Abstract
This study investigated how design features on e-commerce product pages can influence their persuasiveness. Aframework incorporating the persuasive functions of logos, pathos, and ethos in classical rhetoric was utilizedand the factors of persuasive mean, product type, and product price were examined. The results revealed that thepersuasiveness of a product page can be enhanced by applying persuasive means to the design of the productpage; the effects of persuasive mean on the persuasiveness of a product page are moderated by product typerather than product price. In addition, combining multiple persuasive means lead to greater persuasiveness thanusing any of them individually. On the whole, the persuasive power derived from the persuasive means thatappeal to users’ emotions and the credibility of the product pages is greater than that derived from the persuasivemean that appeals to logic.
Highlights
Successful user experience design for e-commerce relies on a large number of factors
The persuasive mean of logos is dependent on the factors of price presentation, variety, product information, and tangibility; the persuasive mean of pathos is dependent on the factors of effort, playfulness, empathy, and compatibility; and the persuasive mean of ethos is dependent on the factors of recognizability, assurance, and reliability
We developed five versions of product pages that manifested the implementations for conditions of control, logos, pathos, ethos, and combination, for each of the four selected products
Summary
Successful user experience design for e-commerce relies on a large number of factors. Designing a usable Web site has been traditionally recognized as a key to e-commerce success (e.g., Casaló, Flavián, & Guinalíu, 2008; Lee & Koubek, 2010; Nielsen, Molich, Snyder & Farrell, 2001). Several researchers suggested that though usability is still important for effective Web site design, it is no longer the key differentiator. Constantinides (2004) suggested that Web sites should be seen as vital instruments of persuasion rather than as online brochures or catalogues of the company’s products. Little research has been conducted to address the persuasive power, a vital element, of Web design (Ibrahim, 2013; Kim & Fesenmaier, 2008; Winn & Beck, 2002)
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