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The Effect of Product Aesthetics Information on Website Appeal in Online

Shopping

Article in Nankai Business Review International · March 2017

DOI: 10.1108/NBRI-11-2016-0038

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NBRI
8,2
The effect of product aesthetics
information on website appeal
in online shopping
190 Xianghui Peng
Department of Management, Eastern Washington University, Cheney,
Washington, USA
Daniel Peak
Department of Information Technology and Decision Sciences,
University of North Texas, Denton, Texas, USA
Victor Prybutok
University of North Texas, Denton, Texas, USA, and
Chenyan Xu
Department of Computer Science and Information Systems,
Stockton University, Galloway, New Jersey, USA

Abstract
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.
Keywords Experimental design, Structural equation modeling, E-commerce,
Affective mechanisms, Cognitive mechanisms, Product aesthetics
Paper type Research paper

1. Introduction
Product aesthetics is an indispensable dimension of perceived product quality (Yamamoto
and Lambert, 1994). Product aesthetics information (PAI) is the set of sensory signals
emanating from or cues received from the product about its intrinsic and extrinsic
characteristics. Because customer perceptions of product quality are partially influenced by
Nankai Business Review
their aesthetic impressions, PAI also influences consumers’ formulation of relative
International superiority or inferiority (Garvin, 1987).
Vol. 8 No. 2, 2017
pp. 190-209 The online customer relies heavily on a product’s Web presentation. When a product is
© Emerald Publishing Limited
2040-8749
marketed for purchase on the Web, the perception of product quality becomes linked to both
DOI 10.1108/NBRI-11-2016-0038 product and Web aesthetics, which we believe can be manipulated to suggest superior online
experience (Park et al., 2012; Wang et al., 2010; Jiang et al., 2016). This research extends PAI Product
to the e-commerce environment, while literature within both marketing and design confirms aesthetics
the role of PAI in traditional shopping environments.
Product aesthetics is the first thing that connects a product with a potential customer,
information
whose judgments follow from this sensory experience (Bloch et al., 2003). As for stimulating
customer interest, Tellis and Johnson (2007) observed that a reputation for aesthetically
esteemed products (e.g. Apple iPod, iPhone and iPad) can boost the stock price and the value
of a parent firm. Conversely, Gajendar (2008) classifies the design of products as aesthetically 191
harmonious versus aesthetically unharmonious products, where the unharmonious product
group is ascribed culpability for customer “headaches”. For example, Apple has leveraged
this concept in its decades-old strategy to malign Microsoft’s customer appeal. The crucial
importance of color appeal in product aesthetics is well documented in prior research (Brady
and Phillips, 2003; Liu and MacGregor, 2006). Currently, there exists a renewed, profound
and widespread emphasis on product design ascribed to the belief that PAI signals a
product’s quality to buyers (Bloch et al., 2003).
The visual aesthetics of e-commerce websites influence buyers’ perception of web pages.
Deng and Poole (2012) identified visual complexity and order as two salient aesthetic
features that affect consumers’ preferences for web pages. Cyr (2013) investigated
consumers’ perception of website design based on information content, information design,
navigation design and visual design across countries and found that the acceptance of
website design differs across countries.
The role of product aesthetics in consumers’ perceptions of a website merits examination
because PAI can impart instantaneous and long-lasting effect on the potential buyer, as the
mind and senses quickly capture and process the information (Bloch, 1995; Lindgaard et al.,
2006). Because decision scenarios delivered by e-commerce frequently involve mainly visual
stimuli, product aesthetics plays a critical role in product presentation and selection. Despite
the importance of PAI in consumer decision-making process, researchers have yet to
determine whether PAI influences buyers’ overall perceptions of the vendor’s website. In
addition, to understand how PAI impacts consumers’ perceptions, quantifying the influence
remains an important area of research. Using product color appeal (PCA) to represent PAI,
perceived usefulness to represent cognitive mechanism, flow to represent affective
mechanisms and both cognitive attitude and affective attitude to represent consumers’
perception of a website, this research proposes the following research question:
RQ1. Does PAI support positive relationships with cognitive responses and affective
responses such that it can influence consumers’ perception of a website?
Building upon prior research, this study contributes to marketing and e-commerce literature
by framing PAI as a strategic positioning tool and an information signal for consumers,
allowing them to infer product quality either directly from product cues or indirectly from
quality cues received from the vendor’s website. Our framework tests the potential value of
PAI by presenting consumers with a store web page offering university-branded apparel. By
measuring the influence of PAI on consumers’ perceptions of product and website, this paper
also provides an avenue to appreciate consumer’s confidence in online purchase. Therefore,
this study provides empirical evidence for the positive relationship between PAI and
consumers’ cognitive and affective responses to a website.
The contributions of this research are four-fold:
(1) It develops a conceptual framework that emphasizes on the role of PAI in e-commerce
websites. In doing so, it explores the role of PAI by testing color appeal, a key
aesthetic element, while controlling for other aspects of PAI.
NBRI (2) It explains the composition of PAI through a literature review. It reveals how PAI is
8,2 only partially investigated by marketing and e-commerce scholars.
(3) It demonstrates that PAI can influence buyer cognition by demonstrating that even
small, controlled changes in PAI can influence perceptions of a website.
(4) It offers practical suggestions resulting from the research findings.
192 The remainder of this paper is organized as follows: we begin with a literature review,
followed by a detailed research framework and hypotheses. Next, our methodology describes
the measurement instrument and the experiment. The Analysis and results section present a
statistical analysis of the experimental results, along with the reliability and validity of the
measurement, followed by the fitted framework. We discuss the results and explain their
implications for academics and practitioners, as well as their limitations and potential for
future research. Finally, we summarize our results and their contributions both to practice
and research.

2. Literature review
One of our research objectives is to develop a framework that elaborates on the role of PAI in
e-commerce settings. To this end, we turn to two well-established theories, namely,
stimulus-organism-response (SOR) framework and Peak et al.’s (2011a, 2011b) framework of
visual systems design (VSD).

2.1 Stimulus-organism-response framework

Proposed by Hebb in 1950s, SOR posits that various stimuli affect human beings’ cognitive
and affective processes, known as organism, which in turn determine their behavioral
responses (Cziko, 2000). For example, the overlook of a product can function as a stimulus to
enable customers’ cognitive awareness of the merchant who sells the product (cognitive
mechanism) and evokes joy/fear among the users (affective mechanism), and these cognitive
and affective reactions further influence their product attitude and purchase intention
(responses). SOR has been extensively elucidated and widely adopted by past IS research.
For example, relevant to this paper, Xiao and Benbasat’s (2011) work discussed how
presentation of product information can be a stimulus to influence online shoppers’emotions
and cognitive evaluation of product quality and detection of product deception, which in turn
form their attitudes or actions toward the product(s). Wang et al. (2011) found that website
aesthetics facilitates online shoppers’ cognitive assessment of service quality and activates
affective experiences of using the website, and these organismic reactions positively
influence transaction-related behaviors. There are two things that we would like to expand
on SOR:
(1) Stimuli can go beyond environmental cues. SOR suggests that stimuli can be factors
either external or internal to perceivers that rouse or incite them consciously or
subconsciously into action. Thus, in addition to encountered environments such as
lighting effects and temperature, the stimuli supported by SOR can also include
individuals’ mental schemata or automatic processing that allow them to perceive
and interpret environmental phenomena or individuals’ initial internal responses to
external cues, for example, how one perceives the visual appeal of a product.
(2) Organismic factors are not limited to affect. SOR proposes two organismic
mechanisms by which incoming stimuli are processed and subsequent human
responses are generated. Affective process aside, SOR integrates the thought of
cognitive psychology that views individuals as information processors and ascribes
behaviors to intrapersonal cognition.
There, SOR provides a sound theoretical basis to link PAI (as a stimulus) with two organism Product
constructs – perceived usefulness (that represents cognitive mechanism) and flow (that aesthetics
represents affective mechanism) – which subsequently are linked with cognitive attitude and
affective attitude toward a website (that represent responses to a website).
information

2.2 The framework of visual systems design

Effective product design seizes the attention, directs the eye, communicates a message,
manages emotions and provides aesthetic pleasure (Rand, 1993; Edwards, 2003; Lidwell 193
et al., 2003; Maeda, 2006). To decompose the black box of PAI, we drew upon Peak et al.’s
(2011a, 2011b) framework of VSD to identify its components.
VSD provides an extensive typology of visual factors. Peak et al. (2011a, 2011b) grouped
visual design factors into three hierarchical pluralistic groups, simultaneously termed
“categories” for aesthetic analysis purposes and “dimensions” for positivist analysis
purposes: “elements of visual design” (EVD), “principles of visual design” (PVD) and “factors
of visual composition” (FVC). These groups and their attributes are established in the
aesthetic visual design literature, arranged hierarchically according current visual theory
and described for positivist purposes by equivalent terminology. We provide the details of
each group as follows:
• The first category of the hierarchy is the EVD, basic visual elements that can be
combined and organized to produce the PVD, principle characteristics, of a good
design. EVD contains exterior attributes of objects (design variables), such as color,
form, line, point, shape and texture. In visual design, every EVD factor contains
distinct, but often-overlapping, sub-elemental factors called “qualities”. For example,
color is a complex element of design whose qualities include hue, saturation and
chroma.
• The second category of the hierarchy is the PVD, design principles or guidelines from
which designers select, combine and arrange basic visual elements to produce the
FVC, the visual composition, of a good design. Again, we note that every PVD factor
contains distinct, but often-overlapping, sub-principle factors also called “qualities”.
For example, qualities of balance include symmetry, asymmetry and approximate
symmetry.
• The third category of the hierarchy is the FVC, factors of composition that designers
derive from applying, combining and arranging elements and principles to produce a
product appearance, which is the result of a good visual design. FVC includes
attributes such as focus, order, sequence, layout, dominance and axis.

With respect to the connections among the three groups, the manipulation of basic visual
elements (i.e. EVD) at the beginning of the visual design hierarchy is transmuted through the
various design levels (i.e. PVD and FVC) until it reaches product appearance, where it
impacts the consumer perceptions and, ultimately, consumer purchasing decisions.
Built on the above discussion, we present a basic theoretical framework (Figure 1) that
emphasizes on the key role of PAI in e-commerce websites. The purpose of this study is to
provide empirical evidence to support the relationship between PAI and both cognitive and
affective responses.

2.3 Product aesthetic information and online shopping

The starting point of our framework (Figure 1) is PAI. In the following, we discuss the notion
of PAI and its effects in the marketing and information systems contexts. Scholars have
investigated how individuals interpret the visual characteristics of information technology
NBRI
8,2

194

Figure 1.
A theoretical
framework of online
consumer responses to
product aesthetics

(IT) artifacts (e.g. mobile phones and websites) and how perceptions of IT aesthetics
influence usage and attitudes (Cai and Xu, 2011). They discovered that aesthetics
information is a significant dimension of website quality (Loiacono et al., 2007). It is relevant
to websites (Cyr, 2008; Cyr et al., 2009), IT artifacts such as in-vehicle navigation displays
(Lavie et al., 2011), virtual worlds (Lee and Chen, 2011) and mobile phone screens (Cyr et al.,
2006). Because consumer’s perceptions of product appearance are the foundation for person–
product relationships (Bloch, 1995; Veryzer, 1995), judgments naturally follow from this
sensory experience. These judgments impact buyers’ decisions in five ways (Bloch, 1995;
Creusen and Schoormans, 2005).
Ideally, a product’s appearance should prove visually arresting and aesthetically
appealing (Schoormans and Robben, 1997; Hsieh and Chen, 2011). Visually appealing
products are more likely to command customer awareness and can be easily distinguishable
from competitors’ products (Berkowitz, 1987; Jones, 1991). Customers are more likely to
select products that favorably capture their attention.
A product’s design should also convey information to customers. Research indicates that
visually desirable products trigger a halo effect, wherein customers are more likely to
perceive product features favorably (Debono et al., 2003). This confirms that aesthetic appeal
is a significant factor in the design of successful products (Tractinsky et al., 2000). Product
appearance influences consumers’ perceptions of product attributes (Yamamoto and
Lambert, 1994), signaling the functionality, product quality and other important product
characteristics (Berkowitz, 1987; Dawar and Parker, 1994; Bloch, 1995). A well-designed
product can convey a wide range of impressions, including cheer, geniality, excitement,
extravagance, thrift and respect (Dawar and Parker, 1994). Consumers are more likely to
select products that signal several desirable attributes.
While a product’s design should be functional, distinct and appealing, it should also bear
enough aesthetic resemblance to similar products so that consumers can readily make
associations and draw comparisons (Garber, 1995; Schoormans and Robben, 1997).
Revolutionary products (e.g. iPhone) often have strong persuasion to attract lead followers,
allowing consumers to sort product attributes into descriptive categories based entirely on
product appearance (Blijlevens et al., 2009). Because consumers easily perceive attributes Product
that underlie product appearance, they can perceive the nature and function of similar aesthetics
products (Loken and Ward, 1990). When consumers have purchase needs for a category, a
product that is perceived as visually typical is more likely to be selected.
information
Moreover, a product’s design should be pleasurable and stimulating for consumers.
Fechner (1876) categorized visual stimuli into simple, elemental displays and more complex
displays to understand which characteristics provided pleasure or displeasure (Liu, 2003).
Simple, visually pleasing product design provides sensory pleasure and stimulation to 195
consumers (Bloch, 1995; Krug, 2013). Consumers perceive hedonic signals in e-commerce
environments, which affects both behaviors and attitudes toward a product and its
manufacturer (Hammond et al., 1998; Childers et al., 2001; Fiore and Jin, 2003). Research
indicates that when apparel imagery on an e-commerce website is visually stimulating, it is
more likely to please consumers and subsequently is more likely to be selected (Fiore and Jin,
2003).

2.4 Color appeal and purchases

According to VSD, an important visual element is color. While there are many elements,
principles and factors that contribute to PAI, as shown in Figure 1, this paper focuses on
PCA. PCA reflects the extent to which one perceives the color of a product to be visually
attractive. Color influences consumers’ perceptions of numerous products, including IT
products (Walsh et al., 1990; Oram et al., 1995). Bellizzi et al. (1983) observed that color draws
shoppers to retail displays, with cooler colors delivering a more positive store and product
image than warmer colors. Kaya and Epps (2004) found that different colors elicit different
emotions. Cyr et al. (2010) reported that individuals’ perceptions of website color appeal,
together with cultural preferences, can positively influence their trust and satisfaction
toward websites (Li and Yeh, 2010). Color also extends to IT applications; Zviran et al. (2006)
showed that in e-mail marketing, e-mails with pastel colors (e.g. soft yellow and soft green)
result in higher response rates. In their strategic marketing study, Jordá-Albiñana et al.
(2009) reported that color establishes brand identity.

3. Research model and hypotheses

Pursuant to the purpose of this research, as noted earlier, we extracted a representative factor
from each of the stimulus, organism and response categories: we used PCA to represent
product aesthetic, perceived usefulness to represent cognitive mechanisms, flow to represent
affective mechanisms and both cognitive attitude and affective attitude to represent users’
perception of a website. In line with the underlying logic of the theoretical framework shown
in Figure 1, we present the research model in Figure 2. In the following, we propose the
hypotheses and provide justifications.

3.1 Psychological organisms to product aesthetics

While PCA is a stimulus for consumers, we describe the organism constructs and its two
kinds of response mechanisms: affective and cognitive.
3.1.1 Affective mechanisms. PAI induces affective responses from online shoppers, as
indicated our framework (Figure 1). Compared with its cognitive mechanisms, the
relationship between PAI and its affective mechanisms is immediate – affective perceptions
are instantaneous (Lindgaard et al., 2006). Ensuing customer responses (e.g. emotion,
sensation, pleasure or arousal) are aesthetically compatible as product design is aesthetically
based (Osborne, 1979; Bloch, 1995). Like other aesthetic media, PAI captures customer
attention (Schoormans and Robben, 1997) and draws them to become involved with product
(Lewalski, 1988). More than a mere product attribute, the design of a product is inherently
NBRI appealing to consumers, because it evokes “(a) esthetic responses derived from the design
8,2 and sensory properties of the product rather than its performance or functional attributes”
(Bloch, 1995).
PAI, along with utilitarian motivation, can lead to a positive flow of customer activity
(Charters, 2006). According to utilitarian motivation theory, shopping behavior is a
functional, goal-oriented activity, and consumers have goals in mind when procuring a
196 product or service (Batra and Ahtola, 1991; Babin et al., 1994; Childers et al., 2001; To et al.,
2007). If shoppers are able to achieve their goals efficiently and with minimal stress, they
respond positively (Batra and Ahtola, 1991; Babin et al., 1994). While PAI facilitates the flow
between shopping tasks, it also contributes to hedonic motivation. Hedonic motivation
comprises the non-functional benefits of the shopping process such as happiness, sensuality
and enjoyment (Hirschman and Holbrook, 1982; Babin et al., 1994; Childers et al., 2001).
People with hedonic shopping motivation shop primarily for enjoyment and, secondly, to
acquire a product or service. Because PAI can elicit affective reactions, it is conducive to
e-commerce because it satisfies online buyers’ hedonic shopping needs (Xu et al., 2012).
In studying the effect of PAI on affective mechanism, this paper focuses on flow that
represents affective mechanism. Flow, also known as “enjoyment”, is the extent to which
using a website is enjoyable in its own right, apart from any anticipated performance
consequences. It is the salient factor to represent hedonic benefits derived from using
technologies (Xu et al., 2015). Supported by the association between PAI and affect, we are
confident to hypothesize that:
H1. Product color appeal has a positive influence on flow.
3.1.2 Cognitive mechanisms. Signaling theory is the study of how entities use signals and
cues to communicate information to each other. Originating from evolutionary biology,
signals are meant to change the behavior of receivers in ways that benefit the signaler, while
cues are characteristics or actions that benefit the receiver (Bradbury and Vehrencamp,
1998). When a seller sends a message about a product to a shopper, the message is a signal in
turn. When a shopper discerns a message from a product’s characteristics, the message
becomes a cue. Because product aesthetics convey messages to shoppers, signaling theory
can explain how PAI influences both product-related beliefs and website-related beliefs of
potential customers.
Signaling theory is an information concept that has been applied to a variety of disciplines
ranging from sociology and economics (Robbins and Schatzberg, 1986; Benartzi et al., 1997)
to finance and marketing (Boulding and Kirmani, 1993; Kirmani and Rao, 2000). A common
issue that plagues business transactions is information asymmetry regarding product
quality, which is exacerbated by the sensory-limited e-commerce environment (Tsai and
Huang, 2009). To cope with asymmetric information, vendors send signals such as product

Figure 2.
The testable research
model
warranty and refund guarantees to ensure that the product quality information is credible Product
(Boulding and Kirmani, 1993; Dimoka et al., 2012). Conversely, consumers use two types of aesthetics
cues to assess product quality (Richardson et al., 1994): extrinsic cues and intrinsic cues.
Extrinsic cues are product-related attributes not inherent to the product, including price,
information
brand, product package and store environment (Baker et al., 1994; Dawar and Parker, 1994;
Erdem and Swait, 1998; Wells et al., 2011). Intrinsic cues are product attributes that comprise
the fundamental nature of the product, such as product appearance and functionality.
According to Cox (1967), each intrinsic cue has two value qualities: predictive value and 197
confidence value. Predictive value describes a cue’s accuracy when predicting product
quality, while confidence value describes a cue’s accuracy when evaluating a product
(Richardson et al., 1994). Intrinsic cues are less reliable during e-commerce transactions
because shoppers cannot examine a product’s physical characteristics. When shopping
online, consumers rely on extrinsic cues to infer product quality and feel confident about a
purchase. Previous research indicates that extrinsic cues are more easily understood, provide
more confidence in product assessment and require less cognitive effort to process (Zeithaml,
1988; Wells et al., 2011). Despite the shortcomings of intrinsic cues, this research proposes
that a product’s aesthetic appearance can be both a signal and a cue to reduce product
uncertainty and influence product buyers.
People adopt information from signals and cues because they actively seek
information-processing “shortcuts” or heuristics that help them better evaluate product
quality (Baker et al., 1994; Wells et al., 2011). In e-commerce, consumers often rely on
shortcuts because they cannot directly interact with products. When consumers have limited
information about the product, PAI can signal product quality because the aesthetic product
appearance is readily available through images or videos.
People do not need professional training to appreciate beauty (Richardson et al., 1994;
Wells et al., 2011). With little cognitive effort, people instantaneously and pre-cognitively
perceive visual aesthetics information, forming opinions that are long-lasting (Loken and
Ward, 1990; Lindgaard et al., 2006). In sum, consumers are genetically disposed to prefer
things having an aesthetically pleasing appearance (Veletsianos, 2007), because it fulfills an
innate biological function (Kogan, 1994; Cowley, 2000). Aesthetically pleasing products exert
a positive influence on online shoppers’ assessments of product quality. As online shoppers
form a positive product assessment and complete a transaction, they also enhance their
perception of the website, perceiving the website as useful.
In studying the effect of PAI on cognitive mechanism, this paper focuses on perceived
usefulness that represents cognitive mechanism. Perceived usefulness that reflects users’
cognitive assessment of benefits derived from using technologies has been shown to be a salient
factor in predicting the use of a wide range of technologies by various IT adoptions such as the
technology acceptance model and the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (Xu
et al., 2015). Thus, rooted in SOR and supported by the signaling theory, we hypothesize that:
H2. Product color appeal has a positive influence on perceived usefulness.

3.2 Flow, perceived usefulness and attitude

In various settings, IS research found that flow influences technology acceptance and use
intention directly (Van der Heijden, 2004) and has a direct effect on user attitudes toward
technologies mobile games (Ha et al., 2007). Therefore, we hypothesized that:
H3. Flow has a positive influence on perceived usefulness.
H4. Flow has a positive influence on affective attitude.
H5. Flow has a positive influence on cognitive attitude.
NBRI 3.3 Perceived usefulness and attitude
8,2 Various IT adoption models such as the technology acceptance model (Davis, 1989) have
shown that perceived usefulness affects attitude. While this paper draws a distinction
between affective attitude and cognitive attitude, we hypothesize that:
H6. Perceived usefulness has a positive influence on affective attitude.
198 H7. Perceived usefulness has a positive influence on cognitive attitude.

4. Methodology
4.1 The experimental instrument
We conducted a visual experiment using a survey rather than a laboratory setting, soliciting
responses to experimental tasks while controlling for external influences (Fromkin and
Streufert, 1976). This experimental method is consistent with previous e-commerce research
(Gefen and Straub, 2000; Gefen and Straub, 2003). In this experiment, respondents were
presented with an image of one of four garments. To control for as many characteristics as
possible in the respondent’s perception of product aesthetics, the color of the garments was
the only variable that was manipulated.
We selected the website of a large public university’s bookstore and modified it as needed
to create the four treatments for the experimental website (Figure 3). The products sold on
this website range from books and electronics to apparel. When selecting products in an
e-commerce transaction, consumers experience a level of uncertainty that may impact their
overall evaluation of experience with a product (Gefen et al., 2008). We believe that product
aesthetics can influence how shoppers assess products, including experiencing products
(Bloch, 1995). When shopping for apparel, consumers typically have previous experience
with the kind of apparel they seek to buy (Wells et al., 2011). To that end, consistent with the
students’ prior experiences, we assigned them the task of purchasing a university-branded
pullover shirt. All subjects affirmed that they were familiar and comfortable with online
shopping, and all were students at the university. To increase the realism of the online
shopping task, subjects could participate in the study from any computer with an internet
connection. After viewing the website, subjects in each of the four treatment groups selected
a sweatshirt and filled out a questionnaire regarding their shopping experiences on the
experimental website.
In the current study, attitude is chosen as the dependent variable. According to Hassanein
and Head (2007), attitude is predictive of behavioral intention in the e-commerce settings;
more, while asking subjects to indicate their purchase intention on an “experimental”
website might not be realistic, attitude provides a more feasible approach; furthermore,
attitudinal beliefs are particularly relevant in the consumer decision-making context.

4.2 Content validity

To maintain the content validity of measurement, we contextualized the items for our
constructs by borrowing the extant variables whenever possible. PCA was measured using
questions adapted from Cyr et al.’s study (2010), while perceived usefulness items were
adapted from Chao et al.’s (2011) study. Flow measurement items were borrowed from Wang
et al.’s (2007) work. Both affective attitude and cognitive attitude were measured by the items
from the work of Yang and Yoo (2004). Minor modifications were made to these scales to fit
the context of the present study. All the questions were based on a seven-point Likert scale
with 1 representing strongly disagree, 4 representing neutral and 7 representing strongly
agree.
To further assess the content validity of these items, we took two additional steps. First,
two scholars with expertise in e-commerce research were invited to examine the items. Next,
 Product
aesthetics
information

199

Figure 3.
A screenshot view of
the experimental
website

revised items were further examined by six PhD students in related fields to identify and find
a remedy to confusing items. After analyzing their feedback, we made some minor revisions
to refine the language of the questionnaire.

5. Analysis and results

All participants were undergraduate students from a large public university in the southwestern
region of the USA. To ensure that respondents would take the experiment seriously, extra credit
was awarded upon survey completion. In total, 87 students successfully participated and
completed the experiment. The benefits of using college students for e-commerce studies have
been well-documented in previous works (Lee and Lin, 2005; Chao et al., 2011). College student’s
population provides a clean homogenous grommet that enhances reliability and generalizability
in well-defined population cohorts. To analyze the data, we performed partial least squares (PLS)
structural equation modeling (SEM) using SmartPLS 2.0 (Ringle et al., 2011).
PLS path models are formally defined by two sets of linear equations: the inner model and
the outer model. The outer model specifies the relationships between the latent variables and
their observed or manifest variables. The inner model specifies the relationships between
latent or unobserved variables (Henseler et al., 2009). The weighted coefficients allow
researchers to estimate the observed variables other than equal weighted case values. For
PLS, a good model fit is established with significant path coefficients, with acceptable high
NBRI R2 values after evaluating measurement for reliability and validity (Gefen and Straub, 2000).
8,2 The remaining reasons for using PLS to analyze the data are based on the recommendations
of Chin (2010), as follows. First, the research model is exploratory and seeks to examine
constructs in a newly posited theoretical framework. Second, PLS allows the use of relatively
smaller sample size in comparison with other SEM methodologies such as covariance-based
SEM. Third, PLS has the minimum requirement for sample size to achieve a targeted
200 statistical power. We first evaluated the reliability and validity of the measurement and then
validated the structural model as shown in our testable research model.

5.1 Reliability
Table I shows that Cronbach’s alpha reliability coefficients of all variables range from 0.85 to
0.97, exceeding the minimum cutoff score of 0.70 (Hair et al., 1995). Cronbach’s alpha
implicitly assumes that each item carries the same weight, and composite reliability uses the
actual loadings to construct the factor score, resulting in better measurement of internal
consistency. Among all the constructs in this study, the lowest value of composite reliability

Factor loadings
Affective Product color Cognitive Perceived
Item attitude appeal attitude Control Curiosity Attention Interest usefulness

Affective attitude 1 0.91 0.32 0.51 0.14 0.20 0.26 0.39 0.47
Affective attitude 2 0.97 0.34 0.53 0.17 0.21 0.23 0.42 0.49
Affective attitude 3 0.97 0.38 0.57 0.23 0.24 0.27 0.48 0.50
Affective attitude 4 0.90 0.38 0.44 0.26 0.23 0.17 0.45 0.41
Product color appeal 1 0.41 0.89 0.35 0.26 0.44 0.14 0.45 0.29
Product color appeal 2 0.35 0.85 0.32 0.23 0.42 0.06 0.43 0.29
Product color appeal 3 0.26 0.75 0.30 0.24 0.46 0.07 0.34 0.24
Product color appeal 4 0.38 0.74 0.33 0.29 0.38 0.15 0.37 0.18
Product color appeal 5 0.14 0.82 0.21 0.30 0.42 0.00 0.36 0.20
Product color appeal 6 0.31 0.88 0.44 0.37 0.53 0.11 0.43 0.34
Cognitive attitude 2 0.54 0.47 0.94 0.29 0.28 0.22 0.35 0.65
Cognitive attitude 3 0.48 0.27 0.93 0.25 0.15 0.25 0.27 0.61
Control 1 0.27 0.39 0.35 0.95 0.71 0.41 0.71 0.32
Control 3 0.10 0.24 0.18 0.92 0.54 0.26 0.49 0.26
Curiosity 1 0.24 0.56 0.26 0.61 0.95 0.33 0.65 0.29
Curiosity 2 0.23 0.52 0.23 0.68 0.97 0.29 0.60 0.28
Curiosity 3 0.21 0.48 0.19 0.66 0.96 0.27 0.59 0.27
Attention 1 0.25 0.11 0.28 0.32 0.21 0.88 0.33 0.21
Attention 2 0.25 0.18 0.22 0.40 0.37 0.92 0.45 0.22
Attention 3 0.22 0.03 0.18 0.32 0.26 0.88 0.36 0.20
Attention 5 0.13 0.02 0.16 0.18 0.16 0.73 0.23 -0.01
Interest 1 0.41 0.45 0.30 0.67 0.64 0.43 0.97 0.44
Interest 2 0.47 0.45 0.32 0.61 0.60 0.38 0.97 0.42
Interest 3 0.46 0.51 0.34 0.62 0.60 0.39 0.96 0.41
Perceived usefulness 1 0.50 0.32 0.63 0.29 0.27 0.19 0.37 0.95
Perceived usefulness 2 0.45 0.35 0.65 0.32 0.30 0.15 0.41 0.95
Perceived usefulness 4 0.49 0.27 0.65 0.32 0.31 0.18 0.45 0.95
Table I. Perceived usefulness 5 0.48 0.28 0.66 0.27 0.25 0.23 0.43 0.97
Statistics of reliability Cronbach’s alpha 0.95 0.90 0.85 0.86 0.96 0.88 0.97 0.97
indices and factor Composite reliability 0.97 0.93 0.93 0.97 0.92 0.98 0.98 0.93
loadings for constructs AVE 0.88 0.68 0.87 0.88 0.92 0.73 0.94 0.91
is 0.92, which comfortably exceeds the benchmark minimum of 0.70 (Fornell and Larcker, Product
1981). Additionally, average variance extracted (AVE) is computed to assess construct aesthetics
reliability (Fornell and Larcker, 1981). All of the AVE values in this study are higher than the
threshold of 0.50, suggesting that more than 50 per cent of the variance of the measurement
information
items can be accounted for by the model constructs (Fornell and Larcker, 1981).

5.2 Construct validity

Consensus deems that convergent validity is acceptable when all item loadings exceed 0.70
201
(Hair et al. 1995). All the item loadings are greater than the cut-off value of 0.70, and they load
on the correct factors, except for Control 1. Given the fact that Control 1 loads more than 0.2
higher on the expected factor than on the alternative factor (Stewart and Gosain, 2006), we
decided to keep this item. Control 1 also loads extremely high on the expected factor (0.95);
therefore, as suggested by Agarwal and Karahanna (2000), deleting this item would reduce
the reliability of the scale. As shown in Table II, the square roots of each AVE are greater
than the off-diagonal elements, suggesting good discriminant validity of the measurement
(Fornell and Larcker, 1981).

5.3 The structural model

Figure 4 shows the results of hypothesis testing. As supported by theoretical discussion, all
the hypotheses are supported, showing that PCA stimulates online shoppers’ reactions to the
focal website. PCA significantly influences users’ perception both of website usefulness (␤ ⫽
0.34, p ⬍ 0.001) and flow (␤ ⫽ 0.52, p ⬍ 0.001). Perceived usefulness (␤ ⫽ 0.64, p ⬍ 0.001) and
flow (␤ ⫽ 0.28, p ⬍ 0.05), in turn, significantly influence users’ cognitive attitude toward the
website. Alternately, perceived usefulness (␤ ⫽ 0.41, p ⬍ 0.001) and flow (␤ ⫽ 0.33, p ⬍ 0.01)
also have positive effects on users’ affective attitude toward the website. In terms of the
relationship between perceived usefulness and flow, findings indicate that flow (␤ ⫽ 0.30,
p ⬍ 0.05) positively affects perceived usefulness. Our research model explains 47 per cent
variance of users’ cognitive attitude and 29 per cent variance of affective attitude toward the
e-commerce website.

6. Discussion
The future of e-commerce research depends on determining what drives consumers to make
purchases online. This study builds on prior research by examining the effects of PAI on
e-commerce transactions. We proposed that PAI enhances not only assessments of an
individual product but also tempers their perceptions of the website selling the product.

Affective Cognitive Perceived Product color

attitude attitude Control Curiosity Attention Interest usefulness appeal

Affective attitude 0.94

Cognitive attitude 0.55 0.93
Control 0.21 0.29 0.94
Curiosity 0.23 0.24 0.68 0.96
Attention 0.25 0.25 0.37 0.31 0.86 Table II.
Interest 0.46 0.33 0.66 0.64 0.42 0.97 Correlation of latent
Perceived usefulness 0.50 0.68 0.31 0.29 0.20 0.44 0.95 variables, Cronbach’s
Product color appeal 0.38 0.40 0.34 0.54 0.11 0.48 0.32 0.82 alpha, composite
Cronbach’s alpha 0.95 0.85 0.86 0.96 0.88 0.97 0.97 0.90 reliability and square
Composite reliability 0.97 0.93 0.93 0.97 0.92 0.98 0.98 0.93 root of AVE
NBRI
8,2

202

Figure 4.
Structural model fit

Alternately, we suggested that PAI elicits affective responses from website users through
the flow experience. We proposed a research framework (Figure 1) and abstracted a testable
research model (Figure 2). Our results from the empirical data support our hypotheses,
confirming that color appeal – a salient facet of product aesthetics – positively contributes to
online shoppers’ perceptions of website usefulness, confirming Sauer and Sonderegger’s
(2011) finding that online shoppers experience flow at the affective level. Ultimately,
perceived usefulness of a website and flow contribute to individuals’ formation of affective
and cognitive attitudes.
The paper makes several contributions. First, this research contributes toward filling a
gap in the IS discipline that PAI is a critical success factor of business, but our understanding
of this phenomenon in the internet settings is limited. Second, this study establishes the
relationship between products and websites. Prior IS research focused on website-related
issues, for example, how to enhance trust or social presence. This paper found that while
Web interfaces certainly enhance users’ perceptions of a website, product aesthetics also
influence how users perceive a website during a transaction. This paper opens a door for
future e-commerce studies that can examine interface elements that can enhance (perceived)
product aesthetics, for example, the use of human images or Photoshop-enhanced images to
present products. Third, this study also contributes to a comprehensive definition of product
aesthetics by providing an overview of related literature. Specifically, we developed a
framework that opens the black box of PAI and identifies its basic components. This serves
as a foundation for future research on the role of product aesthetics in e-commerce that is
tested in a homogenous population. This study also puts forward a conceptual framework
concerning product aesthetics in an e-commerce environment.
In addition to its theoretical contributions, our proposition also has two important
implications for e-vendors. First, e-vendors should carefully and deliberately curate the
products sold on their website. Before displaying products on e-vendors’ website, e-vendors
would benefit from assessing the aesthetic level of products. If vendors give prominent
display to poorly designed products, users may form negative perceptions of the entire
e-commerce website and become discouraged from completing transactions. Furthermore,
e-vendors should leverage the importance of product aesthetics by providing users with
detailed, interactive methods of evaluating a product. In traditional shopping environments,
vendors often use physical means (e.g. lighting, models or in-store displays) to appeal to
consumers. To enhance a product’s appeal and bolster consumer confidence in an online Product
environment, e-vendors could use virtual models (Cyr et al., 2009), detailed product aesthetics
descriptions and sizing charts or multimedia displays to give consumers a better idea of a
product’s appearance and function (Dimoka et al., 2012).
information

7. Limitation and future research

Although this research stresses the importance of PAI, for the sake of parsimonious research, 203
it examined the role of a single PAI element: color appeal. Nevertheless, aesthetics is a broad
concept that contains many factors, including color, proportion and symmetry. In the
university-branded context of this study, we believe that in contrast to color appeal, other
aesthetic elements are less sensitive to online shoppers’ preferences. Future research should
test the effects of other PAI elements on consumers’ online shopping experiences and
compare those effects from different PAI perspectives. Additionally, this research considers
users’ perception of a website as the final dependent variable, instead of going further to
user’s behavioral attitude. Although we can infer the positive relationship between users’
perceptions of a website and their purchasing intention, testing such a relationship under an
integrated research model would put forward the role of e-vendors’ website in e-commerce
context.

8. Conclusion
E-vendors face a unique predicament in persuading consumers to make purchases online. In
traditional shopping environments, shoppers evaluate products based on a rich experience:
they can simultaneously view, handle, smell and even taste a product. Online shoppers can
typically only view images of the product on a website and seek secondary product
information through the Web. To overcome the limitations of online shopping, e-vendors can
use PAI to enhance user perceptions of website usefulness at the cognition level and
perceptions of flow experience at the affective level. E-vendors can also benefit from carefully
designing PAI to enhance users’ perception of a website.
This study also contributes to research, where our theoretical framework integrates
product aesthetics into online shopping as a significant tool. This study extends PAI to the
e-commerce environment, frames PAI as an information signal that allows buyers to gauge
whether a product meets their needs based on visual cues and develops a conceptual
framework that emphasizes on the key role of product aesthetics in e-commerce websites.
The results demonstrate how color appeal impacts consumer decision-making and informs
their overall perceptions of an e-commerce website by demonstrating that product aesthetics
can influence customers’ cognition before they make purchasing decisions and establish a
relationship between the product and the website. Given the dual nature of online shoppers
as both IT users and consumers, this paper suggests that PAI can enhance their online
shopping experiences by solidifying visual identity and brand appeal.

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Further reading
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for visual design”, International Journal of Art, Culture and Design Technologies (IJACDT),
Vol. 2 No. 2, pp. 57-71.
Runes, D. (1977), Dictionary of Philosophy, Littlefield, Adams & Company, Ohio.
Russell, B. (1972), A History of Western Philosophy, Touchstone, Simon and Shuster, New York, NY.

Corresponding author
Chenyan Xu can be contacted at: [email protected]
Appendix Product
aesthetics
Product color appeal (PCA)
information
PCA 1 The colors in the cloth are pleasing
PCA 2 I like the colors used in the cloth
PCA 3 The colors in the cloth are appropriate for my culture
PCA 4 The colors used in the cloth are emotionally appealing 209
PCA 5 The colors used in the cloth are interesting
PCA 6 The colors used in the cloth are visually harmonious
PCA 7 The colors used make the cloth look professional and well designed
Attention
Attention 1 While using the Web, I am able to block out most other distractions
Attention 2 While using the Web, I am absorbed in what I am doing
Attention 3 While on the Web, I am immersed in the task I am performing
Attention 4 When on the Web, I get distracted by other attentions very easily
Attention 5 While on the Web, my attention does not get diverted very easily
Curiosity
Curiosity 1 Using the Web excites my curiosity
Curiosity 2 Interacting with the Web makes me curious
Curiosity 3 Using the Web arouses my imagination
Control
Control 1 When using the Web, I feel in control
Control 2 I feel that I have no control over my interaction with the Web
Control 3 The Web allows me to control my computer interaction
Interest
Interest 1 I have fun interacting with the Web
Interest 2 Using the Web provides me with a lot of enjoyment
Interest 3 I enjoy using the Web
Interest 4 Using the Web bores me
Perceived usefulness (PU)
PU 1 The website enables me to do it more quickly
PU 2 The website helps me be more effective
PU 3 The website helps me be more productive
PU 4 The website saves me time to use it
PU 5 The website makes it easier to do it
PU 6 The website is useful to me
Affective attitude (AA)
AA 1 Wise
AA 2 Beneficial
AA 3 Harmful
AA 4 Foolish
Cognitive Attitude (CA)
CA 1 Wise
CA 2 Beneficial Table AI.
CA 3 Harmful Survey instrument

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