Beauty is a feature: the science of aesthetically pleasing website design for improved engagement, conversions, and loyalty
Explore the actual evidence that supports the benefits of having a visually appealing website
we all know that the appearance of a website matters. After all, who doesn’t love beautiful things? But beyond our natural inclination to appreciate aesthetically pleasing designs, is there any actual evidence that supports the benefits of having a visually appealing website? The answer is a resounding yes! There’s a wealth of research that supports the idea that beautiful website design can lead to real benefits for businesses.
And the science behind it is Aesthetic-Usability Effect
The Aesthetic-Usability Effect is a phenomenon where people perceive more aesthetically pleasing designs as easier to use and more effective, even if they are functionally equivalent to less aesthetically pleasing designs. This means that even if two websites have the same level of functionality, users will find the one with a better design easier to use and more enjoyable. Essentially, attractive design can lead users to believe that a product is more user-friendly and enjoyable to use.
In the realm of human-computer interaction, the concept of the aesthetic-usability effect was first examined in 1995 by researchers Masaaki Kurosu and Kaori Kashimura from the Hitachi Design Center. The study involved 252 participants and 26 variations of an ATM user interface. Participants rated the ease of use and aesthetic appeal of each design, revealing a stronger correlation between the participants’ ratings of aesthetic appeal and perceived ease of use than the correlation between their ratings of aesthetic appeal and actual ease of use. Kurosu and Kashimura concluded that users are strongly influenced by the aesthetics of any given interface, even when they try to evaluate the underlying functionality of the system.
But is there more to an aesthetically pleasing website than just ease of use? Absolutely!
In 2016, Zhenhui (Jack) Jiang, Weiquan Wang, Bernard C.Y. Tan & Jie Yu conducted two studies on website aesthetics to test the hypothesis that it has a significant impact on users’ attitudes towards the website and their perception of the corporate image. The results confirmed that the perceived aesthetics of a website can have significant impacts on both users’ perceived utility (how useful they believe the website is) and their attitudes towards the website. In turn, this can influence their perception of the organization behind the website and affect the corporate image exhibited via the website. This means that a visually pleasing website can help users build a more positive attitude towards the business and establish trust faster.
What does it mean for eCommerce websites?
As someone who has spent the last 12 years in the eCommerce space, I can attest to the importance of having a visually appealing website. But what does that mean for eCommerce websites whose primary goal is to drive customer purchases? Well, recent research shows that an aesthetically pleasing eCommerce website can do more than establish trust — it can also increase engagement, conversions, and customer loyalty.
In fact, a 2020 study by Masoud Ramezani Nia and Sajjad Shokouhyar found that website aesthetics directly impact a user’s perception of online services, trust, satisfaction, and arousal, which in turn indirectly affect shopping behaviour, revisiting the site, and product comparison with other websites.
The eCommerce web UX research institute Baymard Institute has also observed that when users respond favourably to the overall design, imagery, and photography of a website, they generally show increased patience for design quirks or technical issues. This initial positive impression can make users more loyal to the site.
In summary, it is proven through research the benefits of an aesthetically pleasing website are:
- “Perceived” better usability
- Forgiveness towards technical issues of the site
- The positive impression of your brand
- Increased likelihood of purchasing and repurchasing from your site
However, as with all things in life, there are some common pitfalls to avoid.
The Aesthetic-Usability Effect is one such pitfall. This phenomenon occurs when people tend to believe that things that look better will work better — even if they aren’t actually more effective or efficient. This is true for your customers and this is also true for you as a website owner or designer. It’s easy to fall into this trap and assume that your new stunning website is more usable than it actually is. It’s essential to be objective and test the usability of the site before launching it. I’ve launched stunning websites before, only to be blindsided by usability issues that resulted in a drop in conversions. Don’t make the same mistake.
Another common pitfall is going overboard with your website’s design. People love beautiful designs, but there’s a limit to it. I’ve seen some eCommerce sites, especially DTC brands, release controversial and visually stunning sites that don’t always resonate with customers. People expect some level of familiarity when it comes to core eCommerce functionalities. My recommendation is to be creative and push the boundaries on content and campaign pages while avoiding over-the-top designs on core eCommerce pages like the product listing page, product detail page, shopping cart, and checkout page. If you want to push the envelope on the design, make sure it’s cohesive throughout your branding, including your marketing channels.
In conclusion, we’ve learned that an aesthetically pleasing website can have a significant impact on customer behaviour, from trust and satisfaction to increased engagement and loyalty. However, it’s important to be mindful of the Aesthetic-Usability Effect and not fall into the trap of thinking that a beautiful website will automatically result in a better user experience. It’s crucial to test your website’s usability before launching and to strike a balance between beautiful design and essential functionalities. With this in mind, if you want to stand out from the competition and keep your customers coming back, don’t forget that beauty is a feature you can use, and let’s face it — life’s just too short for ugly websites.
References
Zhenhui (Jack) Jiang, Weiquan Wang, Bernard C.Y. Tan & Jie Yu(2016). The Determinants and Impacts of Aesthetics in Users’ First Interaction with Websites.
Journal of Management Information Systems Volume 33, 2016 — Issue 1
Ramezani Nia, M., & Shokouhyar, S. (2020). Analyzing the effects of visual aesthetic of Web pages on users’ responses in online retailing using the VisAWI method. Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing ISSN: 2040–7122
https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/JRIM-11-2018-0147/full/html
