marketing in Vellore district. Nowadays

marketing and distribution of goods and services and services are carried out with the help of technology i.e. the internet. Online marketing is the most preferable means of buying goods and services because of its convenience, availability of distinct brands. Sentimental analysis is feasible only in online marketing. Hence it is imperative to understand the perception of customers towards online marketing. (Taesik Lee 2017) A study on consumer’s perception towards online marketing. This study has been made to

understand and analyse the perception of consumers towards online marketing. And also will be helpful for the existing and new e-marketers to market their products based on the perception of consumers towards them. (Soonyong bae 2017)

METHODOLOGY:

The research method followed is empirical research. The sampling method used is convenience sampling to collect the data. The facts are accumulated through a questionnaire and the sample size is 200 respondents. The samples were collected from the general public and the sample

frame in chennai region. The independent variables are age, gender, educational qualification, employment status and the marital status of the respondents. The dependent variable is the major problem faced during online marketing, Domains of online marketing are most effective, Rate the agreeability “major problem of online marketing” (fraud and scams, delivery and shipping issues). Statistics tools used for this analysis are graphical representations taken for this survey.

ANALYSIS:

FIGURE:1

LEGEND: The figure (1) shows the major products purchased online with respect to age of the respondents.

FIGURE:2

LEGEND: The figure (2) shows the domains of online marketing are most effective with respect to employment status of the respondents.

FIGURE:3

LEGEND: The figure (3) shows the agreeability of major problems of online marketing in fraud and scams with respect to gender.

FIGURE:4

LEGEND: The figure(4) shows the agreeability of major problems of online marketing in fraud and scams with respect to marital status.

FIGURE:5

LEGEND: The figure (5) shows the agreeability of major problems of online marketing in delivery and shipping issues with respect to age.

FIGURE:6

LEGEND: The figure (6) shows the agreeability of major problems of online marketing in delivery and shipping issues with respect to gender.

FIGURE:7

LEGEND: The figure (7) shows the agreeability of major problems of online marketing in return and refund challenges with respect to employment status.

FIGURE:8

LEGEND: The figure (8) shows the agreeability of major problems of online marketing in return and refund challenges with respect to marital status.

RESULTS:

From figure 1, it is revealed that 21. 89% of respondents aged 31-40 years purchased cosmetic products, 17. 91% of respondents below 20 years purchased clothes, and 5. 45% of respondents aged 41-50 years purchased jewellery, which was the least chosen. From figure 2, it is revealed that 21. 89% of revealed that 21. 89% of respondents employed in the private sector found Email marketing most effective, 17. 91% of respondents in the public sector found social media marketing most effective, and 7. 36% of respondents employed in other categories found influencer marketing least effective. From figure 3, it is revealed that 21. 89% of respondents who are female voted neutral, 17. 91% of respondents who are male voted strongly agree, and 7. 46% of respondents who are male voted disagree. From figure 4, it is revealed that 21. 89% of respondents who are Unmarried voted neutral, 17.

91% of respondents who are married voted strongly disagree, and 7. 46%of respondents who are married voted disagree. From figure 5, it is revealed that 21. 89% of respondents aged 31-40 years voted neutral, 17. 91% of respondents aged below 20 years voted to strongly agree, and 5. 97% of respondents aged 41-50 years voted to agree. From figure 6, it is revealed that 30. 35% of female respondents voted neutral, 18. 41% of male respondents strongly disagree, and 7. 46% of male respondents voted to agree. From

figure 7, it is revealed that 21.95% of self- employed respondents voted for agree, 18.41% of private sector respondents strongly disagree, and 6.07% of yet to be employed respondents voted for disagree. From figure 8, it is revealed that 21.89% of married respondents voted for agree, 18.41% of Unmarried respondents voted for strongly disagree, and 6.46% of married respondents voted for strongly agree.

DISCUSSIONS:

From figure 1: This may be because age significantly influences consumer behaviour, with the 31-40 age group being most likely to purchase cosmetics, reflecting a greater focus on self care and appearance during these years. Younger individuals under 20 are more inclined to buy clothes, possibly due to fashion trends and style exploration. Meanwhile, the 41-50 age group shows less interest in jewellery, perhaps due to changing priorities or shifting interests as they age. From figure 2: This may be because different sectors have varying communication preferences. Private sector employees seem more responsive to email marketing, possibly due to their familiarity with this communication format in the workplace. Public sector employees, however, favor social media marketing, possibly due to greater engagement with these platforms in their personal lives.

Influencer marketing appears to be less effective for individuals in other sectors, possibly due to different media consumption habits. From figure 3: This may be because gender differences influence how individuals respond to marketing. Female respondents, any prefer to remain neutral, reflecting more polarised views, with some strongly agreeing or disagreeing. This suggests that marketing campaigns need to cater to these differing attitudes, potentially offering more diverse messaging for each gender. From figure 4: This may be because marital status shapes consumer behaviour, with Unmarried individuals being more neutral in their responses, possibly reflecting a lack of strong consumer preferences.

Married individuals, on the other hand, may be more sceptical, leading to stronger disagreement, likely due to differing priorities, financial responsibilities, or concerns about marketing messages. From figure 5: This may be because younger respondents are more open to digital marketing, with those below 20 showing stronger agreement with certain statements, likely due to their greater exposure to and comfort with online marketing. Older respondents, particularly those in the 41-50 age range, may be more sceptical or critical, reflecting concerns or a more cautious approach to digital marketing as they age. From figure 6: This may be because female respondents tend to have more neutral opinions, possibly reflecting a more cautious or indecisive approach to marketing. Male respondents, however, show stronger

opinions, either agreeing or disagreeing, suggesting that marketing campaigns need to be tailored to address different levels of engagement and attitudes based on gender. From figure 7: This may be because self employed individuals, who are often more independent and flexible, may be more receptive to varied marketing strategies. In contrast, employees in the private sector, or those in other sectors, may have more rigid or traditional views, leading to a less favourable response to certain types of marketing. From figure 8: This may be because marital status affects consumer priorities, with married individuals showing more agreement with certain marketing statements, reflecting a more settled lifestyle and willingness to engage with family-related or product-focused marketing.

Unmarried individuals, on the other hand, may have less attachment to certain products or services, leading to stronger disagreements.

LIMITATION:

This study has several limitations. Firstly, the sample frame was convenience based, collected from public areas such as bus stands and public places, which may not have yielded respondents who were fully engaged or invested in providing thoughtful answers. Additionally, the sample size was limited, which may impact the generalisability of the findings. The further limitation is the lack of awareness among respondents regarding the research topic. The lack of understanding may have influenced the validity of the responses, making it challenging to present accurate findings.

CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION:

Online marketing is the process by which consumers directly purchase goods or services from a seller in real-time, without an intermediary, over the Internet. The objective of this study is to identify the major problems faced in online marketing. A key finding of this study was that gender influences purchasing decisions, with men favouring electronics and women leaning towards clothing and jewellery, although evolving tastes may be shifting these trends. Therefore, the researcher suggests that to enhance customer perception of online marketing, businesses should prioritise transparency, personalization, social proof, excellent customer service, and consistent messaging across all channels. The future scope of this study lies in exploring the impact of emerging technologies, such as AI and AR, on online marketing strategies and customer perceptions.

In conclusion, Understanding gender influences and embracing emerging technologies can help businesses refine online marketing strategies, improve customer perceptions, and adapt to evolving market trends.

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