Assessment of corporate image in the digital environment of e-commerce

Abstract

The article examines the specific features of assessing corporate image in the digital environment of e-commerce. It is substantiated that, in the context of e-commerce development, corporate image becomes a multidimensional construct shaped by online reputation, digital customer experience, user-generated content, platform reliability, the quality of customer support, and digital brand visibility. The article emphasises that, in e-commerce, companies no longer retain full control over the formation of their corporate image, since a substantial part of consumer perceptions is generated through reviews, ratings, comments, and recommendations. The study clarifies the concept of corporate image in the digital environment as an integrated perception held by target audiences, emerging from the interaction of digital presence, online communications, reputational signals, customer experience quality, and the level of trust in the company. The key characteristics of digital corporate image are identified, and the factors influencing its formation are systematised, including online reputation and trust, digital content and communication, behavioural factors, service and technological factors, and digital visibility. A system of indicators for assessing corporate image is proposed and structured into the following blocks: reputation and trust, communication and content, behavioural, service and technological, and digital visibility. The study demonstrates that the combination of these blocks makes it possible to consider corporate image assessment not as the analysis of isolated digital metrics, but as a comprehensive process of measuring different dimensions of company perception in e-commerce. An algorithm for assessing corporate image in the digital environment is developed. Its application enables a consistent assessment process, helps identify problematic areas of digital interaction, reveals gaps between the actual and desired levels of corporate image, and defines directions for its further adjustment in the e-commerce environment.