Online reviews admitting a purchase mistake seen as more credible

Online reviewers who admit to making a previous purchase mistake are more likely to be seen as having expertise in that area, according to new research.

The study, published in the upcoming Journal of Marketing, sheds some light into how consumers perceive the credibility of online reviewers.

Researchers at Yale University and the University of Toronto had study participants read an online review for a set of headphones.

The first group read a review where another consumer regretted buying Brand A and is now recommending Brand B. The second group read a review where the consumer was happy with purchasing Brand A and is now recommending Brand B as an upgrade.

The study found that the first group was much more likely to choose the recommended headphones.

Researchers found the same result with floral shops. Study participants were more likely to buy from the recommended flower shop when the online reviewer admitted to making a previous mistake.

The underlying theory is that when we make a mistake, we try to learn from it to avoid making that mistake again. Therefore, when we read a review from someone admitting to a mistake, we believe they have gained more expertise about that product area.

Credibility of Reviews

We know that word of mouth and online reviews are influential in our purchase decisions, but we’re also gaining a better understanding of how consumers interpret reviews.

In particular, whether we perceive a review to be credible can have a big impact on how we analyze online reviews. Factors that might influence trust include:

• Information about whether the reviewer is a verified purchaser
• Personally identifying information, such as name or location
• The number of reviews the reviewer has posted
• The length of the review

This research adds to our understanding of how previous experience – especially a previous negative experience – can shape how we consider a reviewer’s expertise.

Takeaways for Marketers

The study authors said reviews that include mistakes are a “widely underused persuasive tactic,” adding the clear advice for marketers to feature more of these reviews.

Hopefully you are already featuring consumer feedback and reviews in your marketing, so this research should just provide guidance on which types of reviews to look for.

However, as you vet which reviews to feature, you also need to exercise some caution. In particular, be careful with any reviews that make factual claims about competitor products. Brand differentiation is important, but you need to do it wisely and ethically.

To that end, the authors also suggest this practice might help level the playing field for smaller companies.

This is a great insight, so let me use a hypothetical example: Imagine that you own a small restaurant competing with big chains nearby.

People who have eaten at both restaurants might write a review on your Google listing where they regret eating at the chains because of higher prices, longer waits, or inferior customer service.

Highlighting reviews like these is a cheap and easy way – not to mention an effective way – to differentiate your brand online.