The Effect Of Colors Of E-commerce Websites On Mood, Memorization And Buying Intention

This paper aims at studying the impact of the colors of e-commerce websites on consumer memorization and buying intention. Based on a literature review we wish to introduce the theoretical and methodological bases addressing this issue. A conceptual model is proposed, showing the effects of the color of the e-commerce website and of its components Hue, Brightness and Saturation, on the behavioral responses of the consumer memorization and buying intention. These responses are conveyed by mood. Data collection was carried out during a laboratory experiment in order to control for the measurement of the colored appearance of e-commerce websites. Participants visited one of the 8 versions of a website designed for the research, selling music CDs. Data analysis using ANOVA, regressions and general linear models (GLM), show a significant effect of color on memorization, conveyed by mood. The interaction of hue and brightness, using chromatic colors for the dominant (background) and dynamic (foreground) supports memorization and buying intention, when contrast is based on low brightness. A negative mood infers better memorization but a decreasing buying intention. The managerial, methodological and theoretical implications, as well as the future ways of research were put in prospect.