Consumer Responses to Online Atmosphere: The Moderating Role of Atmospheric Responsiveness

Due to the nature of online shopping, online shoppers are mostly affected by visual cues shown on websites. Visual cues used in the site design and layout (Davis, Wang, & Lindridge, 2008) influence consumer emotions and image of the website. The use of a variety of colors and materials draws consumers’ attention and influences their browsing tendency and purchase intention in the store (Kerfoot, Davis, & Ward, 2003). Because apparel cannot be physically examined online, perceived risk has also become a major concern for online shoppers when purchasing apparel products in-home. If consumers are pleased by online atmospheric cues, they may evaluate online shopping more favorably and perceive less risk. Previous research showed that perceived risk is negatively related to patronage intention (Forsythe, Liu, Shannon, & Gardner, 2006) and actual purchase decision (Lin, 2008). Applying the Stimulus-Organism-Response paradigm, Eroglu, Machleit, and Davis (2001) develop a conceptual model that describes the function of various site stimuli in the online shopping environment. According to the model, online stimuli, such as colors and decorative images, can influence consumers’ affective and cognitive responses that in turn influence their behaviors (Eroglu et al., 2001). Affective response can be explained by consumers’ emotional or feeling states such as pleasure (Holbrook & Hirschman, 1982; Lavidge & Steiner, 1961). Consumers who are pleased may evaluate websites more favorably than those who are not. Cognition describes consumers’ internal mental processes (Eroglu et al., 2001) – a belief system that can be measured by negative or positive perceptions and thoughts generated by consumers when they are exposed to stimuli (Holbrook & Batra, 1987; Yoo & Kim, 2005). In an online shopping situation, website ambient and design factors influence affective responses (Mummalaneni, 2005) and cognitive response such as perceived risk (Park, Lennon, & Stoel, 2005). Researchers conceptualize that individual’s affective and cognitive responses toward websites may differ as a function of personal differences in atmospheric responsiveness (Eroglu et al., 2001; Fiore & Kim, 2007). One empirical study finds that the site atmosphere influences pleasure for shoppers high in atmospheric responsiveness, but not for those low in atmospheric responsiveness (Eroglu, Machleit, & Davis, 2003). Although one study (Eroglu et al., 2003) examines the effect of atmospheric responsiveness in the relationship between site atmosphere and affective responses such as pleasure and arousal, no research has investigated the moderating role of atmospheric responsiveness in determining consumer cognitive responses in the online shopping context. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to 1) investigate the effects of website atmospheric cues on consumer pleasure and perceived risk that in turn affect consumer patronage intention and 2) examine the moderating effect of atmospheric responsiveness in the relationship between website atmospheric cues and both consumers’ affective and cognitive responses toward the website atmosphere. Two mock websites varied in relation to the presence of atmospheric cues: one website (presence of atmospheric cues) featured colored icons, a flashing brand logo, and a background with a logo pattern, while the other website (absence of atmospheric cues) had a static brand logo, text hyperlinks, and no background pattern. The two websites contained the same product information such as product views, available colors, fabric and style information, and other verbal descriptions. Each website consisted of an instruction page, a main page showing two pairs of trousers together, a product page for each of the two products, and a page with dependent measures. A random sample of 148 female students at a large Midwestern University participated in the study. Participants were randomly assigned to one of the two treatment groups and instructed to browse and look around the website. After browsing the website, participants completed dependent measures. The results showed a significant effect for online atmospheric cues on pleasure and perceived risk. Respondents experienced more pleasure and perceived less risk while browsing the website with atmospheric cues as compared to respondents in the condition without atmospheric cues. In addition, results revealed the moderating effect of atmospheric responsiveness on the relationship between site atmospheric cues and shoppers’ pleasure and risk perception. Site atmospheric cues evoked greater pleasure and less perceived risk for respondents with high atmospheric responsiveness but not for respondents with low atmospheric responsiveness. This highlights the important role of atmospheric responsiveness in determining consumer cognitive responses in addition to affective responses in the online shopping context. In addition, the findings demonstrated that respondents who felt more pleased by and perceived less risk from the site environment were likely to have greater patronage intention. More importantly, pleasure and perceived risk mediated the relationship between site atmosphere and patronage intention. The effects of online stimuli on consumers’ behavioral intentions tend to be indirect via affective and cognitive responses toward the site rather than direct. Online retailers need to make online shopping less risky and subsequently help consumers make purchases online with more confidence. Online apparel retailers may need to redesign the websites considering differences in consumers’ personal characteristics. Website personalization based on consumer preferences may help to attract consumers with different levels of atmospheric responsiveness. Then, the website design format selected by each consumer can be a default option for all subsequent visits to the website. Even inexpensive site redesign can also influence consumer responses.