Reading Reviews - Online

Will reading a favorable Amazon review make you more likely to buy a certain product? Would an unfavorable review make you more unlikely to buy a product?

“90% of consumers online trust recommendations from people they know; 70% trust opinions of unknown users.”  (Econsultancy, July 2009)

A lot of people read reviews and official opinions by other consumers about products they are interested in. They need to be sure about their final decisions. For instance, the reviews at amazon.com are very popular for the decision-making process of people.

The process of purchasing has the following sequence: at first people recognize that they have a problem, and it summons a need for a product. Afterwards, they search for information about product choices. That process is often supported by reviews of other people who already have this certain product and are able to evaluate it subjectively. This product could be an item, a behavior, a holiday destination or whatever.

Consumers try to enhance their rational perspectives while they integrate as much information as possible. People weigh the pluses and minuses of each alternative. With the help of those kinds of support people, think that they have the opportunity to evaluate alternatives in a better way to arrive at a decision.

According to Ariely, consumer comparisons are relative, rather than absolute. They compare something they are thinking of purchasing with similar products. Frequently, they don´t want to choose their first idea, but rather scour the market and use the aid of other consumers´ feedback.

Personally, I am a big fan of online reviews of products. I survey the Internet for appropriate data to make reasonable decisions such as my last decision. I had to decide between the Nexus 7 and the iPad mini. I made an objective comparison between both products in terms of their performance data. The result was a draw (2:2). You can read the entire story in one of my previous entries. Afterwards, I have read a lot of online reviews to make a choice, and they helped a lot.

I have experienced this behavior many times in my life. Another example is when I want to have a holiday, and I have to choose a hotel. I read online evaluations about hotels for my target place, and I am really happy to be able to use this kind of getting information.

I have to be profoundly convinced that my final decision will be the right one, so that my overall feeling is positive after I have bought a product or stayed in a hotel.