The Impact of Online Reviews on Consumers’ Purchasing Decisions: Evidence From an Eye-Tracking Study

Abstract

This study investigated the impact of online product reviews on consumers purchasing decisions by using eye-tracking. The research methodology involved (i) development of a conceptual framework of online product review and purchasing intention through the moderation role of gender and visual attention in comments, and (ii) empirical investigation into the region of interest (ROI) analysis of consumers fixation during the purchase decision process and behavioral analysis. The results showed that consumers’ attention to negative comments was significantly greater than that to positive comments, especially for female consumers. Furthermore, the study identified a significant correlation between the visual browsing behavior of consumers and their purchase intention. It also found that consumers were not able to identify false comments. The current study provides a deep understanding of the underlying mechanism of how online reviews influence shopping behavior, reveals the effect of gender on this effect for the first time and explains it from the perspective of attentional bias, which is essential for the theory of online consumer behavior. Specifically, the different effects of consumers’ attention to negative comments seem to be moderated through gender with female consumers’ attention to negative comments being significantly greater than to positive ones. These findings suggest that practitioners need to pay particular attention to negative comments and resolve them promptly through the customization of product/service information, taking into consideration consumer characteristics, including gender.

From data to decision: distilling decision intelligence from user-generated content

“…These reviews play an important role in shaping a product's reputation and influencing other potential buyers. Most importantly, reviews influence the majority of buyers in their purchasing decisions (Chen et al, 2022). Consumers rely on text reviews due to the inadequacy of star ratings.…”

“…The growing influence of reviews goes beyond consumer behaviour and significantly affects the reputation and performance of businesses (Ansary and Nik Hashim, 2018;Rodell et al, 2020). Consumer reviews have a direct impact on purchasing decisions, thus influencing company performance and, in turn, brand reputation (Chen et al, 2022;Fernandes et al, 2022). As a result, companies are recognising the importance of analysing online data, including social media and reviews, as part of their business intelligence efforts.…”

“…Quality is a key determinant of market success, brand strength and competitiveness (OECD, 2013). Despite possible bias, reviews exert significant influence and often surpass personal experience when it comes to making consumer decisions (Chen et al, 2022;Zhao et al, 2012). Whilst these reviews may lack reporting and purchasing bias and may even be fake, they still influence purchasing decisions (Chakraborty, 2019;Wu and Qiu, 2023), making them valuable decisionmaking tools.…”

“…(2) Strategic pricing and price sensitivity: User-generated content can also help companies develop effective pricing strategies, especially important for products where consumers are increasingly price-sensitive or have a lot of choice (Deloitte, 2015). Reviews influence consumers' perceptions of value and often overshadow brand value, influencing pricing decisions (Chakraborty, 2019;Chen et al, 2022;Mudambi and Schuff, 2010). In this context user-generated content may inform the companies about the perceived value, about the indications of pricing sensitivity amongst consumers and changes of price (e.g.…”

An examination of harm reduction strategies in Oxycodone and Adderall buyer feedback on AlphaBay

“…Cautionary feedback could be particularly influential for potential buyers. Clearnet marketplace research has found that individuals who are buying goods are more likely to pay closer attention to negative comments than positive comments when purchasing a product (Chen et al., 2022). This suggests that detailed feedback cautioning future buyers of the potential risks of substances could be particularly influential for buyers to avoid and mitigate the risks of substance use highlighting the importance of feedback as an informative data source for understanding harm reduction strategies.…”