The power of online product reviews : how platform and product involvement effect the credibility of eproduct reviews

Title from PDF of title page (University of Missouri--Columbia, viewed on August 23, 2012).The entire thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file; a non-technical public abstract appears in the public.pdf file.Thesis advisor: Dr. Shelly RodgersIncludes bibliographical references.M.A. University of Missouri--Columbia 2011."May 2011"[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] Product reviews are an integral component to a business, be it small or large, reputation. The increasing rise of the Internet has only recently increased the power of the everyday consumer exponentially. Consumers are no longer at the mercy of advertisers and can now actively participate in and foster an open dialog about their personal experiences with a particular brand or product. Furthermore, the Internet has decreased geographical boundaries by increasing the reach of consumers' opinions beyond the traditional word-of-mouth reach of friends and neighbors. This study examines how the website in which the review is posted affects how the review is perceived by the reader. Specifically, this study examines if purchase intent or perceived credibility of a review is changed based on the online platform it is posted to. Using experimental design, this study analyzed reader perceptions of reviews placed on a social media website, a third-party marketplace website or a brand's e-commerce website. The study also analyzed the effect of product involvement on perceived credibility as well as intent to purchase the reviewed product. The results of the experiment found that platform type influences both purchase intention and reported credibility. The study also found that there is a significant interaction between platform type, product type and involvement on purchase intention, yet not on credibility. Although more research is needed, this study gives insights on how online reviews influence potential consumers.--From public.pd