In the text below, what does "on the hook" mean?

Question

This strategy matters even more on Amazon than it does on a search engine like Google because a purchase-ready consumer is on the hook.

Answer 1

Favorite Answer

It's a phrase borrowed from fishing. Someone "on the hook" has been caught up in a situation not of his choosing. In this case, it means the purchaser has become responsible for something he didn't want.

Answer 2

It's a fishing analogy.