As Internet use continues to grow, companies increasingly recognize
the competitive necessity of having a web presence and
engaging in e-commerce. This has spurred a massive growth of
commercial websites and intensified competition for online customers.
There is a proliferation of websites providing similar functionalities
and identical products, services or information, and
customers can move from one website to another effortlessly. This
has created a need for e-commerce websites to find new ways to
stay competitive, attract and retain customers, and maintain or increase
sales. Bucy (2000) argues that emotional responses determine
which interfaces (e.g. Websites) people choose to use, as
they seek pleasure or enjoyment beyond just task efficiency. This
requires a shift in design focus from usability to user experience
and more emphasis on the aesthetics of interface design and the
affective/emotional responses it elicits (Bucy 2000, Marcus 2002,
Wright et al. 2001). Aesthetics has been shown to elicit a positive
affective response and to improve overall usability of information
systems (Marcus 2002, Wright et al. 2001, Tractinsky et al. 2004,
Norman 2002).
In e-commerce and HCI research, increasing attention has been
paid to website aesthetics due to its important role in determining