Website Congruity and User Satisfaction – An Initial Study

Based on the schema-congruity theory, this paper examines the impact of schemas in influencing user satisfaction in ecommerce websites. An experimental study was conducted using employees of a mid-sized organization. Results indicate that a schema-congruent website design in which product-line, color, and typeface were consistent with an existing schema engendered greater satisfaction in the user than a schema-incongruent design. The results emphasize the need for website designers to identify prior user schemas and ensure schema-congruence in their design.