Abstract

This study investigates whether and how the textual content of product descriptions, especially the sentiment element, influences buyers’ purchase intentions. Using year-round digital transaction data from Mercari, a leading e-Commerce platform in Japan, we examine the interplay of hard and soft information signals exchanged between sellers and buyers. The study addresses two crucial questions: (1) Do the descriptions that sellers provide on product sales pages impact the buyer’s intent to purchase? and (2) In what way does the description influence the buyer’s purchase intention? Quantitative analysis is used to understand the relationship between product descriptions, sentiment elements, and purchase intentions. The results show that sentiment factors in product descriptions can serve as high-quality “signals” that can help buyers make informed purchasing decisions and reduce information asymmetry between buyers and sellers. This research contributes to understanding decision-making in online markets, particularly the role of soft information and sentiment analysis.

中文翻译：

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从产品描述中提取的情感分数对客户购买意愿的影响

摘要

本研究调查产品描述的文本内容，尤其是情感元素是否以及如何影响购买者的购买意图。我们利用日本领先的电子商务平台 Mercari 的全年数字交易数据，研究了卖家和买家之间交换的硬信息信号和软信息信号的相互作用。该研究解决了两个关键问题：（1）卖家在产品销售页面上提供的描述是否会影响买家的购买意向？（2）描述如何影响买家的购买意愿？定量分析用于了解产品描述、情感元素和购买意图之间的关系。结果表明，产品描述中的情感因素可以作为高质量的“信号”，帮助买家做出明智的购买决策，减少买卖双方的信息不对称。这项研究有助于理解在线市场的决策，特别是软信息和情绪分析的作用。