Cues That Guide: Unpacking Review Evaluation Through Website Characteristics: A Hybrid Approach Using PLS-SEM and fsQCA

As online reviews continue to shape consumer decisions, understanding the pivotal elements of review evaluation becomes essential. Grounded in the cue diagnosticity theory, the study aims to examine the role of website quality and familiarity in influencing website value and reputation, which subsequently affect review attitude and reviewer credibility. The study employs a mixed-methods approach, combining structural equation modeling (SEM) and fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to test the proposed framework. The SEM and fsQCA findings reveal that high-scope cues are more relevant and have higher predictability than low-scope cues in measuring reviewer credibility. Additionally, website value plays a key mediating role in shaping reviewer credibility. These insights help e-commerce platforms to strengthen review credibility by improving website experience and leveraging high-quality site cues.