How Do the Aesthetics of HCI Design Influence Website Credibiltiy: A Study of Online Banking Website Interfaces in Taiwan

Abstract

The appearance of a website is often a key factor influencing Internet users’ decision with regard to spending time or conducting any transaction there. This study investigates whether the appearance of a website influences its perceived credibility. By targeting the interfaces of online banking websites in Taiwan, we attempt to understand whether the appearance of a website whose content is closely related to people’s life and property has any direct influence on the website’s credibility. We conducted a survey and experiments which presented the participants with the interfaces of online banking websites with the same content presented in different aesthetic levels and asked them to evaluate the credibility of the websites. The results show that better-looking Web pages are perceived to be more credible than less good-looking ones and have a strong and direct influence. Therefore, websites whose content is closely related to the life and property of Internet users should pay more attention to their appearance in order to be perceived as credible.