IMPACT OF ONLINE REVIEWS AND RATINGS ON CONSUMER PURCHASE DECISIONS: A STUDY OF CONSUMERS IN THE BUNDELKHAND REGION OF UTTAR PRADESH
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29121/ShodhPrabandhan.v3.i2.2026.129Keywords:
Online Reviews, Star Ratings, Written Reviews, Review Volume, Consumer Purchase Decision, Online Shopping, Bundelkhand RegionAbstract
Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the influence of online reviews and ratings on consumers’ purchase decisions, with special reference to the Bundelkhand Region of Uttar Pradesh, India. The study specifically compares the influence of star ratings and written reviews and examines the relationship between the importance of the number of online reviews and purchase decisions.
Methodology: The study adopts a quantitative, descriptive and analytical research design. Primary data from 186 respondents were collected through an online questionnaire using convenience sampling. Data were analysed using frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, paired samples t-test, Pearson correlation and simple linear regression.
Findings: The findings show that written reviews have a great influence on purchase decisions than star ratings. The mean score for written reviews was 4.258 compared with 3.735 for star ratings, and the difference was significant (p < .001). The importance of the number of online reviews also showed a significant positive relationship with purchase decisions (r = 0.609, p < .001). Regression analysis showed that this factor explained 37.1% of the variation in purchase decision scores.
Originality/Value: The study provides region-specific primary evidence on the role of different characteristics of online reviews in consumers’ purchase decisions in the Bundelkhand Region of Uttar Pradesh.
References
Babić Rosario, A., Sotgiu, F., de Valck, K., and Bijmolt, T. H. A. (2016). The Effect of Electronic Word of Mouth on Sales: A Meta-Analytic Review of Platform, Product, and Metric Factors. Journal of Marketing Research, 53(3), 297–318. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmr.14.0380 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1509/jmr.14.0380
Budiman, A., and Martini, N. (2023). The Influence of Online Customer Reviews and Online Customer Ratings on Purchasing Decisions Product Electronics in the Shopee Marketplace for the Karawang Regency Community. Primanomics: Jurnal Ekonomi and Bisnis, 21(2). https://doi.org/10.31253/pe.v21i2.1823 DOI: https://doi.org/10.31253/pe.v21i2.1823
Chatterjee, S., Chaudhuri, R., Vrontis, D., and Thrassou, A. (2021). The Influence of Online Customer Reviews on Customers’ Purchase Intentions: A Cross-Cultural Study from India and the UK. International Journal of Organizational Analysis, 30(6), 1595–1623. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOA-02-2021-2627 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOA-02-2021-2627
Chen, T., Samaranayake, P., Cen, X., Qi, M., and Lan, Y. (2022). The Impact of Online Reviews on Consumers’ Purchasing Decisions: Evidence from an Eye-Tracking Study. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 865702. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.865702 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.865702
Chevalier, J. A., and Mayzlin, D. (2006). The Effect of Word of Mouth on Sales: Online Book Reviews. Journal of Marketing Research, 43(3), 345–354. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmkr.43.3.345 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1509/jmkr.43.3.345
Fernandes, S., Panda, R., Venkatesh, V., Swar, B., and Shi, Y. (2022). Measuring the Impact of Online Reviews on Consumer Purchase Decisions: A Scale Development Study. SSRN Electronic Journal. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4045914 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4045914
Filieri, R. (2015). What makes Online Reviews Helpful? A Diagnosticity-Adoption Framework to Explain Informational and Normative Influences in e-WOM. Journal of Business Research, 68(6), 1261–1270. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2014.11.006 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2014.11.006
Floyd, K., Freling, R., Alhoqail, S., Cho, H. Y., and Freling, T. (2014). How Online Product Reviews Affect Retail Sales: A Meta-Analysis. Journal of Retailing, 90(2), 217–232. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretai.2014.04.004 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretai.2014.04.004
Gobbilla, U., and Teja, J. V. (2025). A Study on Impact of Customer Review on Online Purchase Decision with Amazon. International Journal of Engineering, Business and Management, 9(3). https://doi.org/10.22161/ijebm.9.3.5 DOI: https://doi.org/10.22161/ijebm.9.3.5
Ibrahim, S. A. N. S. (2023). Impact of Online Reviews on Consumer Purchase Decisions in E-Commerce Platforms. International Journal for Multidisciplinary Research, 5(3). https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2023.v05i03.3687 DOI: https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2023.v05i03.3687
Iqbal, A., Khan, N. A., Malik, A., and Faridi, M. R. (2022). E-WOM Effect Through Social Media and Shopping Websites on Purchase Intention of Smartphones in India. Innovative Marketing, 18(2), 13–25. https://doi.org/10.21511/im.18(2).2022.02 DOI: https://doi.org/10.21511/im.18(2).2022.02
Lestari, I., and Maharani. (2024). Customer Reviews and Online Customer Ratings: Impact on Purchase Intention through Word of Mouth. International Journal of Research and Review, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.52403/ijrr.20240107 DOI: https://doi.org/10.52403/ijrr.20240107
Maala, R. (2024). Analyzing the Influence of Product Descriptions, Ratings, and Reviews on Online Consumer Purchasing Decisions. International Journal of Scientific Research in Engineering and Management. https://doi.org/10.55041/IJSREM28561 DOI: https://doi.org/10.55041/IJSREM28561
Mudambi, S. M., and Schuff, D. (2010). What Makes a Helpful Online Review? A Study of Customer Reviews on Amazon.com. MIS Quarterly, 34(1), 185–200. https://doi.org/10.2307/20721420 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/20721420
Nandagopal, R., Manokaran, G., and Jayakumar, A. (2025). Impact of Online Reviews on Consumer Purchasing Decisions. Proceedings: AIMS-22. https://doi.org/10.26573/2025.22.1.53 DOI: https://doi.org/10.26573/2025.22.1.53
Prakash, A., and N, S. (2026). International Journal of Economics and Business Management Research. International Journal of Economics and Business Management Research, 2(2). https://doi.org/10.64137/31079423/IJEBMR-V2I2P109 DOI: https://doi.org/10.64137/31079423/IJEBMR-V2I2P109
Qiu, K., and Zhang, X. (2024). How Online Reviews Affect Purchase Intention: A Meta-Analysis Across Contextual and Cultural Factors. Data and Information Management, 8(2), 100058. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dim.2023.100058 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dim.2023.100058
Rachmiani, R., Oktadinna, N. K., and Fauzan, T. R. (2024). The Impact of Online Reviews and Ratings on Consumer Purchasing Decisions on e-Commerce Platforms. International Journal of Management Science and Information Technology, 4(2). https://doi.org/10.35870/ijmsit.v4i2.3373 DOI: https://doi.org/10.35870/ijmsit.v4i2.3373
S., S., and Sivakanni, S. (2025). A Study on Effect of Online Reviews on Purchase Decision. Journal of Advance and Future Research, 3(10). https://doi.org/10.56975/jaafr.v3i10.500819 DOI: https://doi.org/10.56975/jaafr.v3i10.500819
Sahu, H., Dutt, A., Kaur, J., and Yadav, R. (2026). Impact of Online Reviews on Consumer Purchase Decisions in Indian Online Travel Portals. International Journal of Drug Delivery Technology. https://doi.org/10.25258/ijddt.16.66s.158 DOI: https://doi.org/10.25258/ijddt.16.66s.158
Santhoshkumar, P., and Sowmya, G. (2026). Consumer Purchase Intention in E-Commerce: The Impact of Online Reviews and E-Word of Mouth. Journal of Advance and Future Research, 4(2). https://doi.org/10.56975/jaafr.v4i2.503487 DOI: https://doi.org/10.56975/jaafr.v4i2.503487
Saranya, B., and Booja, S. (2026). A Study on Impact of Online Reviews and Ratings Towards Consumer Buying Behaviour in E-Commerce Platform with Special Reference to Tirupur City. Journal of Advance and Future Research, 4(3). https://doi.org/10.56975/jaafr.v4i3.505039 DOI: https://doi.org/10.56975/jaafr.v4i3.505039
Sharma, A., Yadav, A., and Jha, G. K. (2026). Impact of Online Reviews on Consumer Purchase decisions. International Journal of Integrated Research and Practice. https://doi.org/10.65579/31075037.0144 DOI: https://doi.org/10.65579/31075037.0144
Subramanya, and Anil. (2026). The Influence of Online Reviews on Consumer Purchase Decisions in E-Commerce Platforms: A Study of Bangalore and Kolar Regions. International Journal of Research in Commerce and Management Studies. https://doi.org/10.38193/IJRCMS.2026.8249 DOI: https://doi.org/10.38193/IJRCMS.2026.8249
Ullal, M. S., Spulbar, C., Hawaldar, I. T., Popescu, V., and Birau, R. (2021). The Impact of Online Reviews on E-Commerce Sales in India: A Case Study. Economic Research-Ekonomska Istraživanja, 34(1), 2408–2422. https://doi.org/10.1080/1331677X.2020.1865179 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/1331677X.2020.1865179
Wu, Q.-M. (2024). The Influence of Online Reviews on the Purchasing Decisions of Travel Consumers. Sustainability, 16(8), 3213. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16083213 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su16083213
Zhu, F., and Zhang, X. (2010). Impact of Online Consumer Reviews on Sales: The Moderating Role of Product and Consumer Characteristics. Journal of Marketing, 74(2), 133–148. https://doi.org/10.1509/jm.74.2.133 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1509/jm.74.2.133
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Dr. Vivek Kumar, Dr. Himani (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
With the licence CC-BY, authors retain the copyright, allowing anyone to download, reuse, re-print, modify, distribute, and/or copy their contribution. The work must be properly attributed to its author.
It is not necessary to ask for further permission from the author or journal board.
This journal provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge.
