Short answer
When developing online marketing strategies or analyzing customer feedback, consider segmenting your audience by their level of product or domain expertise, as this will influence how they interpret and act upon online reviews.
- Field
- Innovation & Markets
- Source
- Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication (2015)
- Method
- Experimental research
- Sample
- 470 participants
- Evidence
- Strong effect
The perceived expertise of a consumer moderates how they interpret and are influenced by the sentiment (valence) of online product reviews, impacting their purchase decisions. This innovation & markets research insight is drawn from a 2015 study published in Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication. Using Experimental research with 470 participants, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: When developing online marketing strategies or analyzing customer feedback, consider segmenting your audience by their level of product or domain expertise, as this will influence how they interpret and act upon online reviews.
Consumer Expertise Significantly Alters the Impact of Online Review Valence on Purchase Intentions
The perceived expertise of a consumer moderates how they interpret and are influenced by the sentiment (valence) of online product reviews, impacting their purchase decisions.
Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication · 2015
Key Findings
- 01Consumer expertise moderates the influence of review valence on purchase intentions.
- 02Consumer expertise also moderates the asymmetric effects of positive and negative reviews.
Application
Design takeaway
When developing online marketing strategies or analyzing customer feedback, consider segmenting your audience by their level of product or domain expertise, as this will influence how they interpret and act upon online reviews.
How to apply
When analyzing customer reviews, categorize them not just by sentiment but also by the perceived expertise of the reviewer and the audience they are likely to influence. Use this insight to refine product descriptions, marketing messages, and customer service responses.
Project actions
- 01When designing a user interface for reviews, consider features that help users assess reviewer expertise.
- 02Think about how different user groups might interpret the same review differently in your design project.
Method & Evidence
Variables
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- +Empirical testing of a moderating effect.
- +Large sample size for an experimental study.
Limitations
The definition and measurement of 'expertise' can be subjective and difficult to control perfectly in a research setting.
Reliability & validity
The study's reliability would depend on the consistency of the experimental manipulation and measurement. Validity is supported by testing a specific theoretical moderation effect and using a relevant context.
Think critically
How might the platform design itself (e.g., star ratings, reviewer profiles, sorting options) influence the perceived expertise of reviewers and, consequently, the impact of review valence?
Design Principles
"Tailor communication strategies for online reviews based on the target audience's level of expertise to maximize impact on purchase intentions."
Understanding how consumer expertise influences the reception of online reviews is crucial for businesses aiming to leverage user-generated content. It suggests that marketing strategies should consider audience segmentation based on perceived expertise to tailor communication and manage brand reputation effectively.
What This Means for Your Design
How much someone knows about a product changes how they feel about online reviews for it, and whether they decide to buy it.
How to use in your project
- 1.Reference this study when discussing how user-generated content influences design decisions or user behavior in your design project.
Add to My Project
Quick Cite
Paragraph starter
The influence of online review valence on consumer purchase intentions is not uniform; it is significantly moderated by the consumer's level of expertise. Research indicates that more expert consumers are less susceptible to the persuasive power of review sentiment, suggesting that marketing and design strategies should account for audience expertise when leveraging user-generated content.
Source
Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication
The Good, the Bad, and the Expert: How Consumer Expertise Affects Review Valence Effects on Purchase Intentions in Online Product Reviews
journal · 2015
View sourceQuestions About This Research
- What does the research say about consumer expertise significantly alters the impact of online review valence on purchase intentions?
- When developing online marketing strategies or analyzing customer feedback, consider segmenting your audience by their level of product or domain expertise, as this will influence how they interpret and act upon online reviews. Evidence: Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication (2015).
- Why does "Consumer Expertise Significantly Alters the Impact of Online Review Valence on Purchase Intentions" matter for design?
- Understanding how consumer expertise influences the reception of online reviews is crucial for businesses aiming to leverage user-generated content. It suggests that marketing strategies should consider audience segmentation based on perceived expertise to tailor communication and manage brand reputation effectively.
- How can designers apply this research?
- When developing online marketing strategies or analyzing customer feedback, consider segmenting your audience by their level of product or domain expertise, as this will influence how they interpret and act upon online reviews.
- What were the main findings?
- Consumer expertise moderates the influence of review valence on purchase intentions.. Consumer expertise also moderates the asymmetric effects of positive and negative reviews.
- What research method was used?
- Experimental research with 470 participants.
- How strong is the evidence?
- Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2015 journal from Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication.
- What should I do differently in my next project?
- When analyzing customer reviews, categorize them not just by sentiment but also by the perceived expertise of the reviewer and the audience they are likely to influence. Use this insight to refine product descriptions, marketing messages, and customer service responses.
- What are the limitations?
- The study's findings may be specific to the types of products and online review platforms used in the experiment. Generalizability to all consumer contexts might require further investigation.