Permanent link for Research Review: "Determinants of Choosing an Online Cosmetics Store: An Eye-Tracking Study on the Impact of Website Aesthetics on Purchase Decisions" on March 10, 2025

Calling all beauty gurus and online shoppers! If you’re a makeup enthusiast, you’ve likely spent some time browsing websites looking for an eyeshadow pallet or lip duo. When browsing, do you find some websites easier to use than others? Are there some websites that you end up purchasing from more often? This publication answered those questions, using eye-tracking biometrics to determine best cosmetic-website practices.

How the study was conducted:

This study was conducted by taking 34 participants aged 18-55 who regularly use makeup and shop online. The following steps were taken to gather data:

1. Each participant browsed three websites selling cosmetics. Each site had brand info, product descriptions, and prices, FAQ sections, and a contact form.
   • Sample page 1 had a white background and pink accents
   • Sample page 2 had a light background and red accents
   • Sample page 3 had a dark background
2. They were asked to find the “mascara” category and review content on the page
3. Subjects were asked to find a specific mascara product and add it to the shopping cart
4. They were then asked to add a comment to the order
5. After completing these tasks, they were tasked with finding brand information about one of the makeup companies hosted on the site

Researchers then studied the time spent in each Area of Interest (AOIs), Time to First Fixation (TTFF), revisit count, total number of fixations, and fixation duration. They reviewed this data in conjunction with a survey provided to all participants.

Findings

Survey Results

• Website appearance impacts purchasing decisions, with pink predominantly being associated with makeup, and light/dark color schemes with small amounts of accent colors being preferred. Participants also stated that red, orange, and yellow would have a negative impact on their perception of the site.
• Respondents prefer to shop on familiar websites or sites promoted on social media.
• When choosing a site, product prices, reviews, and promotions are the primary consideration factors

Eye Tracking Results

• Sample Page 1 was the most intuitive to navigate, but adding more contrast to action buttons such as “add to cart” would enhance optimization.
• Sample Page 2 attracted visitors to the promotional section, but the flashy colors made for poor visibility.
• Sample Page 3 was reportedly aesthetically appealing, but required better button distinction and content organization.

Overall, the combination of eye-tracking tech and surveying methods identified the following:

“Participants spent the most time on elements that were aesthetically pleasing and easy to locate, as well as on pages with a cohesive color scheme and intuitive layout. Pages with a light color scheme and clearly distinguished product categories were rated higher, confirming that simplicity and layout clarity have a significant impact on user engagement and purchasing intent.

Specifically, it was noted that pages with a dark color scheme, despite their elegance, were less effective at engaging users, who often returned their gaze to previously visited elements, suggesting navigation issues. Furthermore, the analysis of metrics such as average time spent on the page and the number of fixations indicates a direct correlation between the ease of finding information and purchasing decisions.” (Mateja, Et al., 2024).

What does this mean for us:

• It is important to consider website aesthetics and usability as well as social media presence when working with a cosmetics website
• Considering layout and color-scheme are critical in website design to optimize goals
• A/B testing regularly on a site is a great way to continue optimization, in addition to using heatmaps to review eye movement (Mateja, Et al., 2024).

Fun Facts

• The researchers used the Tobii Pro X3-120 eye tracker, which is the same brand of eye tracker that GVSU’s AdPR Biometrics Lab uses
• The mascara that study participants looked for was the Eveline Cosmetics Variete mascara
• 34 participants is a fairly standardized sample size for UX eye-tracking research, as cited in the article

To learn more about eye tracking in advertising, marketing, graphic design, and web design, check out our other blog articles at gvsu.edu/soc/biometrics

To learn more about this study and see the sample websites created, you can access the full article here.

Adrianna Mateja, Patryk Wlekly (2024). Determinants of Choosing an Online Cosmetics Store: An Eye-Tracking Study on the Impact of Website Aesthetics on Purchase Decisions, European Research Studies Journal Volume XXVII Special Issue B, 826-847

Categories: Biometrics Research
Posted by Georgia Hessel on Permanent link for Research Review: "Determinants of Choosing an Online Cosmetics Store: An Eye-Tracking Study on the Impact of Website Aesthetics on Purchase Decisions" on March 10, 2025.