An Empirical Study of the Influence of Online Review Content on Consumer Decisions

This thesis examines the influence of online reviews using hierarchical Bayesian modelling methods at an individual level, providing insights into how consumers read online reviews and how reviews influence their purchase decisions. Across three studies, this research shows that consumers read reviews across many sessions before making a purchase and that prior exposure to reviews affects review consumption in subsequent sessions. The findings will allow marketers to determine the persuasiveness of reviews and, as such, display potentially more influential or useful reviews early on, enabling them to improve customer engagement on their websites and, as a result, conversion rates.