Engaging online review writing experience: effect of motivational affordance on review quality

Abstract

Online review has become an important repository for consumers to make online buying decisions. However, writing online reviews is a voluntary behavior lacking guidelines and it is hard to guarantee the review quality generated. How to improve online review quality has become a challenge to online retailers and review aggregators. In this study, we explore the design of review writing interface in order to provide engaging writing experience for online reviewers. Using the motivational affordance theory as the theory basis, we define the motivational factors and corresponding design elements, which support reviewers to fulfill their motivation to write their online reviews. We explore how the engaging experience supported by cognitive and social affordances will affect reviewers’ writing performance.