E-Commerce and the Importance of Consumer Reviews

Harvard Business Review article highlights research on factors that persuade consumers in online reviews

UofM researcher, Dr. Subhash Jha, was an author on a recent article published in the Harvard Business Review on February 18, 2025. The article, Research: What’s Most Persuasive to Consumers in an Online Review? was co-authored by Abhijit Biswas & Prashanth Ravula.

Retailers often assume that explicit recommendations (e.g., “I recommend this product”) are the most effective way to enhance the persuasiveness of reviews. However, new research reveals that this is not always the case. In certain scenarios, expressing repurchase intentions (e.g., “I will buy it again”) can be even more influential. Specifically, for frequent purchases, repurchase intention (vs. recommendation) augments review persuasiveness. For infrequent purchases, however, recommendations (vs. repurchase intentions) enhance review persuasiveness. In both cases review persuasiveness increases because of increased credibility. Overall, these findings emphasize the importance of tailoring review strategies based on the type of product.

The findings offer retailers a fresh perspective on refining their review solicitation and promotion strategies. When deciding which products to highlight, companies should factor in purchase frequency and strategically showcase reviews that consumers are more likely to find credible.

Read Harvard Business Review article >>