The Impact of Online Third-party Product Reviews on Consumer Adoption of a New Product

Research has discovered that the third-party product review (TPPR) can influence consumer adoption of a new product. However, the specific influence mechanism needs further deep explorations. In this study, effects of different types of TPPR on consumer adoption of different new products were tested from the perspective of consumer knowledge. Based on two experimental designs, it is reported that the TPPR in the recommendation format and comparison format influence the intentions of new consumers to use really new products mostly. The TPPR in the description format and independent format influence the intentions of expert consumers to incremental new products. Moreover, the source of TPPR is vital. Consumers trust the TPPR in professional product evaluation websites more compared with public media. In other words, TPPR in professional product evaluation websites can facilitate consumer adoption of new products. The research conclusions here further enrich researches concerning TPPR and adoption of new productions.