The when & why of consumers.

• Author: Pearson, Lisa
• Position: GONE SHOPPING - Online consumer reviews

BASED ON AN ANALYSIS of sample data from the Bazaar-voice network, including more than 57,000,000 reviews and upwards of 35,000,000,000 product pageviews, The Conversation Index Volume 7 reveals how online consumer conversations can help predict shopping behavior during critical seasonal shopping periods. The data also indicates a number of recommended strategies businesses can act on to help maximize sales and deliver better consumer experiences.

Consumer reviews inextricably are linked to end-of-year holiday sales. According to ComScore, online spending on Black Friday and Cyber Monday reached $1,200,000,000 and $1,700,000,000, respectively--increases of 169% and 239% over the daily e-commerce average for the first 29 days of November 2013. In parallel, review pageviews on Black Friday and Cyber Monday beat the November daily average by 77% and 84%, respectively.

The global significance of Black Friday and Cyber Monday notwithstanding, both days are outperformed in review pageviews on Boxing Day in the countries that celebrate it. Across the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Hong Kong, and South Africa, review pageviews spiked to approximately 40,000,000 on Black Friday and Cyber Monday--and reached a peak of nearly 45,000,000 on Boxing Day. Not surprisingly, data from Experian Hitwise shows that Boxing Day 2013 was the busiest day ever for online retailers in the U.K.

Recommendation to retailers and brands: to draw in customers, prominently display reviews for predicted holiday bestsellers, such as providing a "top rated" gift list online and in marketing content. In addition, consider a product sampling program to load up review volume before the holiday shopping season kicks off.

Travel reviews, meanwhile, show seasonality in traveler type and which amenities are most important. For instance, pleasure travel booms in April and stays high through September. A sharp spike between June and August aligns with increases in family travel--when the kids are out of school. Positive reviews from all types of travelers most often mention the destination's location, breakfast, and the friendliness of the staff, but seasonal trends reveal when to target different types of travelers and what amenities should receive special attention.

Recommendation to hoteliers: target families and pleasure travelers from April to September, and look for opportunities to improve areas that most often cause these travelers to write negative reviews, which are...