Market and strategic analysis of opinion aggregators

Abstract

This thesis studies an emerging web phenomenon - online opinion aggregator. The thesis first defines what an opinion aggregator is and then applies a holistic framework to analyze the opinion aggregator to understand its key characteristics. The research then zooms in on one of the most popular opinion aggregators, the product review aggregator, to understand its market opportunities, enabling technologies, and business models. The author samples nine product review aggregators based on the content type, the aggregation method, and the relationship with customers. An experiment of comparing product review ratings is also conducted to reveal issues and challenges faced by the product review aggregators.The conclusion of this research is that most review aggregators are still in their startup stage in which they are accumulating product review content and building a bigger user base. Many key enabling technologies such as natural language parsing and web text mining are still in the early stage of the technology evolution. Most of product review aggregators rely on advertising to sustain their businesses. Although aggregating product reviews is a good starting point, an aggregator needs to move towards a more comprehensive product research platform in order to grow its business.This research can be used by product review aggregators that want to gain a holistic understanding of the opinion aggregation eco-system and want to formalize their business strategies. The research also offers insights into the critical success factors of product review aggregators and can be helpful for anyone who wants to start a review aggregation-based business. The market researchers can benefit from this research with a better understanding of opinion aggregators and opportunities presented to the aggregators.