A STUDY ON THE ROLE OF CUSTOMER REVIEWS AND ONLINE RATINGS ON BUYING BEHAVIOUR

Abstract

The influence of online customer-generated content on consumer purchasing decisions in the contemporary digital marketplace. The study aims to examine the impact of reviews and ratings, analyze how positive and negative feedback affect consumer perceptions, and identify key factors within reviews (like trustworthiness, usefulness, and recency) that influence purchase decisions. Employing a descriptive, cross-sectional research design, the study collected primary data from 50 online shoppers who frequently rely on reviews, using a structured questionnaire with multiple-choice questions. Quantitative analysis, including simple percentage calculations and pivot tables, was used to interpret the data. Key Findings: The study strongly supports the hypothesis that customer reviews and online ratings significantly influence consumer buying behavior. • High Reliance: A vast majority of consumers check online reviews and ratings at least "sometimes" before making a purchase, with a substantial portion doing so "often" or "always." • Impact on Confidence: Online reviews significantly impact consumer confidence in a product, with a majority reporting that reviews make them "very much" or "completely" confident. • Credibility Factors: Consumers prioritize recent reviews and verified buyer reviews when assessing ratings. For trusting specific reviews, the presence of images/videos, reviewer reputation, and detailed explanations are crucial. Consistency across reviews and verified buyer status significantly boost purchasing confidence. • Negative Reviews: Negative reviews, particularly those highlighting recent negative experiences, products being "overpriced for quality," or poor customer service, strongly deter purchases. Consumers often reconsider purchasing if issues are recent, critical flaws are mentioned, or ratings fall below three stars. • Suspicion of Perfect/Few Reviews: Products with exclusively perfect 5-star ratings or very few reviews, even if highly rated, are often met with suspicion. • Information Sources: Review-specific websites (e.g., Trustpilot) and social media are primary sources for product reviews, often perceived as more trustworthy than e- commerce or brand websites. • Action on Mixed Reviews: When faced with mixed reviews, a significant number of consumers will compare the product with competitor offerings or focus on the negative reviews. Customer reviews and online ratings are critical in shaping consumer trust, credibility, and ultimate purchase decisions. Consumers value detailed, authentic, visually supported, and recent feedback, often prioritizing these over simple numerical scores. While positive reviews enhance.