The influence of banner position and user experience on recall. The mediating role of visual attention

• Published in: Spanish Journal of Marketing - ESIC 2021-08, Vol.25 (1), p.85-114
• Main Authors: Muñoz-Leiva, Francisco, Faísca, Luís Miguel, Ramos, Célia M.Q, Correia, Marisol B, Sousa, Carlos M.R, Bouhachi, Marouan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Consumer behavior; Consumers; Design; Hotels & motels; Internet; Marketing; Memory; Multimedia; Online advertising; Social networks; Tourism; User behavior; Websites
• ISSN: 2444-9709; 2444-9695; 2444-9709
• DOI: 10.1108/SJME-04-2020-0050

Purpose This study aims to analyse the effectiveness of a static promotional banner located on a hotel reservation website in terms of capturing the visitor’s visual attention by exploring how this impact depends on the user’s degree of internet experience. Design/methodology/approach An experiment was conducted using the eye-tracking methodology, in addition to a self-administered questionnaire. Through eye-tracking technology, eye movements were recorded whilst participants explored a generic hotel website. The factors used in the analyses were the position of the banner on the website and participants’ experience as internet users. Findings The findings showed that positioning a banner at certain locations on the webpage may lead to a better recall, which, in part, seems to result from the visual attention that such locations attract. The mediation analysis showed that the bottom-right and bottom-left positions have a negative effect on banner recall due, in part, to the shorter attention times and the smaller number of fixations those positions induce. Although the visitor’s level of internet experience affected his/her visual attention towards the banner, its impact on banner recall was non-significant. Results are discussed considering which variables produce greater effectiveness in capturing the user’s attention. Practical implications The paper draws several implications for the marketing literature, hospitality management and society in general. Originality/value The study is the first to analyse the impact of the position of a static ad on users’ visual attention and memory, considering the user’s degree of internet experience. Propósito Este estudio analiza la eficacia de un banner promocional estático ubicado en un sitio web de reservas de un hotel en términos de captación de la atención visual del visitante examinando cómo este efecto depende del grado de experiencia del usuario en Internet. Diseño/metodología/enfoque Se llevó a cabo un experimento utilizando la metodología de seguimiento ocular (eye tracking), junto con un cuestionario autoadministrado. A través de la tecnología de eye tracking, se registraron los movimientos oculares mientras los participantes exploraban el sitio web genérico de un hotel. Los factores considerados en los análisis fueron la posición del banner en el sitio web y la experiencia de los participantes como usuarios de Internet. Hallazgos Los hallazgos mostraron que colocar un banner en ciertas ubicaciones de la p