Categorization of the reviewers based on the preciseness of the consumers’ reviews in online retail marketplace

Abstract

In the last decade, huge growth is observed in the online marketplace. Consumers are increasingly engaged in online shopping due to its operational flexibility, huge product search space and diversified products. In this virtual marketplace, consumers make the purchase decision not only based on product specifications given by the seller but also considers the product reviews given by the peer customers. On the other hand, inconsistent reviews make the consumers confused and thus have a negative impact on the overall sales of a business entity. Therefore, identifying the reviewers giving precise and consistent opinions about the products is important for business organizations. In this work, a novel methodology is suggested to classify reviewers into different categories based on the preciseness of the reviews. Business entities can utilize the precise reviewers for getting genuine product feedback and encourage this group to promote their products resulting in increased business growth.