Design of review systems – A strategic instrument to shape online reviewing behavior and economic outcomes

As online reviews play a decisive role in consumers’ purchase decisions, e-commerce platforms such as Amazon or Yelp are using review systems strategically to obtain a competitive advantage. However, prospective consumers can only learn from others’ experiences if the review system is designed appropriately. Research on the design of review systems and the effects of design choices has not yet been summarized and synthesized in a review article. We aim to close this gap by providing a scoping review. In our synthesis, we posit that the design of review systems moderates the impact of online reviews on economic outcomes and the factors that drive the formation of reviews. After consolidating the existing research results, we identify research gaps and provide a research agenda covering three different dimensions: (1) Review system design features, (2) Review system design for different environments, and (3) Review system design for different devices. Finally, we discuss the strategic implications of review system design from the perspective of the resource-based view of the firm.