Purpose

This paper aims to analyze the effects of web communities vs company websites in providing tactile information considering different types of product in terms of touch diagnosticity (low- vs. high-touch products).

Design/methodology/approach

Three experimental studies were conducted to examine the effect of online information sources (i.e. web communities vs. company websites) in providing tactile information on consumer responses, considering the moderation role of product type in terms of touch diagnosticity (low- vs. high-touch products, Study 1), the moderating role of type of information (tactile vs. generic, Study 2a); and the moderating role of need for touch (NFT) (Study 2a and 2b).

Findings

While previous research converges on the idea that the provision of a written description of tactile properties deriving from the product usage is particularly effective for products for which tactile information is diagnostic and for individuals high in NFT, the results demonstrated that the presence (vs. the absence) of the description of the tactile properties provided by web communities (vs. company websites) matters for those products for which touch is not diagnostic and for individuals low in NFT.

Practical implications

The findings have particular relevance for emerging brands intending to commercialize their products in the digital environment. These companies should be present in web communities to describe a product’s tactile characteristics, especially if not diagnostic.

Originality/value

This paper significantly contributes to a better understanding of a little studied area, namely, consumer responses toward haptic compensational strategies providing haptic cues (e.g. written description of tactile information along with pictures of products) aiming at compensating for the absence of touch, underlining the differential influence of online sources of tactile information on consumer responses across different types of products.

中文翻译：

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低接触产品的在线触觉信息源对消费者反应的影响

目的

本文旨在分析网络社区与公司网站在提供触觉信息方面的影响，考虑到不同类型的产品在触摸诊断方面（低接触与高接触产品）。

设计/方法/方法

考虑到产品类型在触摸诊断（低接触与高接触）方面的调节作用，进行了三项实验研究，以检查在线信息源（即网络社区与公司网站）在提供消费者反应的触觉信息方面的影响产品，研究 1)，信息类型的调节作用（触觉与通用，研究 2a）；以及触摸需求 (NFT) 的调节作用（研究 2a 和 2b）。

发现

虽然之前的研究集中在以下观点，即提供源自产品使用的触觉特性的书面描述对于触觉信息具有诊断意义的产品和 NFT 高的个人特别有效，但结果表明存在（与网络社区（相对于公司网站）提供的触觉特性描述的缺失）对于那些触摸不能诊断的产品和 NFT 低的个人很重要。

实际影响

这些发现对于打算在数字环境中将其产品商业化的新兴品牌尤其具有相关性。这些公司应该出现在网络社区中来描述产品的触觉特征，特别是如果不是诊断性的。

原创性/价值

本文极大地有助于更好地理解一个小研究领域，即消费者对提供触觉提示（例如触觉信息的书面描述以及产品图片）的触觉补偿策略的反应，旨在补偿触摸的缺失，强调差异触觉信息的在线来源对不同类型产品的消费者反应的影响。