A Study on Online Review Authenticity and its Impact on Consumer Purchase Decisions in Nagapattinam District
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64137/31080030/IJFEMS-V2I2P107Keywords:
Online Review Authenticity, Verified Badges, Consumer Purchase Decisions, E-Commerce, Consumer Trust, Chi-Square, RegressionAbstract
This study examines the role of online review authenticity and its direct impact on consumer purchase decisions within emerging e-commerce frameworks in Nagapattinam District. Relying on a primary data pool of 149 valid respondents, primarily comprised of consumers aged 18–25 (91.9%) and dominated by female users (79.2%), the research focuses heavily on platforms like Meesho (55.0%), Amazon (18.8%), and Flipkart (19.5%). Advanced statistical tools, including descriptive percentage metrics, Spearman's Rho Correlation, Simple Linear Regression, and Pearson's Chi-Square tests via SPSS, were applied for data analysis. The empirical findings reveal that verified purchase badges strongly reinforce user trust and directly give confidence in active product usage. However, the Chi-Square test indicates no significant structural association between filtering reviews using verified badges and experiencing product returns due to misleading feedback (p > 0.05). Furthermore, the regression model highlights that text-based verified reviews alone are insufficient, indicating that a vast majority of the variance in consumer confidence depends on multimedia elements like uploaded buyer photos and videos. The paper highlights strategic implications for digital storefronts to enhance validation mechanisms.
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