Consumer Review Variation by Product Type - A Multi-method Analysis

In the past decade, online shopping mode has been recognized and accepted by more and
more people. Over 200 million people were online shoppers in the United States. Convenient,
options, and better prices compared to traditional shopping mode attract more people to choose
the products online. Consumer’s feedback presented as online reviews on products after the
purchase has become one of the most important factors influencing whether other consumers will
purchase products. For merchants, by studying the behavioral differences of these online
consumers when evaluating products, they can help them to understand product characteristics
and their customers to improve online marketing strategies. This article explores the differences
in the types of utilitarian and hedonic products and behavioral changes in customer opinions,
which involves 22 different categories of products from Amazon.com and customer reviews for
analysis through a variety of technical and research methods.