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The purpose of this study is to examine cross-cultural differences in the use of visual tangible cues in local corporate Web sites of six nations.

A quantitative content analysis was used to obtain a numerically based summary of visual tangible cues utilized in 207 Web sites of global service corporations.

A clear pattern of differences was observed in the major visual functions (literal vs symbolic), the use of photographs vs illustrations and the utilization of interactive elements between two groups of nations. Eastern visuals tend to rely more on symbolic visuals performing association function, mixed use of photographs and illustrations and customer endorsement, whereas Western visuals are more likely to perform literal functions, use photographs and feature customer–employee interactions.

International services marketers who are planning a global campaign on the Web can benefit by using differentiated visual strategies, which reflect unique cultural characteristics of a target market.

This study adds a new contribution to an international account of Web services advertising in maintaining a comprehensive understanding of contemporary use of visual tangibles cues. It could benefit global services advertisers with both practical and theoretical implications, for no systematic studies have ever touched the visualization strategies on the Web.

Using the stimulus–organism–response (SOR) theoretical model, this empirical research aims to examine and validate how tourists’ interactions with 360-degree virtual reality (VR) videos incorporating Web navigability and visual interface design quality (stimulus) on travel websites can make tourists more engaged and then satisfied (organism), which could make them more likely to visit destinations and spread electronic word of mouth (e-WOM) (response).

Using the convenience sampling method, 975 responses were collected through a questionnaire. The data were analysed using Smart-PLS 4 software to investigate the hypothesised relationships.

The findings demonstrate that 360-degree VR videos significantly create Web user engagement, and Web user engagement is significantly associated with Web user satisfaction. The result shows that Web user engagement and satisfaction impact the intention to visit the tourist destination. Additionally, Web user satisfaction impacts e-WOM. Lastly, navigability and visual interface design quality are significantly moderated between 360-degree VR videos and Web user engagement.

This research only examined the tourists’ behavioural intentions with 360-degree VR videos during the pre-travel phase. In contrast, future research may investigate how tourists behave with VR during the on-site and post-travel phases.

Tourism marketers should not only adopt 360-degree VR but also integrate Web navigability and visual interface design to boost Web users’ engagement on tourism websites.

This study advances the study of VR from the tourists’ psychological perspective. Moreover, the SOR theory has been re-examined from the VR and technology tourism perspectives. It provides a general understanding of the behavioural aspects of tourists in developing countries.

利用刺激-有机体反应（SOR）理论模型, 本实证研究检验并验证了游客与旅游网站上结合了网络导航性和视觉界面设计质量（刺激）的360度虚拟现实(VR)视频的互动如何使游客更投入、更满意（有机体）, 这可能使他们更有可能访问目的地并传播电子口碑（响应）。

采用方便抽样法, 通过问卷调查收集了975份回复。使用Smart-PLS 4软件对数据进行分析, 以调查假设的关系。

研究结果表明, 360度虚拟现实(VR)视频显著提高了网络用户参与度, 网络用户参与与网络用户满意度显著相关。结果表明, 网络用户参与度和满意度对旅游目的地的访问意愿有影响。此外, 网络用户满意度也会影响电子口碑。最后, 在360度虚拟现实(VR)视频和网络用户参与度之间, 导航性和视觉界面设计质量显著适中。

这项研究只考察了游客在旅行前阶段使用360度虚拟现实(VR)视频的行为意图。相比之下, 未来的研究可能会调查游客在现场和旅行后阶段使用虚拟现实(VR)的行为。

旅游营销人员不仅应采用360度虚拟现实(VR), 还应将网络导航性和视觉界面设计相结合, 以提高网络用户对旅游网站的参与度。

本研究从游客的心理角度推进了虚拟现实(VR) 的研究。此外, 还从虚拟现实(VR)和科技旅游的角度重新审视了SOR 理论。它提供了对发展中国家游客行为方面的一般了解。

Utilizando el modelo teórico estímulo-organismo-respuesta (SOR), esta investigación empírica examinó y validó cómo las interacciones de los turistas con los vídeos de RV de 360 grados que incorporan la navegabilidad web y la calidad del diseño de la interfaz visual (estímulo) en los sitios web de viajes pueden hacer que los turistas se sientan más comprometidos y luego satisfechos (organismo), lo que podría hacerles más propensos a visitar los destinos y a difundir el e-WOM (respuesta).

Utilizando el método de muestreo por conveniencia, se recogieron 975 respuestas a través de un cuestionario. Los datos se analizaron mediante el software Smart-PLS 4 para investigar las relaciones hipotetizadas.

Los resultados demuestran que los vídeos de RV de 360 grados generan un compromiso significativo de los usuarios de la web y que el compromiso de los usuarios de la web se asocia significativamente con su satisfacción. El resultado muestra que el compromiso y la satisfacción del usuario web repercuten en la intención de visitar el destino turístico. Además, la satisfacción del usuario web influye en el e-WOM. Por último, la navegabilidad y la calidad del diseño de la interfaz visual son significativamente moderadas entre los vídeos de RV de 360 grados y el compromiso del usuario web.

Esta investigación sólo examinó las intenciones de comportamiento de los turistas con los vídeos de RV de 360 grados durante la fase previa al viaje. En cambio, en futuras investigaciones se podría estudiar cómo se comportan los turistas con la RV durante las fases in situ y posterior al viaje.

Los profesionales del marketing turístico no sólo deberían adoptar la RV de 360 grados, sino también integrar la navegabilidad web y el diseño de la interfaz visual para potenciar el compromiso de los internautas en los sitios web turísticos.

Este estudio avanza en el estudio de la RV desde la perspectiva psicológica del turista. Además, se ha reexaminado la teoría S-O-R desde las perspectivas de la RV y el turismo tecnológico. Proporciona una comprensión general del aspecto conductual de los turistas en los países en desarrollo.

Visual information quality is one of the most important elements that determines online shoppers' experience on a web site. Yet, currently many e‐tailers use poor quality visual information such as small and blurry images. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of visual information quality on online shoppers' affective responses and behavioral intent toward the web site. The theoretical framework of perceptual fluency, the ease with which perceptual forms (i.e. objects) are processed, guided the research.

A theoretical model was developed based on the literature and tested using multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and structural equation modeling (SEM). The model proposed a mediating effect of pleasure in creating positive aesthetic evaluations and behavioral outcomes of the perceptual fluency effect. An online experiment (n=1,999) was employed with two levels of perceptual fluency.

MANOVA results confirmed the perceptual fluency effect on aesthetic evaluation and pleasure. SEM analysis supported the proposed model. Pleasure had a stronger impact on behavioral intent than aesthetic evaluation. Theoretical and managerial implications of the perceptual fluency effect on online consumer behavior are discussed.

Previous research has not addressed perceptual fluency from a strong theoretical framework. The paper empirically tested and extended the perceptual fluency hypothesis. Although previous researchers observed the fluency effect on preference choices without testing the mediating effect of affect, this paper examined the mediating role of affect and confirmed the importance of pleasure in aesthetic evaluation. Also, this paper extends the scope of the perceptual fluency effect beyond aesthetic preference/evaluations to behavioral intent.

This paper presents the results of two studies into electronic book production. The Visual book study explored the importance of the visual component of the book metaphor for the production of more effective electronic books, while the WEB book study took the findings of the Visual book and applied them to the production of books for publication on the World Wide Web (WWW). Both studies started from an assessment of which kinds of paper book are more suitable for translation into electronic form. Both also identified publications which are meant to be used for reference rather than those which are read sequentially, and usually in their entirety. This group includes scientific publications and textbooks which were both used as the target group for the Visual book and the WEB book experiments. In this paper we discuss the results of the two studies and how they could influence the design and production of more effective electronic books.

This paper starts by reporting the results of two studies into electronic book production, the Visual Book and the WEB Book. The Visual Book study (Landoni, 1997) explored the importance of the visual component of the book metaphor for the production of more effective electronic books, while the WEB Book study (Wilson, 1999) took the findings of the Visual Book and applied them to the production of books for publication on the WWW. It was possible to extract from the two experiences a set of recommendations for producing electronic books. These are the starting point for a new project, EBONI (Electronic Books ON‐screen Interface). EBONI focuses on the evaluation of electronic resources for teaching and learning in academia and it is going to expand our previous findings with the aim of producing a set of guidelines for publishing educational material on the Web.

The ADA mandates that library programs and services be accessible to people with disabilities. With the advent of the WWW, the popularity of commercial Web‐based resources in academic libraries has soared, but are these resources accessible to people with visual disabilities? This study examines the accessibility of two popular Web‐based abstracting and indexing services, Periodical Abstracts, offered by OCLC FirstSearch, and Gale Group’s Expanded Academic ASAP, when accessed by blind users using screen‐reading programs. The study measured accessibility based on guidelines from the amended Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and on the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines issued by the WWW Consortium. The findings indicate that, while each database has a high degree of accessibility, there is a need for Web developers to conduct usability testing of commercial databases with people who rely on screen readers for access to the Web. Librarians must be cognizant of accessibility issues and demand assurance from database vendors that their products are accessible.

The success of e-commerce websites depends on their effective communication and influence on their users. At first glance, the users are impressed by the website design and, if inspired, they would continue their operations on the website. This paper aims to evaluate the effects of visual aesthetic of the Web pages on users’ behavior in online shopping environment. In particular, the paper aims to evaluate the elements of visual aesthetic on the organism variables (i.e. “satisfaction,” “arousal,” “perceived on-line service quality” and “trust”) and measure them on the users’ response (i.e. purchase, comparison and re-visit).

Using the stimulus–organism–response (S-O-R) framework, the authors first assessed direct and indirect effects of visual aesthetics of e-commerce websites on customer responses. Then, the Visual Aesthetics of Websites Inventory (VisAWI) method was used to examine the effects of four dimensions (i.e. craftsmanship, simplicity, diversity and colorfulness) on users’ perceived website aesthetics. To do so, DigiKala.com, a famous Iranian e-commerce website was selected and the questionnaires were distributed among its users.

The study results revealed that the website aesthetics in the S-O-R evaluation had the greatest direct impact on “perceived quality of online services,” “trust,” “satisfaction” and “arousal,” respectively. These variables also indirectly affected “shopping,” “revisit” and “comparison to similar products on other websites.” Regarding the evaluations based on the VisAWI, the component “craftsmanship” played the most central role in expressing the website aesthetics, followed by the variables “simplicity,” “diversity” and “colorfulness,” respectively.

Although the considerable effect of Web aesthetics on customers’ purchase behavior has been identified in previous research, it has not been accurately measured. Furthermore, studies on Web aesthetics are mostly limited to information systems’ users and do not concern consumers. Therefore, considering the increasing growth in online shopping and the significance of Web aesthetics to online consumers, investigating how consumers respond to Web aesthetics is of vital importance.

A company's corporate image is very important and it can be conveyed through visual images. In order to provoke interest and grasp attention, visual application is an important communication process. The purpose of this paper is to explore the cultural aspects that affect consumers' interpretation of visual communication in terms of corporate imaging/branding through electronic images on the internet. Specifically two different countries' cultures are being compared: the United States and India.

Web images of 30 brands, selected from a list of top 100 brands have been chosen and compared in both scenes.

The results show that some differences really do exist, especially regarding illustrations, groups of people and information in the visual image.

There are additional sub‐cultures in both countries. Future research could take these sub‐cultures into consideration.

Marketing managers should take cultural aspects into consideration when developing virtual marketing campaigns because culture does matter when it comes to visual images as not every culture prefers the same types of visual appeals. Additionally, by adapting visual images to cultures a company will be able to clearly identify its target group and can be assured that the right audience is being reached.

Much research has been done on examining Western countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom with Asian countries such as China and Japan, but not with India.

By reviewing different information visualization techniques for securing web information systems, this paper aims to provide a foundation for further studies of the same topic. Another purpose of the paper is to discover directions in which there is a lack of extensive research, thereby encouraging more investigations.

The related techniques are classified first by their locations in the web information systems architecture: client side, server side, and application side. Then the techniques in each category are further classified based on attributes specific to that category.

Although there is much research on information visualization for securing web browser user interface and server side systems, there are very few studies about the same techniques on web application side.

This paper is the first published paper reviewing extensively information visualization techniques for securing web information systems. The classification used here offers a framework for further studies as well as in‐depth investigations.

Examines the concept of hypertext and how it relates to the World Wide Web, along with a discussion of why this is important to librarians. Includes examples of library Web pages and products that take advantage of the medium and some that do not, along with a specific discussion of crafting text, structure and linking for the Web.