A STUDY ON CONSUMER'S BUYING BEHAVIOUR
BASED ON CUSTOMERS’ ONLINE REVIEWS
ABSTRACT
With the emergence of digital and social media, online product reviews have become a powerful source
of information influencing purchase decisions. Customer reviews are a form of feedback on electronic
commerce and online shopping sites. Now a days, with the availability of resources like 24X7 internet
access, smart phones and other resources to access websites, consumers have a constant access to
online product reviews too. There are many platforms like online retailer’s websites, E-Commerce
websites, brand websites, brand community blogs, and third-party review, where consumers can
participate and engage in discussions about their purchase and consumption experience, and so this
product review has become a popular and effective marketing and sales tool that affect consumer
product purchase behaviour. Consumer reviews may influence overall product sales and help a
customer in purchasing decision. This research paper has been conducted with a perspective of finding
the correlation between consumer reviews and consumer purchasing behaviour. This study aims to
disentangle the effect of different online reviews on consumer’s purchasing behaviour and intentions. A
five point Liker scale questionnaire is used for data collection from the sample.
1. INTRODUCTION:
In earlier times, when people used to purchase goods or services, they used to go to different shops to
purchase and feedback of a particular product or service was given by simple wordof-mouth. But as with
advancement of technology, the concept of online shopping was introduced and to which
simultaneously the concept of online consumer reviews was also introduced. But with the time, online
reviews became more important as to maintain the reputation of the business. They are given by the
customers who have already used or bought a particular product by trusting the retailer. Online reviews
have created a new form of merchandising and communication that helps in bridging the gap between
simple word-ofmouth and a form of feedback that can move mountains for a business. The significance
of online reviews is truly remarkable as it helps in increasing sales and creating brand awareness and it
also helps the business to know their weaknesses and how to improve it. Internet has empowered
today's consumer to transform himself from a passive to an active and informed consumer who can
easily share his experience and opinion about a particular product or service with an infinite number of
consumers around the globe through feedback and online reviews. These reviews or feedbacks are used
by prospective buyers of that particular product or service via electronic Word-of-Mouth. In reality,
online review community allows everyone to express and receive different opinions and individuals can
reexamine their opinions after receiving reviews from others. Online customer reviews play an
increasingly important role in other customers’ decision making process. The different online product
review platforms like blogs, retailing websites, social media, video platform and independent reviewing
platforms differ in their objectives, function and characteristics. When it comes down to reviews,
consumers give more importance to that because they want to hear about experience from people like
them. This is the main reason that they can be business’ best marketing tool. Online reviews can be just
the thing that is needed to push a prospective customer from consideration to purchase, as they are an
integral part of shopping experience
2. OBJECTIVES:
This empirical study focuses on the relationship between online reviews and purchasing behaviour.
To study the impact of customers’ online reviews on consumer’s buying behaviour.
To find the correlation between consumer reviews and consumer purchasing behaviour.
To study how prospective customers form their opinions under the effects of both positive and
negative reviews
3. LITERATURE REVIEW: Past studies have exhibited that online reviews play a vital role in the
process of purchase decision for a consumer. Though the effects of positive and negative reviews to
consumers’ purchase decisions have been analyzed and examine.
