The Ambivalent Effects of Website Complexity
The present study analyses how
online users react to an increase of complexity of corporate websites. Two
pretests and a main study are conducted. A first pretest with 80 subjects
validates the distinction between a 'high-complexity' and a 'low-complexity'
version of a website, which are then used as stimulus material in the main
study. A second pretest with 116 respondents confirms a chain of website
effects (ease of navigation, focused attention, enjoyment, attitude towards the
website, etc.) that can be applied as criteria to evaluate the impact of
website complexity. The main study was conducted as an online experiment with
109 participants. As expected, it is shown that the effects of complexity are
ambivalent. On the one hand, website complexity fosters users' experience of flow
and a positive attitude towards the website. On the other hand, users find it
more difficult to navigate on a more complex website.
Hoffmann, S.; Schwarz, U.; Müller, S. (2011). The Ambivalent Effects of Website Complexity, International Journal of Internet Marketing and Advertising, 6 (4), 413-433.
Hoffmann, S.; Schwarz, U.; Müller, S. (2011). The Ambivalent Effects of Website Complexity, International Journal of Internet Marketing and Advertising, 6 (4), 413-433.