The Influence of E-WOM and Trust on Digital Product Purchasing Decisions: The Moderating Role of Internet Accessibility

Objective: This study aims to analyze the influence of electronic word of mouth (e-WOM) and trust on digital product purchasing decisions at e-startups in Indonesia, with internet accessibility as a moderating variable. Digital products are intangible and difficult to evaluate before purchase, making e-WOM the primary source of information and trust the foundation of transactions.Methodology: This study used a quantitative approach with an explanatory design. The sample consisted of 200 Indonesian digital product consumers who had previously purchased from e-startups, selected using a purposive sampling technique. Data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with a Partial Least Squares (PLS) approach using SmartPLS 4.0 software.Key Findings – The results show that e-WOM has a significant positive effect on purchasing decisions (β = 0.324, p < 0.001), trust has a significant positive effect on purchasing decisions (β = 0.415, p < 0.001), internet accessibility moderates the effect of e-WOM on purchasing decisions (β = 0.156, p < 0.01), and internet accessibility moderates the effect of trust on purchasing decisions (β = 0.178, p < 0.01). The research model explains 52.4% of the variance in purchasing decisions (R² = 0.524).Implications – This research contributes to the development of digital product consumer behavior models by integrating the moderating role of internet accessibility. Practically, the research results provide guidance for e-startups in designing effective marketing strategies that consider consumers' levels of internet accessibility, especially for market segmentation in regions with varying digital infrastructure.