Is That Website for Me? Website-Self Congruency Effects Triggered by Visual Designs

Abstract

This study proposes and tests a moderated mediation model for website–self-congruency effects triggered by the visual designs of websites. The model specifies the conditions (i.e. when participants are not involved with the product category) in which website–self-congruency effects emerge, and identifies specific cognitive processes (i.e. generating self-referencing and self–brand connection perceptions) and affective processes (i.e. experiencing positive emotions and browsing enjoyment) that mediate the influence of website–self-congruency effects on attitudes and purchase intentions. The findings of this study support the proposed model and hypotheses, and thereby offer significant implications for research and practice.