Beyond clicks: Reflections on digital advertising strategies driving e-commerce in emerging markets

This study analyzes how digital advertisement can have a strategic impact on the success of e-commerce in Jordan. On the dual-lensed data of 200 consumers and 50 owners of e-commerce business, the study identifies five major strategies such as social media marketing, localized Arabic, mobile optimisation, influencer collaborations and trust creating mechanisms as the main drivers of both the conversion rates and the return on investment. As the regression and correlation analysis results show, mobile-friendly ads and social media promotion have the most beneficial effect on e-commerce results, but consumer confidence in the secure payment systems appears to be a determining factor in making purchases. The research presents a new marketing impact score (MIS) model and a strategic gap index that can be used to measure the fit between the investment in advertising and the operational problems. This study offers a predictive and data-driven future of e-commerce in emerging economies by putting digital advertising in the context of the socio-cultural and technological environment of Jordan. This has implications to the policymakers, marketers and platform developers who aim at optimisation of digital engagement strategy within the culturally delicate settings.