Perceived Usefulness and Perceived Trust in Facebook as a Social Search Engine and Its Impact on the Purchase Intentions of Restaurants’ Customers

Abstract

Access to the internet makes it possible to access big amounts of information online. Social search is the process of finding related data on the Internet using social media platforms such as Facebook. There is an increasing appeal to online social systems especially with the vast amounts of information are present on the internet every day. This study examines the use of Facebook as an engine for social search for restaurants’ services. An online survey was developed and distributed among Facebook users to investigate their use of Facebook platform to search for restaurant services. The sample included a total of 317 participants. Data was analyzed using Smart PLS 3. The results showed that both perceived usefulness of and perceived trust in Facebook data about restaurants had a positive impact on customers’ purchase intentions. The study suggests some practical recommendations for restaurant managers regarding the use of Facebook platform to positively influence purchase intentions of their customers.