Website Aesthetics Research Articles

The Impact of Visual Stimuli on Online Shopper’s Emotion: Applying S-O-R Theory in Online Fashion Retail

This study investigates the impact of visual stimuli on consumer emotions and purchase behaviour in online shopping environments, using the Pleasure, Arousal, and Dominance (P-A-D) model as a theoretical framework. It investigates how visual aspects, including website aesthetics, product photography, and design complexity, influence consumer pleasure, arousal, and dominance, ultimately influencing purchase intentions. Visually appealing and well-planned visual material makes consumers feel better, increasing engagement and the likelihood of purchasing. Furthermore, it discovers that increased arousal can lead to impulsive purchasing behaviours, yet a sense of power or control increases consumer confidence and satisfaction. The study emphasises the necessity of combining visual and experiential aspects to create immersive online buying experiences. Theoretical implications recommend a more in-depth analysis of the P-A-D model's applicability in e-commerce. In contrast, managerial implications assert visual design optimisation to improve consumer interactions and sales.

Unpacking Mobile Website Aesthetics and Its Effect: A Case of M-commerce Website Offering Search and Experience Goods

ABSTRACT A major challenge for mobile commerce operators is how to attract customers to access their websites displayed on a mobile device screen only twice the size of a palm, so making design of such websites is especially important in order to catch customers’ eyes. Based on S-O-R model, the study developed a research model to explain how aesthetics of m-commerce websites affects customers’ continuing access to the websites. The model was evaluated through a stratified survey of 285 participants on m-commerce websites with varying levels of mobile website aesthetics. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was utilized to analyze the data. The results uphold the applicability of visual aesthetics (VisAWI) scale in m-commerce, which has significant positive effect on websites’ perceived usability. The study also finds that mobile websites selling experience goods have higher demand for website aesthetics than those for search goods. The study offers a well-structured practical instrument based on visual aesthetics (VisAWI) scale, helping mobile website designers understand the effect of specific aesthetic elements on user behavioral intention.

WonderWoods Online Furniture Website

Abstract: This research paper investigates the emerging trend of Furniture websites, examining their impact on the interior design, consumer behavior, and environmental sustainability. The study aims to provide a thorough literature review, propose a conceptual model for Custom Furniture platform, and offer insights into the future of this innovative business model. The objectives of the study include analyzing WonderWoods user interface and navigation on system, assessing the range, quality, and pricing of its furniture products, evaluating ng the effectiveness of its marketing strategies, exploring customer satisfaction on levels and post-purchase experiences, and identifying areas for improvement. The qualitative analysis revealed several key dimensions of UX, including website aesthetics, navigation ease, product presentation, and checkout process efficiency. Keywords: WonderWoods is a Custom furniture making platform that offers a sustainable and stylish way to design your house.

REVIEW OF MODELLING APPROACHES FOR WEBSITE-RELATED PREDICTIONS

This paper researches various modelling approaches for website-related predictions, offering an overview of the field. With the ever-expanding landscape of the World Wide Web, there is an increasing need for automated methods to categorize websites. This study examines an array of prediction tasks, including website categorization, web navigation prediction, malicious website detection, fake news website detection, phishing website detection, and evaluation of website aesthetics.

Digital art exhibitions and psychological well-being in Chinese Generation Z: An analysis based on the S-O-R framework

In the post-pandemic era, there has been a heightened global focus on the mental health challenges facing individuals, with a particular emphasis on innovative and effective therapeutic approaches. Despite the extensive body of research within the realm of art therapy addressing individual psychological healing, the potential of digital mediums in this field has been largely overlooked. This gap is especially pronounced in studies targeting the unique demographic of Generation Z, known as ‘digital natives.’ This study aims to investigate the role of engagement in online digital exhibitions as a potential restorative intervention for enhancing the mental well-being of Generation Z users. Grounded in the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) framework and the theory of restorative environments, this research examines the psychological responses of Generation Z participants to online digital art exhibitions, particularly from the perspective of website aesthetics. The impact of these responses on users’ place attachment and loyalty behaviors is also explored. Utilizing a structural equation modeling approach, an online digital art exhibition was deployed on the ZEPETO app, a platform popular among Chinese Generation Z users. Participants were subsequently invited to partake in an online survey post-exhibition, yielding a dataset of 332 valid responses. The findings reveal that: (1) the four design elements of website aesthetics (coherence, novelty, interactivity, immersion) significantly influence the perceived restoration among Generation Z users, with immersion being the most influential factor; (2) perceived restoration and place attachment are crucial predictors of loyalty behavior; (3) perceived restoration has a positive impact on the place attachment of Generation Z users towards online digital art exhibitions. This study demonstrates that online digital art exhibitions can facilitate an emotional healing journey for Generation Z, contributing to the alleviation of psychological stress and the promotion of psychological well-being. Moreover, digital technology exhibitions have the potential to transcend human creativity and imagination, offering a unique and promising pathway for future research and practices in design related to emotional healing.

Visual assessment of fashion merchandising based on scene saliency

PurposeFashion merchandising hold a paramount position within the realm of retail marketing. Currently, the purpose of this article is that the assessment of display effectiveness predominantly relies on the subjective judgment of merchandisers due to the absence of an effective evaluation method. Although eye-tracking devices have found extensive used in tracking the gaze trajectory of subject, they exhibit limitations in terms of stability when applied to the evaluation of various scenes. This underscores the need for a dependable, user-friendly and objective assessment method.Design/methodology/approachTo develop a cost-effective and convenient evaluation method, the authors introduced an image processing framework for the assessment of variations in the impact of store furnishings. An optimized visual saliency methodology that leverages a multiscale pyramid model, incorporating color, brightness and orientation features, to construct a visual saliency heatmap. Additionally, the authors have established two pivotal evaluation indices aimed at quantifying attention coverage and dispersion. Specifically, bottom features are extract from 9 distinct scale images which are down sampled from merchandising photographs. Subsequently, these extracted features are amalgamated to form a heatmap, serving as the focal point of the evaluation process. The authors have proposed evaluation indices dedicated to measuring visual focus and dispersion, facilitating a precise quantification of attention distribution within the observed scenes.FindingsIn comparison to conventional saliency algorithm, the optimization method yields more intuitive feedback regarding scene contrast. Moreover, the optimized approach results in a more concentrated focus within the central region of the visual field, a pattern in alignment with physiological research findings. The results affirm that the two defined indicators prove highly effective in discerning variations in visual attention across diverse brand store displays.Originality/valueThe study introduces an intelligent and cost-effective objective evaluate method founded upon visual saliency. This pioneering approach not only effectively discerns the efficacy of merchandising efforts but also holds the potential for extension to the assessment of fashion advertisements, home design and website aesthetics.

Evaluating the quality of website design aspects and its effect on functional perspectives using Smart-PLS in Web-based apparel shopping environment

Purpose: the necessity for e-commerce business to adopt customer-centric tactics in addition to retail strategies for the growth of e-commerce business is required. The primary objective of this study is to develop an effective measurement scale for assessing the quality of website design and its effect on functional benefits in web-based apparel shopping. Design/ Methodology: the comprehensive framework for evaluating the quality of website design was subsequently accompanied by the collection of data through a web-based survey. The structured questionnaire had a total of 500 consumers of e-commerce websites. Using structural equation modelling (SEM) within the Smart-PLS software to investigate the research's hypotheses. Findings: the data analysis findings suggest the influence of these website design elements on the performance of e-commerce companies. With the analysis of the Smart-PLS there is substantial positive impact of Website aesthetics (WA-EC), Website personalization (WP-EC), and Price Offerings (PO-EC) on Website design quality (WDQ-EC). Additionally, it is worth noting that the quality of website design has a positive effect on the functional benefits experienced by consumers. More studies can be conducted to explore the realm of mobile commerce and its associated factors pertaining to mobile design in future. Practical Implications: the results of this study provide valuable insights for web-based service managers seeking to enhance their understanding of the factors influencing website design quality and the relative importance of each dimension in delivering functional benefits especially in apparel sector. By leveraging these findings, managers can effectively enhance the website design quality of e-commerce websites, aligning it with current market developments, and ultimately contribute to the retention of consumer values. Originality/Value: an empirical model which shows the determinants of WDQ-EC. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, a WDQ-EC framework is modelled considering a specific combination of exogenous variables especially in apparel websites, which is not done by past researchers

The Impact of QoE Factors on the Perception of Constructs Comprising Information Quality, Usability, and Aesthetics in Mobile Web Browsing

Quality of Experience (QoE) for mobile Web browsing is a complex and multidimensional concept. So far, the research community has addressed the influence of QoE perceptual dimensions on QoE and the impact of various influence factors on QoE perceptual dimensions for mobile Web browsing. In this study, we recognize the gap and need to analyze and gain a deeper understanding of the relationship between multiple influence factors and specific constructs of QoE perceptual dimensions. Utilizing a previously collected dataset, our goal is to fill the research gap in terms of investigating the impact of specific influence factors (loading time, aesthetics, number of taps, information quality) on various constructs comprising the user perception of usability, aesthetics, and information quality in the context of mobile Web browsing. A total of 14 research questions are raised: 7 addressing constructs comprising perceived usability (simplicity, effectiveness, quickness, efficiency, comfort, ease of use, organization), 3 addressing constructs comprising perceived aesthetics (perception of mobile Web site aesthetics, pleasance, clarity, systematicness), and 4 addressing constructs comprising perceived information quality (timeliness, clarity, conciseness, structuralism/completeness/spelling-correctness). Results of posed research questions provide indications on the strength and direction of the impact of considered QoE influence factors on the perception of studied constructs. This study contributes to the research community by being the first to address the impact of chosen QoE influence factors on individual constructs comprising QoE perceptual dimensions in the domain of mobile Web browsing, thus extending the knowledge on interplays and relations in this area. Furthermore, it contributes by revealing numerous new paradigms in the context of usability, aesthetics, and quality of information, such as: (i) beautiful and easy to reach is more simple, effective, efficient, and comfortable, (ii) easy to reach is more pleasant and clear, (iii) informative is more pleasant and clear, (iv) beautifully presented information has higher perceived quality, etc. Reported findings can be utilized by various stakeholders (mobile Web site designers, content providers, device designers, network providers) for indirect management of QoE.

Classification of User Emotional Experiences on B2C Websites Utilizing Infrared Thermal Imaging.

The acquisition of physiological signals for analyzing emotional experiences has been intrusive, and potentially yields inaccurate results. This study employed infrared thermal images (IRTIs), a noninvasive technique, to classify user emotional experiences while interacting with business-to-consumer (B2C) websites. By manipulating the usability and aesthetics of B2C websites, the facial thermal images of 24 participants were captured as they engaged with the different websites. Machine learning techniques were leveraged to classify their emotional experiences, with participants' self-assessments serving as the ground truth. The findings revealed significant fluctuations in emotional valence, while the participants' arousal levels remained consistent, enabling the categorization of emotional experiences into positive and negative states. The support vector machine (SVM) model performed well in distinguishing between baseline and emotional experiences. Furthermore, this study identified key regions of interest (ROIs) and effective classification features in machine learning. These findings not only established a significant connection between user emotional experiences and IRTIs but also broadened the research perspective on the utility of IRTIs in the field of emotion analysis.

Predicting Rating Distributions of Website Aesthetics with Deep Learning for AI-Based Research

The aesthetic appeal of a website has strong effects on users’ reactions, appraisals, and even behaviors. However, evaluating website aesthetics through user ratings is resource intensive, and extant models to predict website aesthetics are limited in performance and ability. We contribute a novel and more precise approach to predict website aesthetics that considers rating distributions. Moreover, we use this approach as a baseline model to illustrate how future research might be conducted using predictions instead of participants. Our approach is based on a deep convolutional neural network model and uses innovations in the field of image aesthetic prediction. It was trained with the dataset from Reinecke and Gajos [2014] and was validated using two independent large datasets. The final model reached an unprecedented cross-validated correlation between the ground truth and predicted rating of LCC = 0.752. We then used the model to successfully replicate prior findings and conduct original research as an illustration for AI-based research.

Calista: A deep learning-based system for understanding and evaluating website aesthetics

Website aesthetics play an important role in attracting users and customers, as well as in enhancing user experience. In this work, we propose a tool that performs automatic evaluation of website aesthetics using deep learning models that display high correlation to human perception. These models were developed using two different datasets. The first dataset was created by employing a rating-based ranking approach and contains user judgments on websites in the form of an explicit numerical value on a scale. Using the first dataset, we developed models following three different approaches and managed to outperform previous works. In addition, we created a new dataset by employing a comparison-based ranking approach, which is a more reliable dataset in the sense that it follows a more “natural” data collection method. In this case, users were asked to compare two websites at a time and choose which is more attractive. Data collection was performed via a web application especially designed and developed for this purpose. In the experiments conducted, we evaluated each model and compared the two data collection methods. This work aims to illustrate the effectiveness of deep learning as a solution to the problem as well as to highlight the importance of comparison-based ranking in order to achieve reliable results. In order to further promote our work, we also developed a tool that scores the aesthetics of a website, simply by providing the website URL. We argue that such a tool will serve as a reliable guide in the hands of designers and developers during the design process.

Consumers' Digital Shopping Experience

Digital shopping has been the most imperious facet of e-retailing, and it has become an essential part of consumers' lifestyles. Besides the various advantages offered to digital shoppers, there are certain difficulties faced by them while making an online purchase. Therefore, it is significant to identify the factors influencing the consumer's purchase decision in the digital shopping context. The study empirically investigates the association of various factors related to consumers digital shopping experience on the purchase decision. The results reveal that the seven factors—website aesthetics, accessibility, trust, price offerings, security, delivery, and quality—have a positive association with consumer digital purchase decision. The findings will help the online traders to understand the satisfaction experienced by the consumers in the digital shopping context and develop strategies to attract new consumers and retain existing ones.

BUYING ENVIRONMENT CHARACTERISTICS OF E-COMMERCE SITES TOWARDS CUSTOMER SATISFACTION AND LOYALTY OF SELECTED BUYERS IN CAVITE

This study focused on determining the buying environment characteristics of e-commerce sites toward customer satisfaction and loyalty. This also determined the significant effect of buying environment characteristics in e-commerce sites on customer loyalty. It employed a descriptive research design using a survey questionnaire administered using Google Forms. For this study, the researcher selected 100 customers who were surveyed using convenience sampling. Results show that the majority of customers are using Lazada as an e-commerce site when purchasing online. Also, most of the respondents surveyed responded the buying environment characteristics of e-commerce sites towards customer satisfaction such as convenience, customization, information, communication, and website aesthetics are important characteristics of buying environment in stimulating satisfaction in e-commerce sites. Furthermore, It was found out also that characteristics of buying environment particularly have a significant effect in contributing to customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Cumulative Impact of Testing Factors in Usability Tests for Human-Centered Web Design

The study examines the cumulative impact of factors that affect usability testing for user-centered web design, namely the so-called ‘contextual fidelity model’ factors that include product properties, task features, user traits, and environment/context factors. Today, the design, user experience and usability (DUXU) research experiences a lack of studies that would assess combinatorial, rather than individual, effects of these factors upon user performance. We address this gap by seeing both independent factors and the resulting user states as complex and dynamic, and testing the combined impact of aesthetic quality of websites, user traits, and individual/group experiment settings upon formation of two dysfunctional user states that critically affect user performance, namely monotony and anxiety. We develop a research design that allows for assessing the combinatorial effects in formation of user dysfunctionality. For that, we conduct a study with 80 assessors of Russian/European and Chinese origin in individual/group setting, employing two types of tasks and websites of high/low aesthetic quality. As the results of our experiment show, group task solving enhances the synchronous impact of website aesthetics and task features upon user states. Interaction of high-quality design, group environment, and monotonous tasks provides for an antagonistic effect when aesthetic layout in a group environment significantly reduces the fatigue rate. Low aesthetic quality in a group environment leads to cumulative enhancing of dysfunctionality for both monotony and anxiety. We conclude by setting questions and prospects for further research.

Online Store Aesthetics Impact Efficacy of Product Recommendations and Highlighting

Owing to high competition in e-commerce, customers may prefer sites that ensure that good user experience (UX) and website aesthetics are one of its qualities. The method of presenting items seems crucial for gaining and maintaining user attention. We conducted a task-based user eye-tracking study with n = 30 participants to examine two variants of an online fashion store: one based on aesthetic rules and one defying them. The following aspects of item presentation were considered: height and width the ratio of product photos, website colors, rounded borders, text visibility, spacing between elements, and smooth animation. We investigated their relationship to user attention by analyzing gaze fixation, tracking user interest, and conducting a supplementary survey. Experimental results showed that owing to following the rules of aesthetics in interface design in the presented fashion shopping scenario, elements such as the recommendation area and product highlights had a significant positive impact on customer attention.

Website Aesthetics and Technology Playfulness in Encouraging Customer Use of Online based Self-Service Technologies: Special Reference to Commercial Banks in Sri Lanka

Rapid technological advancements have aided the service sector's continued evolution, converting traditional physical service encounters managed by service professionals into self-service technologies (SSTs) controlled by customers. Despite the fact that prior studies have attempted to understand customers' technology acceptance in general, sufficient attention has not been paid to the study of self-service technologies, particularly Online based SSTs. Hence, the purpose of this study is to investigate the website aesthetics and technology playfulness of online-based SSTs leading the use of self-service technologies in the Sri Lankan commercial banking industry. A qualitative approach was undertaken, conducting 50 semi-structured interviews with banking customers who use SSTs in the Western Province, Sri Lanka with the use of a non-probabilistic purposeful sampling strategy. The method of thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. The findings revealed “Information quality and guidance”, “Innovative systems and facilities”, “Use of multiple languages”, “High interactivity” and “Visually appealing techniques” as the five themes of website aesthetics and “Enjoyment”, “Exciting”, “Entertaining”, “Creativity”, “Delight” and “Appealing features” as the six themes of technology playfulness leading towards the use of online-based SSTs in the banking sector. The findings would occupy the vacuum of existing literature on the customer use of online-based self-service technologies. Practitioners will be given direction with the understanding on how consumers could be encouraged towards the use of online-based SSTs with the integration of website aesthetics and technology playfulness to improve the delivery of self-service technologies in the commercial banking sector.

Website Aesthetic in Millenial’s Customer Experience on Satisfaction and Impulse Buying: EWOM as Moderator

Various online website marketplaces attract consumers to experience a good and visually pleasing shopping experience, especially for the young age group in generation Y or millennials. This study was made to explore the effect of online shopping experience in terms of aesthetics on customer satisfaction and impulse buying with eWOM as moderation. Through this study, there is a goal to contribute in explaining the importance of website aesthetics in the consumer shopping experience by adding eWOM for the millennial group which can affect customer satisfaction and impulse buying. The research was conducted by collecting data through a survey using a questionnaire distributed online. Data were analyzed using Structural Equation Model- Partial Least Square (SEM-PLS). The findings in this study are first, good aesthetics can directly increase customer satisfaction, and second, aesthetics influence impulse buying. The research implication, so that companies can set up the eWOM area as an active and positive means for customers to exchange and share their own opinions about the online shopping experience.

An Arabic Version of the Visual Aesthetics of Websites Inventory (AR-VisAWI): Translation and Psychometric Properties

In the field of human–computer interaction, the concept of visual aesthetics gained popularity after researchers started to recognize its merits and effects on user experience. Yet, no proper instrument exists to assess the visual aesthetics of websites that are intended for users who speak Arabic as their native language. As such, the aim of this study was to develop and evaluate an Arabic version of the Visual Aesthetics of Websites Inventory (VisAWI) and its short version (VisAWI-S). For this purpose, participants were asked to evaluate a randomly assigned website with the AR-VisAWI and with different validating instruments. A final sample of 223 participants was included in the analyses. Confirmatory factory analysis showed an acceptable fit of the AR-VisAWI and a good fit of the AR-VisAWI-S to the proposed structures. The reliability was also excellent (Cronbach’s α and McDonald’s Omega (ω) = .95) for the long version and good (Cronbach’s α and ω total = .89) for the short version. Furthermore, the pattern of correlations to convergent and divergent measures supported the high construct validity of the translated scales. Overall, our results are the first empirical demonstration that the VisAWI captures facets of perceived aesthetics that can be reliably assessed in the Arabic-speaking world.

Farsi Version of Visual Aesthetics of Website Inventory (FV-VisAWI): Translation and Psychometric Evaluation

The Visual Aesthetic of Website Inventory (VisAWI) is the most commonly used self-report instrument for evaluating website aesthetics. However, at this time, there is no valid and reliable instrument in Farsi for Iranian users to evaluate website aesthetics. This study aimed to translate, validate, and evaluate the psychometric properties of a Farsi version of VisAWI. To do this, the cross-cultural adoption method was used in this study. First, the VisAWI was translated using forward-backward translation. Then, in order to evaluate scale validity, content and face validity were determined. The final version of a scale inventory with 12 items was given to 200 students to evaluate one of the most visited websites in Iran which is the first e-commerce website. The reliability of scale was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha and test-retest. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to evaluate the validity of scale. Cronbach’s alpha was 0.79 for this version. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the four-factor structure model was best fitted for the data. Our results showed the scaled psychometric Farsi version of VisAWI items tended to be valid and reliable for Iranian users.

Web-based provider training of cognitive behavioral therapy of insomnia: engagement rates, knowledge acquisition, and provider acceptability

ABSTRACT Insomnia is common but severely underreported and undertreated. One possible reason for this problem is the lack of providers in cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I). To address this we created CBTIweb.org, an online training platform for providers to learn the basics of sleep, assessing insomnia, and CBT-I. The present study assessed the reach of CBTIweb by examining engagement, knowledge acquisition, and perceived acceptability. Participants who registered for CBTIweb self-reported their practice setting and personal characteristics (i.e. degree, profession, licensure status). Knowledge acquisition was assessed with pre- and post-tests, and provider acceptability was assessed via a survey. In the first three months after launching CBTIweb, 2586 providers registered and 624 of these completed the training within three months of registering. Chi-square tests of independence revealed no differences in completion rates by education or profession, though trainees were more likely to initiate and complete treatment than licensed providers. Paired t tests revealed significant knowledge acquisition, and most providers positively rated the website navigation, content, aesthetics, and understanding of core CBT-I skills. This study demonstrated CBTIweb is an effective platform for training health professionals to be minimally proficient in the gold standard treatment for insomnia disorder.