Online Product Presentation Research Articles

Exploring Gender Differences in Online Consumer Purchase Decision Making: An Online Product Presentation Perspective

Gender effects remain poorly understood in the E-commerce setting. Using the selectivity model, this research further investigates gender differences in consumer Web-based purchase decisions. Specifically, gender differences in the effects of interactivity, vividness, diagnosticity, and perceived risk on subsequent consumer attitude and online purchase intentions are investigated and explained. An empirical survey-based research study in the e-commerce context found that gender differences exist in the relative influence of each antecedent. Specifically, interactivity and perceived risk influenced attitude formation more for males than females, while vividness and diagnosticity influenced attitude formation more for females than males. In addition, attitude toward online product presentation influenced purchase intention more strongly for males than females. For e-Commerce web-site designers and brand managers, our results highlight the importance of being gender aware when developing their web presence. While some sites may benefit from a gender-neutral design, others may benefit from a design based on results reported here.

Influence of online product presentation on consumers’ trust in organic food

Purpose Against the background of industrialisation and modernisation of agriculture, food production issues and environmental hazards have become more and more obvious and consumers are increasingly concerned about food safety and health, which is strengthening demand for organic food. E-commerce provides a new channel for sales. Research on consumer trust in online organic food sales is the basis of network marketing. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach A laboratory experiment was used to empirically test the effects of media richness on consumers’ trust and the moderating effect of online review length. A 2×2 factorial design (i.e. two types of online product presentation formats (between-subject)×two levels of online review lengths (between-subject)) was used. Findings Media richness has a significant positive effect on consumers’ trust and that this effect is moderated by online review length. Meanwhile, perceived risk conveys the interaction effect of the media richness of online product presentation and online review length to trust. Practical implications E-commerce websites should aim to promote organic food by using a variety of online product presentation formats and by presenting high quality online reviews in order to reduce consumers’ perceived risk and improve their degree of trust when buying online. Originality/value This paper provides a new insight into consumers’ attitude of buying organic food online. The results of the research could provide proposals for promoting organic food sales online.

The Effect of On-line Product Presentation : A Comparative Study between 3D and General Product Presentation

Purpose – This research aims to examine the effects of 3D online products presentation by comparing it with general presentation. Research design, data, and methodology – To rigorously investigate the differences of effects between 3D presentation and general presentation, this study examines the differences of the two presentations in vividness, informedness, entertainment, product trust, and purchase intention. This research designed two different forms of online product presentations, 3D and general presentation for an experiment. Results – The research findings indicate that 1) the vividness of online product presentation has a positive impact on the informedness and entertainment. While both vividness and informedness product presentation have a positive impact on product trust, the entertainment of online product presentation has no significant impact. 2) Vividness, informedness, entertainment, product trust, and purchasing intention showed significant differences between 3D and general product presentations. 3) Overall, 3D product presentation showed a stronger impact on purchasing intention than the general product presentation. Conclusions – This research expands the area of business presentation by comparing the differences of 3D and general presentation methods. This study made a great contribution to theory development, and also to guidelines for practice. These insights could be used by organizations in developing realistic environments for business presentations.

The influence of online product presentation videos on persuasion and purchase channel preference: The role of imagery fluency and need for touch

The lack of physical contact between products and consumer represents a key characteristic of online environments that can influence consumer’s purchase behavior. In an effort to offer a close experience with the product, websites usually present vivid information in order to convince consumers about the goodness of their products. Vivid information is likely to prompt different aspects of the purchase process, like reduced feelings of uncertainty or a higher need for physical information. The goal of this research is twofold: first, we analyze how the presence and type of vivid information, in the form of product presentation videos (PPVs), affects consumers’ attitudes and purchase intentions toward the product. Furthermore, we examine how the perceived ease of imagining the product evoked by vivid information mediates these effects. Second, we propose that individual differences, related to the consumer’s need of touching products, determine the impact of vivid information on the preferences toward the purchase channel (online or offline). The results of an experiment, which manipulated the presence and the style of PPVs, support the importance of vivid information in order to favor consumers’ attitudes and purchase intentions, as well as to influence the relative preference for the purchase channel. Additionally, message and consumer characteristics are found as important factors that affect these relationships.

Role of local presence in online impulse buying

This paper proposes and tests a model to explain how consumers’ perceptions of product presentation technologies may affect online impulse buying. Data from a laboratory experiment (N=212), which were analyzed using a structural equation modeling approach, showed that vividness and interactivity of online product presentations increased the participants’ perceptions of local presence, which refers to the sense of a product being present with a consumer in his or her own environment. Local presence, in turn, influenced the urge to buy impulsively by generating both cognitive (perceived risk) and affective (product affect) product responses. The implications of these results are discussed.

Facilitating imaginations through online product presentation videos: effects on imagery fluency, product attitude and purchase intention

The use of imagination is a dominant strategy for consumers to form evaluations in the e-commerce environments. Online Product Presentation Videos (OPPVs) are vivid information that can facilitate consumers this task. Following the imagery fluency approach, we analyze the impact of OPPVs on consumers’ quality of product-related thoughts, ease of imagining, and responses toward the product. A series of studies combining experimental- and survey-based procedures shows that the presence and type of OPPV improves consumers’ cognitive responses and facilitates imagination about the product, which becomes a strong determinant of attitude and purchase intention. We also control for the OPPV’s trustworthiness to isolate the effects of the content characteristics of video. Moreover, we consider the moderating role of the consumer’s motivation to process information. The results demonstrate that high and low motivated consumers use their imagination differently. In addition, when OPPVs are featured by the brand, ease of imagining does not relate to purchase intention.

Making Online Products More Tangible: The Effect of Product Presentation Formats on Product Evaluations.

Although several studies have looked at the effects of online product presentations on consumer decision making, no study thus far has considered a potential key factor in online product evaluations: tangibility. The present study aims at filling this gap by developing and testing a model that relates different online product presentation formats to the three-dimensional concept of product tangibility. We test how the three tangibility dimensions influence perceived diagnosticity and, eventually, online purchase intentions. A between-subjects lab experiment (n = 366) was used to test the hypothesized effects of three common online product presentation formats (pictures vs. 360 spin rotation vs. virtual mirror). The results showed that out of these formats, virtual mirrors were superior in providing a sense of product tangibility, followed by the 360-spin rotation format and static pictures. Furthermore, in terms of predictive validity, two of the three tangibility dimensions significantly increased perceived diagnosticity, which, in turn, positively and strongly affected purchase intentions. Overall, our results add to previous works studying the relationships between online product presentation formats and consumer decision making. Also, they hold value for online practitioners by highlighting the potential benefits of applying technologically advanced product presentation formats such as the virtual mirror.

The moderating role of information load on online product presentation

Online product presentations, which help consumers obtain product information, have an important role in shopping websites. Two major information types, visual and textual information, govern the modalities of consumers in acquiring product-related information from most online product presentations. Previous studies have debated on which of these two information types can enhance the shopping performance of consumers. However, these debates have resulted in dichotomous outcomes. In this regard, the factor(s) that contribute to such divided results must be examined. In this study, we use the level of processing theory and information load to examine the effect of online product presentations on the online shopping performance of consumers. A laboratory experiment has also been conducted. The results of data analysis show that information load has a significant moderating role on the effects of online product presentations. The experimental results show that visual-based online product presentation has a greater effect on the shopping performance of consumers in high information load condition, whereas textual-based online product presentation provides greater performance advantages in low information load condition. Finally, the implications of these findings to both academics and practitioners are discussed.

Enticing and Engaging Consumers via Online Product Presentations: The Effects of Restricted Interaction Design

This work investigates the effects of three different online product presentation formats, namely, a noninteractive video presentation and two virtual product experience (VPE) presentations (full interaction and restricted interaction), on engaging users in online product experience as well as enticing users to try products offline. The experimental results show that restricted interaction, which deprives users of part of the interactive product experience, is more enticing than both the noninteractive and fully interactive design for users with more product-class knowledge. In addition, restricted interaction is generally as good as full interaction in engaging users. Both engagement and enticement positively affect users’ purchase intentions. This study contributes to the information systems literature by extending the theory in curiosity formation to the interaction design context and advocating designs for enticement. It contributes to design practice by revealing that less interactive and less costly presentations can be more effective in attracting consumers toward the products.

Present it like it is here: Creating local presence to improve online product experiences

Advanced online product presentation technologies such as virtual mirrors enable consumers to experience products like they are actually present with them in the real world. This study is one of the first to address the mechanism underlying this phenomenon. Inspired by literature on media technology the concept of local presence is put forward and applied to the online consumer behavior domain. A key objective of this paper is to examine whether local presence adds to our understanding of how emerging product presentation formats influence online product experiences. To this end, a laboratory experiment (N=366) was conducted with product presentation format as a three level (pictures, 360-spin rotation, and virtual mirror) independent variable, allowing for a comparison of the effectiveness of different presentation formats in creating perceptions of local presence. As a second objective, the influence of local presence on perceptions of product tangibility and product likability, two key facets of the online product experience, were assessed. The results, obtained with the use of analysis of variance and partial least squares modeling, show the superiority of the virtual mirror in creating local presence, and demonstrate that local presence is highly predictive of product tangibility and product likability. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.

El papel de la vivacidad de la información online, la necesidad de tocar y la auto-confianza en la búsqueda de información online-offline

Searching for information on the Internet and then visiting the store is one of the most performed shopping behaviour of online users. Consumers bring several characteristics to the physical store, which influence their experience. This research examines the effects of the vividness of the previous virtual experience and consumer characteristics (need for touch). The findings show that need for touch affects the influence of vivid information in the online product presentation. In addition, both need for touch and vividness determine the changes in the information search experience after touching the product. Finally, confidence is stressed as a key variable of the multichannel information search behaviour.

The effects of online product presentation on consumer responses: A mental imagery perspective

This study investigates the effects of online product presentation on consumer responses from a mental imagery perspective and the moderating effect of style of processing (SOP). College women (N=550) participated in an online experiment using a 2 (picture: concrete consumption background vs. solid background)×2 (text: concrete descriptions vs. no descriptions) between-subjects factorial design. The findings suggest that product presentation with a relevant consumption background is more effective in evoking mental imagery than one with a solid white background. Mental imagery increases consumers' behavioral intentions by eliciting a positive emotional response to product presentations. The findings further show that descriptions of background in text interact with a picture of consumption background to stimulate mental imagery, depending on SOP (visualize vs. verbalizer). The results have practical implications for effective product presentations in online retailing.

The role of symbols signalling the product status on online users' information processing

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of the presence and type of product symbol on online users' information search behaviour. Adopting an information processing perspective, it gathers objective and self‐reported measures and investigates the relationships between them.Design/methodology/approachAn experiment was conducted with a sample of 174 individuals. The presence of a symbol recommending the product or signalling its popularity within the website was manipulated. Participants' need for cognition was measured.FindingsThe presence of a product symbol positively influenced users' cognitive elaboration and perceptions of information diagnosticity. Significant differences of situational and individual characteristics, related to the type of symbol and the users' motivation to process information, were detected.Research limitations/implicationsDual information processing theories represent an adequate framework to analyse the ways in which online users perceive and process product symbols, and how they incorporate them into their diagnosticity perceptions. The presence and type of product symbols operate through different mechanisms depending on the user's need for cognition. Web designers should consider displaying these cues in online product presentations, given their potential to improve the quality of consumers' thoughts and diagnosticity perceptions.Originality/valueThis is one of the first studies which examines how product symbols affect online users' information processing and evaluations. The paper offers a complete view of online information search behaviour by gathering users' objective and self‐reported measures. In addition the paper stresses the importance of contextual variables related to the messages and individual's characteristics.

Online product presentation: the effect of product coordination and a model's face

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of product coordination and a model's face on consumer responses in terms of affective states, perceived amount of information and purchase intention.Design/methodology/approachThe design of the study was a 2 (product presentation: coordinated vs uncoordinated) × 2 (model's face: present vs absent) between‐subjects design. A convenience sample of 243 college students participated in a web experiment.FindingsThe results suggest that complementary apparel items should be coordinated together (e.g. pairing t‐shirt and pants together on a model) on the web sites to produce favorable consumers' shopping outcomes. However, contrary to prior research findings, consumers perceived more information when no model's face was present with the product than when an attractive model's face and body were shown together.Research limitations/implicationsThis study used a convenience sample of college women. Thus, future research needs to include a more diverse group of e‐shoppers to enhance generalizability of the findings.Practical implicationsThe findings of the study provide useful insights that apparel e‐retailers can utilize to develop more effective e‐retailing web sites. Based on the findings, product coordination without a model's face is recommended for e‐retailers.Originality/valueOverall the paper's findings provide empirical support for the Stimulus‐Organism‐Response (S‐O‐R) model and the ensemble effect.

Effects of visual and textual information in online product presentations: looking for the best combination in website design

Online product presentation constitutes a key challenge for marketers and designers who want to satisfy consumers’ needs. Visual and textual product information affect recognition and knowledge about the product. This research examines whether the presence (vs absence) of a product image and textual information in a schematic mode (vs paragraph mode) affect users’ recall and perceptions of the quality of the electronic products’ information. The moderating role of user's familiarity with the website and product also may play a role; the evolution of these variables likely will determine trends in e-commerce research. The results show that a schematic display of textual information improves perceptions of information quality. When a picture of the product appears together with textual information, users remember more information and consider it easier to remember if that information appears schematically. However, without a product picture, users allocate more resources to process paragraph information and therefore recall more information and perceive it as easier to recall. The degrees of familiarity also have important directional effects on these relationships.

The Impact of Online Product Presentation on Consumers' Perceptions

The website design and specifically the visual aspects have been revealed as key factors for achieving a successfully e-service website. This research examines the effects of the visual product presentation on online users’ perceptions. We carried out an experiment to analyze the impact of the size, the quality and the movement of the product picture on the perceived usability, satisfaction and purchase intention of users. We also analyzed the moderating role of user experience and product familiarity. The results suggest the importance of visual aspects, emphasizing the quality of the picture as the most salient factor. This study also indicates that users’ satisfaction is influenced to a great extent by these attributes.

Cognitive, affective and conative responses to visual simulation: the effects of rotation in online product presentation

Abstract Rotation, one type of visual simulation used to create three‐dimensional (3‐D) experiences, and currently being used for product presentation on some e‐tail websites, may create consumer responses. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine the effects of rotation in product presentation on the cognitive, affective, and conative responses of consumers. This study employed a single‐factor between‐subjects design: product presentation (rotating vs. non‐rotating). Causal model analysis showed the influence of rotation in product presentation on perceived information quantity, mood, attitude, and purchase intention. Theoretical and managerial implications, as well as future research directions, are discussed. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Research Note—Investigating the Influence of the Functional Mechanisms of Online Product Presentations

Internet-based interactive multimedia technologies enable online firms to employ a variety of formats to present and promote their products: They can use pictures, videos, and sounds to depict products, as well as give consumers the opportunity to try out products virtually. Despite the several previous endeavors that studied the effects of different product presentation formats, the functional mechanisms underlying these presentation methods have not been investigated in a comprehensive way. This paper investigates a model showing how these functional mechanisms (namely, vividness and interactivity) influence consumers' intentions to return to a website and their intentions to purchase products. A study conducted to test this model has largely confirmed our expectations: (1) both vividness and interactivity of product presentations are the primary design features that influence the efficacy of the presentations; (2) consumers' perceptions of the diagnosticity of websites, their perceptions of the compatibility between online shopping and physical shopping, and their shopping enjoyment derived from a particular online shopping experience jointly influence consumers' attitudes toward shopping at a website; and (3) both consumers' attitudes toward products and their attitudes toward shopping at a website contribute to their intentions to purchase the products displayed on the website.

Multimedia-based interactive advising technology for online consumer decision support

Multimedia technologies (such as Flash and QuickTime) have been widely used in online product presentation and promotion to portray products in a dynamic way. The continuous visual stimuli and associated sound effects provide vivid and interesting product presentations; hence, they engage online customers in examining products. Meanwhile, recent research has indicated that online shoppers want detailed and relevant product information and explanations [2]. A promising approach is to embed rich product information and explanations into multimedia-enhanced product demonstrations. This approach is called Multimedia-based Product Annotation (MPA), a product presentation in which customers can retrieve embedded product information in a multimedia context.

On-line product presentation: Effects on mood, perceived risk, and purchase intention

Because the Internet purchase of apparel is risky, there is a strong need to develop better visual product presentation on-line that may give some sense of fit and other tactile experience to reduce perceived risk and create pleasurable shopping experiences. Toward this end, the effect of product presentation on consumer responses was examined here. In addition, the relationships among variables were investigated to provide details of the nature of the effect of product presentation. This study employed a 2 2 between-subjects factorial design: product movement (product in motion vs. product not in motion) image size (large vs. small). Mock Web sites were created to closely mimic the design of actual Web sites. Two hundred forty-four female undergraduates logged on and evaluated two pairs of pants under the same treatment conditions. The present research showed (a) main effects for product movement on mood, perceived risk, and apparel purchase intention; (b) an interaction between product movement and image size on apparel purchase intention; (c) a negative relationship between mood and perceived risk; (d) a positive relationship between mood and apparel purchase intention; (e) a negative relationship between perceived risk and apparel purchase intention; and (f) mediating relationships among variables. Based on the results, apparel e-tailers are advised to create positive mood using product rotation to decrease shoppers' perceived risk and increase purchase intent. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.