What’s Your Experience With … ? C2C Communication Helps Sell Your Products

Consumers increasingly use the internet for pre-purchase information gathering, and its online brand communities have become a valuable source of information. However, not only consumers benefit from the experience of other users; high-quality online conversation can also help companies. A study of two different online forums for high quality woodworking equipment showed that online brand communities were effective tools for influencing sales, regardless of whether these communities resided on company-owned or independently owned websites. Good consumer comments – timely, relevant and detailed postings – reduced feelings of consumer uncertainty and, in turn, influenced customer purchase behavior in a positive way. The effect of communication quality on uncertainty reduction was stronger for complex products and when the respondents were perceived to be experts. These experts not only provided more valuable information to others but benefitted, in turn, more than novice users from the information provided. It seemed that people with higher expertise asked more specific questions about products and therefore received more specific and helpful replies.Results showed that the possible adverse effect of negative postings seems to be overestimated. Positive information shared by community members had a stronger influence on purchase behavior and was more influential than negative information – at least below a certain threshold. It is therefore advisable for companies to encourage online consumer communication.