Abstract
With the growing availability and popularity of web-based opinion platforms, online product reviews are now an emerging market phenomenon that is playing an increasingly important role in consumer purchase decisions. Generally speaking, there are two types of online reviews: consumer-generated reviews that are based on personal experiences, and reviews that are written by professional editors. However, little prior research efforts have been devoted to evaluate whether these two types of reviews have different influences on the behavior of online users. This study shows that consumer-generated ratings about the quality of food, environment and service of restaurants, and the volume of online consumer reviews are positively associated with the online popularity of restaurants; whereas editor reviews have a negative relationship with consumers' intention to visit a restaurant's webpage. The findings will help hospitality researchers and practitioners better understand the impact of electronic word-of-mouth on purchase decisions.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 694-700 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | International Journal of Hospitality Management |
Volume | 29 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Dec 2010 |
Keywords
- Consumer reviews
- Editor reviews
- Online popularity
- Restaurant
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Tourism, Leisure and Hospitality Management
- Strategy and Management