Short answer
Focus on cultivating and demonstrating trustworthiness through careful management of online reviews and ratings, as this is the primary pathway to influencing purchase decisions.
- Field
- Innovation & Markets
- Source
- Jurnal Manajemen Maranatha (2025)
- Method
- Quantitative research using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM).
- Sample
- 209 participants
- Evidence
- Moderate effect
While direct influence of online reviews on purchase intent may be weak, their indirect impact, mediated by consumer trust, is significant. This innovation & markets research insight is drawn from a 2025 study published in Jurnal Manajemen Maranatha. Using Quantitative research using partial least squares structural equation modelling (pls-sem). with 209 participants, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Focus on cultivating and demonstrating trustworthiness through careful management of online reviews and ratings, as this is the primary pathway to influencing purchase decisions.
Online Reviews and Ratings Indirectly Drive Purchase Intent Through Trust
While direct influence of online reviews on purchase intent may be weak, their indirect impact, mediated by consumer trust, is significant.
Jurnal Manajemen Maranatha · 2025
Key Findings
- 01Online customer reviews have no significant direct effect on purchase intent.
- 02Online customer ratings have a significant direct effect on purchase intent.
- 03Trust fully mediates the indirect impact of online customer reviews on purchase intent.
- 04Trust partially mediates the indirect impact of online customer ratings on purchase intent.
Application
Design takeaway
Focus on cultivating and demonstrating trustworthiness through careful management of online reviews and ratings, as this is the primary pathway to influencing purchase decisions.
How to apply
Implement a proactive customer review management strategy, encouraging genuine feedback, responding to reviews, and using insights to improve products and services, thereby enhancing trust.
Project actions
- 01Consider how trust is built in your design project.
- 02Think about how user feedback can be leveraged to increase confidence in a product or service.
Method & Evidence
Variables
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- +Utilizes a robust statistical method (PLS-SEM) for analyzing complex relationships.
- +Focuses on a relevant and contemporary aspect of e-commerce marketing.
Limitations
The sample size might be limited for broader statistical power, and the focus on a single product category may not capture the full spectrum of consumer behavior.
Reliability & validity
The use of PLS-SEM suggests an attempt to establish reliability and validity of the measurement model, though specific metrics like Cronbach's alpha or AVE would need to be examined from the full paper.
Think critically
How might the perceived authenticity of online reviews influence the strength of the trust mediation effect?
Design Principles
"Trust is a critical intermediary in the influence of social proof (reviews/ratings) on consumer behavior."
This research highlights the critical role of trust as a bridge between customer feedback and purchasing decisions in digital marketplaces. Businesses need to focus on fostering trust through review management to effectively leverage online feedback for driving sales.
What This Means for Your Design
People don't always buy something just because of reviews, but good reviews make them trust the product more, and that trust makes them more likely to buy.
How to use in your project
- 1.Use this research to support claims about the importance of user feedback and trust in your design process.
- 2.Reference findings on the mediating role of trust when discussing the impact of user-generated content on market adoption.
Add to My Project
Quick Cite
Paragraph starter
This study highlights that while direct influence of online reviews on purchase intent can be minimal, their indirect impact, mediated by consumer trust, is substantial. Businesses must therefore focus on cultivating trust through effective review management to leverage social proof for driving purchasing decisions.
Source
Jurnal Manajemen Maranatha
Online customer reviews and ratings as key drivers of purchase intention: The mediating role of trust
journal · 2025
View sourceQuestions About This Research
- What does the research say about online reviews and ratings indirectly drive purchase intent through trust?
- Focus on cultivating and demonstrating trustworthiness through careful management of online reviews and ratings, as this is the primary pathway to influencing purchase decisions. Evidence: Jurnal Manajemen Maranatha (2025).
- Why does "Online Reviews and Ratings Indirectly Drive Purchase Intent Through Trust" matter for design?
- This research highlights the critical role of trust as a bridge between customer feedback and purchasing decisions in digital marketplaces. Businesses need to focus on fostering trust through review management to effectively leverage online feedback for driving sales.
- How can designers apply this research?
- Focus on cultivating and demonstrating trustworthiness through careful management of online reviews and ratings, as this is the primary pathway to influencing purchase decisions.
- What were the main findings?
- Online customer reviews have no significant direct effect on purchase intent.. Online customer ratings have a significant direct effect on purchase intent.. Trust fully mediates the indirect impact of online customer reviews on purchase intent.. Trust partially mediates the indirect impact of online customer ratings on purchase intent.
- What research method was used?
- Quantitative research using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). with 209 participants.
- How strong is the evidence?
- Evidence strength is rated Moderate effect, based on a 2025 journal from Jurnal Manajemen Maranatha.
- What should I do differently in my next project?
- Implement a proactive customer review management strategy, encouraging genuine feedback, responding to reviews, and using insights to improve products and services, thereby enhancing trust.
- What are the limitations?
- The study focused on smartphone purchases in a specific online marketplace (Shopee Indonesia), limiting generalizability to other product categories or e-commerce platforms.