Online Reviews and Consumer Decision-Making: The Role of Technology in Trust Building

Abstract

In the digital age, online reviews have emerged as a pivotal factor influencing consumer decision-making and trust formation in e-commerce and social commerce platforms. This study aims to analyze the extent to which online reviews impact consumer purchasing decisions and to examine the role of online review technologies in building consumer trust. Utilizing a quantitative research design, data were collected from 400 active online shoppers through a structured online questionnaire featuring Likert-scale items. Descriptive statistics and one-sample t-tests were employed to assess the significance of the relationships between online reviews, review technologies, consumer decision-making, and trust. The findings reveal that a substantial majority of consumers acknowledge the significant influence of online reviews on their purchasing behavior, with 84.3% affirming that reviews play a crucial role in their decision-making process. Additionally, the study confirms that advanced online review technologies, such as verified purchase badges and sophisticated review systems, significantly enhance consumer trust, with 75.5% of respondents agreeing that these technologies positively affect their trust in online reviews. These results underscore the critical importance of integrating robust technological features within online review platforms to foster a trustworthy and reliable environment for consumers. The implications of this research highlight the need for businesses and e-commerce platforms to prioritize the management and technological enhancement of online reviews to drive informed and confident consumer decisions. Future research directions include exploring the impact of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence on review personalization and trust, as well as investigating the role of online reviews across diverse cultural and demographic contexts.