Fostering Purchasing Intention: The Influence of Appearance and Functionality on Consumers’ Initial Trust in a web Vendor

Abstract

In the highly competitive e-commerce environment, a large portion of the web vendors are new, small, or lack name recognition. When a customer visits an unknown vendor, the website needs to provide signals that it is trustworthy, or the customer may not complete a transaction. This research investigates how vendors may signal trustworthiness through features of the website. We examine how to win consumers’ trust through examining appearance and functionality features of a website. Consumers’ awareness and impressions of these features should influence their initial trust in a web vendor. If the vendor successfully fosters trust, then consumers will be more likely to make a purchase. We conduct an empirical study to test these relationships. This research contributes to the literature of online trust and web design. We will discuss the implications for research and practice in the conference