Do we really buy those 'Top-Rated' deals when we shop online? New study says rankings matter but how so may surprise you - phys.org
According to a new study, the answer is, "yes" and "no."
Raluca M. Ursu, of the Stern School of Business at New York University, conducted the research for the study, "The Power of Rankings: Quantifying the Effect of Rankings on Online Consumer Search and Purchase Decisions," which is published in the July edition of INFORMS journal Marketing Science.
The study found that products with high online rankings have a causal effect on what consumers search, but those rankings do not necessarily affect purchase decisions directly. Search intermediaries like Amazon and Expedia use rankings to influence purchases but only secondarily to their search decisions. The article emphasizes the importance of optimizing the search process, distinguishing it from assumptions that consumers are likely to make purchase decisions solely on a product's or service's high rankings.
