Attractive websites not enough to inspire loyalty, University of Melbourne study reveals

Internet shoppers are beginning to trust websites that are more physically attractive but they are becoming less loyal and will shop from a variety of sources, a new study from the University of Melbourne has found.

The survey’s author says businesses need to make websites more physically attractive and to push how websites can provide rich, relevant content.

“The number one reason users leave a website is if they search for something and can’t find something relevant,” says study author Brent Coker, from the university’s department of business and economics.

“Having a pretty website is good for fostering trust but it’s not enough. If you’re not interesting, if you’re not relevant, then people won’t stick around.”

The study, which tracked online browsing and shopping behaviour patterns, found that internet users are 20% more trusting of websites than they were five years ago.

The study created scores for different industries based on visual appeal, trustworthiness, ease of use, search quality, information quality, information relevancy and load speed.

Coker says the 20% increase in trusts matches the same increase for visual appeal.

“The way we examined the study is that we found the way these two metrics increased indicates a correlation. Basically people respond well to good-looking things,” he says.

Coker says the evolution of website design since the 1990s and the growth of businesses dedicated to designing attractive websites meant users have become more trusting.

Modern sites which adopt more simplistic design methods and rely on branding are going to attract more users who believe those businesses are more professional, he says.

“It boils down to convention and balance. One of the reasons we believe trust has increased is because website design methods and conventions have matured greatly,” he says, highlighting the importance for SMEs to create attractive websites.

Coker points to the use of symmetry, balance and simplistic tones of websites which encourage shopping. Compared to the bold, clunky websites of the 1990s users feel more invited.

He says the study found that the frequency of referring others to websites has increased by 32%.

That is partly due to the growth of social networking sites but he says users are 30% less loyal than they were four years ago.

“This is surprising because you’d think attractive websites would make people stick around but it’s had the opposite effect,” Coker says, pointing out that users are being turned off most by websites that do not offer relevant information.

He says people are developing the same types of relationships with websites that they do with other people – they are more tolerant of attractive sites, less tolerant of those with irrelevant information “and more likely to introduce ourselves to websites that are new”.

Coker says the message for businesses is clear – develop attractive, relevant websites to confirm loyalty among customers.

“If you can’t find what you’re looking for that’s a good reason to go and find a new website fairly quickly,” he says.

“Have an attractive website to get users but it’s not enough to keep then. Be interesting and relevant.”