In Mobile We Trust: The Effects of Mobile Versus Non-Mobile Reviews on Consumer Purchase Intentions

In the context of user-generated content (UGC), mobile devices have made it easier for consumers to review products and services in a timely manner. In practice, some UGC sites indicate if a review was posted from a mobile device. For example, TripAdvisor uses a “via mobile” label to denote reviews from mobile devices. However, the extent to which such information impacts consumers is unknown. To address this gap, the authors use TripAdvisor data and five experiments to examine how mobile devices impact consumers’ perceptions of UGC reviews and their purchase intentions. They find that knowing a review was posted from a mobile device can lead consumers to have higher purchase intentions. Interestingly, this is due to a process whereby consumers assume mobile reviews are more physically effortful to craft and subsequently equate this greater perceived effort with the credibility of the review.