Evaluating design features of Islamic websites: a Muslim user perception

Abstract

Website design features have been widely studied by researchers in various fields, most especially in e-commerce. Indeed, design features are widely regarded as vital tools that influence website use. However, few studies have devoted significant attention to Islamic website design features that influence website use. The purpose of this study is to identify and explore the most important design features of Islamic websites that influence website use. The study conducted a content analysis on selected Islamic website studies, in which 86 design features were identified, selected, modified, and categorized into six broad features (factors). Ann online survey of 89 Muslim users of Islamic websites was then conducted to rank the identified design features in terms of their importance to the users. The findings of the exploratory factor analysis provide evidence to suggest that only few design features are considered important by Islamic website users. These design features possess highly significant factor-loading and are grouped under “functionality”, “navigation”, “interactivity”, “attractiveness”, “organization”, and “security/privacy”. The study found the above design features to be significant in influencing Islamic website use.