The best and the worst: word-of-mouth in e-tail websites

Abstract

This paper aims to investigate the internal dimensions of Word-of-Mouth (WOM) behavior, comparing the best and the worst Brazilian e-tail websites in four dimensions: intensity, positive valence, negative valence and content. The research used for this paper is based on the multidimensional framework of Goyette, Ricard, Bergeron, and Marticotte (2010). It suggests that WOM intensity is higher in the case of the best websites, while the degree of promotion (positive valence) of the best websites is lower than the degree of detraction (negative valence) of the worst websites. This result supports previous findings, showing that negative WOM is passionate and extreme. Yet, elements such as trust, delivery time and post-purchase support, reinforce both positive WOM in the best websites and negative WOM in the worst websites. However, security of transaction and ease of use do not reinforce negative WOM in the worst websites, suggesting a certain degree of commoditization of such factors between the best and the worst websites.