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Research Methodology
This section discusses methods and techniques used in order to conduct the study on differences and changes in the website user’s attention and perception of the website persuasive features.
Relevant Methods and Techniques
In order to understand the changes in the attention of website users when they are examining the website information, researchers traditionally use eye movement trackers that follow and record the users’ eye movements. There are several types of eye tracking devices that are wearable, remote, and computer integrated eye trackers (Bojko 2013, p. 138). Wearable eye trackers are worn by participants of the study. Remote eye trackers need to be fixed in front of participants (Prasada & Bronnenberg 2003). Computer integrated eye trackers require participants to use a specific computer with an infrared camera (Ratwani & Trafton 2011).
Having chosen the eye tracker technology, researchers focus on important eye-movement metrics to examine and measure in order to conclude about the research results. Researchers can be interested in movement measures or measures of noticeability among others. The typical eye-movement metrics, on which researchers focus while using eye trackers in their studies, is fixation and saccades. Discussing fixation, it is important to focus on the area of interest (AOI) as the measures of noticeability to understand the eye movements of users regarding the concrete object on the webpage (Cooke 2008, p. 178). Thus, to conclude whether a user is interested in the concrete area on the webpage, a researcher studies the number of fixation on AOI; the time of first fixation on AOI and fixation frequency; the total dwell time; duration of a fixation; and percentage of participants who focus on AOI (Duchowski 2003; Poole & Ball n.d., p. 3). If it is necessary to focus on regressive movements, the researchers also measure the saccades, focusing on regressions, their number, and amplitude.
When all the measures are collected and analysed, researchers choose an appropriate variant to visualise the results of the participants’ eye tracking. It is possible to use gaze plots or scan paths demonstrating the series of a participant’s fixations and saccades. Researchers also use hot spot maps demonstrating the areas of the fixations typical for different participants (Manhartsberger & Zellhofer 2005).
Advantages and Disadvantages of Different Methods
While comparing different types of eye trackers, it is important to state that wearable eye trackers are good when it is necessary to track the eye movement associated with changes in the dynamic picture. However, this tracker is not convenient for using by the respondent. In addition, it is rather problematic to analyse the received data (Michailidou 2014, p. 671). Remote and computer integrated eye trackers are more advantageous when it is necessary to analyse easily a lot of data, but they can limit the participants in terms of movements because of the necessity to reduce the head movements.
Researchers focus on measuring eye movements or noticeability, depending on the purpose of the study. The advantages of focusing on fixations and saccades are in possibilities to address all these purposes and to examine the participant’s scanpath. Disadvantages are associated with the necessity to state clearly what aspect of fixation is measured for the study, for instance, number, duration, or density.
Advantages of using gaze plots or scan paths are in possibilities to demonstrate the fixations and saccades of an individual, but it is rather difficult to demonstrate the eye movement tendencies typical for several participants. In contrast, hot spot maps can be effectively used to demonstrate the areas of the fixations for many participants (Manhartsberger & Zellhofer 2005, p. 143). Therefore, the combination of these methods is advantageous for the study.
Limitations of the Methods
The limitations of using eye trackers are in the technical aspect of conducting the study. It is necessary to guarantee that the technology used by all participants respond to the needs of the researcher. The selected equipment is often rather sensitive, and it needs to be appropriate for detecting the number or character of fixations according to the researcher’s goal (Pagendarm & Schaumburg 2001). The researcher should take into account the individual characteristics of participants affecting their attention and prevent any visual distractions.
The Selected Method
In order to examine how website users perceive persuasive features in e-commerce websites, it is important to focus on measuring the users’ eye movements and on examining their attitudes and perceptions associated with scanning certain websites. One website was selected for the study (onlinebookstore.com). Before using an eye tracker for collecting the data, the uncontrolled test was conducted to check the device. The study is divided into three main parts. All the participants were expected to sign the consent form before participating in the study. During the first part of the study, the participants fill in background questionnaires. During the second part of the study, the participants are asked to scan website pages (4 scenarios). This activity is guided with the task and instruction from the researcher. The participants are calibrated on the eye tracker system. Then, the participants are demonstrated website pages (20 seconds for scanning each website page), and their eye movements are fixed with the help of a remote eye tracking device. The third stage is the interview with the participants on their perceptions of the websites.
To fix the eye movements of participants, a remote eye tracking device The Eye Tribe is used because it allows the high scientific control and this device is easy to use for the analysis of the data when it is utilised with the unity software to collect the data (The Eye Tribe 2015; Unity3D 2015). The remote eye tracking device is used to study the number of fixation on AOI; the time to first fixation on AOI; the total dwell time; duration of a fixation; and percentage of participants who focus on AOI. The time is presented in milliseconds for X and Y positions related to fixations. The eye movements will be recorded in screenshots every 5 seconds for each webpage. This approach is important to collect the accurate data.
Summary
The proposed methodology based on the use of the eye tracking device to fix and measure the eye movement of participants depending on their interest in the concrete parts of the website page (AOIs) is directly related to the research problem that is in the little e-commerce websites’ attractiveness and persuasiveness for potential consumers belonging to different backgrounds. Thus, such selected methods as the pre-study questionnaire, the study of eye movement with a remote eye tracker, and the post-study interview are appropriate to determine what visual elements can influence the users as persuasive features and what differences are observed with consumers’ perception of web pages depending on their culture. In order to conclude about the exact answers of the research to the identified problem, it is necessary to focus on the discussion of the proposed solution and interim results of the study.
Proposed Solution and Results
This section discusses the intermediate results of the study, links them with the proposed solution, and states problems to be discussed during the next stages of the project.
The Intermediate Results and Construction of the Solution
Focusing on the interim study results, it is possible to state that the solution to the research problem that is associated with the level of the e-commerce websites’ attractiveness and persuasiveness for potential consumers belonging to different backgrounds depends on adding to the webpage the details for which consumers are usually seeking for while scanning the page and in removing those design details that are ignored by the users (Buscher, Cutrell & Morris 2009). It is important to note that persuasive features are expected to have a different impact on the participants’ perception and attitude. However, at the current stage of the research, it is possible to focus mainly on differences in the participants’ behaviour while using websites for making purchases (Brajnik & Gabrielli 2010).
At the current stage of the study, all the participants are expected fill in consent forms and agree to fill in the background questionnaire. The important pre-study stage is the test of the used eye tracker for collecting the data without the scenario in order to check the accuracy of the received data regarding the number of fixations and their character. It is important to be sure that the device can effectively recorder eyes’ fixations and present the data in milliseconds. Therefore, the preliminary results can be related only to the effectiveness of the selected methods for their further proper application. The first data are available only regarding the first tests of the eye tracker and eye movements related to X and Y positions. According to the data, the users are inclined to focus on web pages containing more visually attractive persuasive features.
Problems to Be Addressed in the Future
During the main stages of the project, it will be important to determine differences in the participants’ backgrounds and their preferences related on the online shopping (the first stage); to determine specific areas on the webpage that can be discussed as persuasive features of the website design that are attractive or ignored by the participants (the second stage); and to compare differences in eye movements and focuses on persuasive features typical for participants with different cultural backgrounds, depending on the study and interview results (the third stage).
Summary
The attention of the user while scanning e-commerce websites depends on a range of factors, including attractiveness and persuasiveness of the web page for potential consumers belonging to different backgrounds. As a result, in order to address differences in the perception of persuasive features typical for diverse users, it is necessary to collect the data on their eye movements accurately, using the proper device. Furthermore, the solution to the problem depends on the choice of persuasive elements to add to the website or remove in order to improve the website’s attractiveness and persuasiveness for diverse users.
Reference List
Bojko, A 2013, Eye tracking the user experience: a practical guide to research, Rosenfeld Media, New York.
Brajnik, G & Gabrielli, S 2010, ‘A review of online advertising effects on the user experience’, International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, vol. 26, no. 10, pp. 971-997.
Buscher, G, Cutrell, E, & Morris, M 2009, What do you see when you’re surfing? Using eye tracking to predict salient regions of web pages, Association for Computing Machinery, New York.
Cooke, L 2008, ‘How do users search web home pages? An eye-tracking study of multiple navigation menus’, Technical Communication, vol. 55, no. 2, pp. 176-194.
Duchowski, A 2003, Eye tracking methodology: theory and practice, Springer-Verlag Ltd, London.
Manhartsberger, M & Zellhofer, N 2005, ‘Eye tracking in usability research: what users really see’, Empowering Software Quality, vol. 198, no. 2, pp.141-152.
Michailidou, E 2014, ‘Towards predicting ad effectiveness via an eye tracking study’, Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol. 8527, no. 1, pp. 670-680.
Pagendarm, M & Schaumburg, H 2001, ‘Why are users banner-blind: the impact of navigation styles on the perception of web banners’, Journal of Digital Information, vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 12-32.
Poole, A & Ball, L n.d., Eye tracking in human-computer interaction and usability research: current status and future prospects, Web.
Prasada, M & Bronnenberg, J 2003, ‘Advertising versus pay-per-view in electronic media’, International Journal of Research in Marketing, vol. 20, no. 1, pp. 13-30.
Ratwani, R & Trafton, G 2011, ‘A real-time eye tracking system for predicting and preventing postcompletion errors’, Human–Computer Interaction, vol. 26, no. 3, pp. 205-245.
The Eye Tribe 2015, Web.
Unity3D 2015, Web.
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