The effect of product aesthetics information on website appeal in online shopping

• Published in: Nankai business review international 2017-01, Vol.8 (2), p.190-209
• Main Authors: Peng, Xianghui, Peak, Daniel, Prybutok, Victor, Xu, Chenyan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aesthetics; Attitudes; Cognition & reasoning; Consumer attitudes; Consumer behavior; Consumers; Decision making; Electronic commerce; Influence; Literature reviews; Marketing; Perceptions; Product design; Product quality; Psychology; Purchase intention; Purchasing; Shopping; Systems design; Vendors; Web site design; Websites
• ISSN: 2040-8749; 2040-8757
• DOI: 10.1108/NBRI-11-2016-0038

Purpose This research posits that e-vendors can use product aesthetic information (PAI) as a strategic positing tool to shape consumers’ perceptions of e-vendors’ websites. Design/methodology/approach To test this framework, variations on a garment’s color (a crucial element of product aesthetics) are presented to four different treatment groups to determine whether aesthetic treatment influences the perception of the website. Findings The results suggest that consumers who consider a product visually appealing also perceive the e-vendor’s website as useful, resulting in enjoyment of the shopping experience. Positive perceptions lead consumers to form positive attitudes toward the vendor’s website. Originality/value While product aesthetics is well-studied in marketing and psychology, its relevance to the e-commerce domain is relatively underexplored. To fill the void, the paper proposes a theoretical framework that explains how PAI influences buyers’ cognitive and affective evaluations of their online shopping experiences, which in turn shapes their attitudes toward e-vendors’ sites.