Authors:
Efthymios Constantinides
and
Nina Isabel Holleschovsky
Affiliation:
University of Twente, Netherlands
Keyword(s):
Online Reviews, Web 2.0, Electronic Word of Mouth (eWOM), Customer Generated Content (CGC), Digital Marketing, Social Media.
Related
Ontology
Subjects/Areas/Topics:
B2B, B2C and C2C
;
Communication and Software Technologies and Architectures
;
e-Business
;
Enterprise Information Systems
;
Society, e-Business and e-Government
;
Software Agents and Internet Computing
;
Web 2.0 and Social Networking Controls
;
Web Information Systems and Technologies
Abstract:
Online consumer reviews, product and services recommendations and peer opinions play an increasingly growing role in the customer’s decision making process. The various online product review and recommendation platforms differ in their objectives, function and characteristics. The literature has so far paid little attention on function characteristics of these platforms as an element of customer adoption and preference. Given the importance of this form of customer generated content on business sales and profitability the monitoring and often responding to customer reviews by business organizations has become a major managerial challenge and an important reputation management issue. In order to respond efficiently to customer reviews companies need to identify consumer reviews platforms, understand their characteristics and continuously assess their impact on consumer purchasing decisions. This study identifies four main types of online review platforms: retail websites, independent
reviewing platforms, video-sharing platforms and personal blogs. These platforms present product reviews in different formats with accent on various review function characteristics. An online survey analyzed consumer opinions about the various platforms and review mechanisms and the impact of those on consumer buying behavior. The results underline the importance of platform credibility and usability on consumer trust and reliance in reviews as input in the decision-making process.
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