The authors investigate the impact of Web site design investments on consumers' trusting beliefs and online purchase intentions. Such investments signal the component of trusting beliefs that is most strongly related to online purchase intentions: ability. These effects were strongest when consumers' goals were to search rather than to browse and when purchases involved risk.

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Two experiments examined public and private responding in a multiple-audience context-a context in which members have varying opinions. I propose and find that posters (those communicating their experience to others) are influenced only by another's negative opinion because it triggers such social concerns as appearing indiscriminate. Consequently, they adjust their public attitudes downward. Self-presentational concerns appear to cause this negativity bias: lurkers (those not posting their opinion) were less affected by another's negative opinion. Furthermore, posters presented more than one side when publicly explaining their attitudes. These effects persisted despite posters' favorable product experiences and commitment to these attitudes. (c) 2005 by JOURNAL OF CONSUMER RESEARCH, Inc..

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One guideline given to online reviewers is to acknowledge a product's pros and cons. Yet, I argue that presenting two sides is not always more helpful and can even be less persuasive than presenting one side. Specifically, the effects of two-versus one-sided arguments depend on the perceived consistency between a reviewer's arguments and rating. Across a content analysis and three experiments that vary the information provided in the online review and whether the ratings are positive or negative, the results support these predictions. Furthermore, beliefs that the reviewer is able (vs. willing) to tell the truth mediated the effects.