Factors affecting e-commerce transaction volume based on a multiple regression model (Case of Turkey)

Abstract

The widespread use of the internet in the 21st century, thanks to the developments in information technologies, has affected not only daily life but also economic activities. With the spread of the internet, business owners have turned to internet marketing system instead of traditional marketing. Additionally, purchase and sale transactions have been moved from the real world to the virtual world, and the increase in the number of users in the electronic environment has made the sales process popular for businesses and the purchasing process for consumers. This study discusses the development process of e-commerce and the factors affecting e-commerce with a time series analysis. In this context, first, the historical development of e-commerce and then the situation of e-commerce in Turkey and in the world are presented using numerical data. Lastly, the factors affecting e-commerce are discussed. The scientific dimension of the study was created by bringing together the findings obtained from domestic and foreign literature. In this study, factors such as Per Capita Gross Domestic Product (PCGDP), the number of internet users, social media prevalence, inflation, and the Covid-19 pandemic, which may affect the e-commerce transaction volume in Turkey, were put forward for the years 2010-2021. By creating a multiple linear regression model in which these factors are independent variables, the degree of effectiveness of the factors affecting the e-commerce volume has been presented and interpreted. This study aims to fill the gap in the literature and guide future research on similar issues.