Purpose: The present study aimed to examine the role of website design, product pictures, and their qualities in facilitating the online shopping experience for consumers. The world economy has moved its paradigm from a manufacturing to a service-driven economy, where international market dynamics, changing consumer expectations, and technological advancements have led to cut-throat competition and complexities, especially in the online shopping domain. The current study, therefore, aimed to evaluate the effect of website design quality and high-quality product images on consumers’ trust, e-satisfaction, and online shoppers’ pleasure.Design/Methodology/Approach : A structured questionnaire was administered using quota sampling to collect primary data from 220 customers from Delhi and Gurugram. Customers frequently use e-commerce websites (Flipkart, Amazon, Meesho, and Myntra) to shop online. In India, a pilot study was first performed to ensure the questionnaire’s reliability.

Findings: We found that product image quality and website design quality significantly improved e-satisfaction, which in turn affected user shopping loyalty. The findings suggested that the quality of product images alone had a significant impact on e-satisfaction, highlighting the importance of visual appeal in stimulating positive consumer responses.Practical

Implications: Using the study’s findings and the impact of different variables on customer trust and e-satisfaction, marketers were able to develop strategies that emphasized multicultural marketplaces.Originality/

Value: Unlike prior research, the current study established the foundation for understanding changing customer preferences regarding visual appeals and their dimensions in affecting customer loyalty toward websites.

1. Al-Adwan, A. S., Kokash, H., Adwan, A. A., Alhorani, A., & Yaseen, H. (2020). Building customer loyalty in online shopping: The role of online Trust, online satisfaction and electronic word of mouth. International Journal of Electronic Marketing and Retailing, 11(3), 278–306. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJEMR.2020.108132
2. Alam, S. S., & Yasin, N. M. (2010). An investigation into the antecedents of customer satisfaction of online shopping. Journal of Marketing Development and Competitiveness, 5(1), 71–78. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/266495477
3. Alsharif, A. H., Md Salleh, N. Z., Al-Zahrani, S. A., & Khraiwish, A. (2022). Consumer behaviour to be considered in advertising: A systematic analysis and future agenda. Behavioral Sciences, 12(12), 472. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs12120472
4. Bao, Z., & Huang, T. (2018). Exploring stickiness intention of B2C online shopping malls: A perspective from information quality. International Journal of Web Information Systems, 14(2), 177–192. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJWIS-10-2017-0071
5. Beronius, G., & Andrén, S. (2017). E-commerce web design: The importance of a first impression (Doctoral dissertation, University of Boras).
6. Bleier, A., Harmeling, C. M., & Palmatier, R. W. (2018). Creating effective online customer experiences. Journal of Marketing, 83(2), 98–119. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022242918809930
7. Bulsara, H. P., & Vaghela, P. S. (2022). Millennials' online purchase intention towards consumer electronics: Empirical evidence from India. Indian Journal of Marketing, 52(2), 53–70. https://doi.org/10.17010/ijom/2022/v52/i2/168154
8. Chi, T. (2018). Mobile commerce website success: Antecedents of consumer satisfaction and purchase intention. Journal of Internet Commerce, 17(3), 189–215. https://doi.org/10.1080/15332861.2018.1451970
9. Chi, T., & Sullivan, Q. (2018). How website quality affects apparel mobile commerce consumer satisfaction and intent to purchase? A study of Chinese consumers. In Y. Xu, T. Chi, & J. Su (eds.), Chinese consumers and the fashion market (pp. 49–71). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-8429-4_3
10. Chincholkar, S., & Sonwaney, V. (2022). How demographic factors impact consumers' product choice during online shopping: An empirical study of Tier-III markets. Indian Journal of Marketing, 52(2), 34–52. https://doi.org/10.17010/ijom/2022/v52/i2/168153
11. Dendi, Ramanda, & Firmansyah, W. R. (2023). The influence of online video content on TikTok shop consumer behavior. Journal of Public Relations and Digital Communication, 1(1), 28–35. https://doi.org/10.24967/jprdc.v1i01.2502
12. Eneizan, B., Alsaad, A., Alkhawaldeh, A., Rawash, H. N., & Enaizan, O. (2020). E-wom, trust, usefulness, ease of use, and online shopping via websites: The moderating role of online shopping experience. Journal of Theoretical and Applied Information Technology, 98(13), 2554–2565. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/342956998
13. Fadhillah, A., Zebua, Y., & Prayoga, Y. (2021). Analysis of information quality, trust and satisfaction on customer participation (Case study on customer online shop Shopee in Rantauprapat). Budapest International Research and Critics Institute-Journal, 4(2), 3039–3051. https://doi.org/10.33258/birci.v4i2.2010
14. Fimberg, K., & Sousa, S. (2020). The impact of website design on users' trust. In Proceedings of the 11th Nordic Conference on Human-Computer Interaction: Shaping Experiences, Shaping Society (Article no. 114, pp. 1–5). ACM Digital Library. https://doi.org/10.1145/3419249.3420086
15. Guo, J., Zhang, W., & Xia, T. (2023). Impact of shopping website design on customer satisfaction and loyalty: The mediating role of usability and the moderating role of trust. Sustainability, 15(8), 6347. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15086347
16. Kumar, R., & Kaushal, S. K. (2019). A study of factors affecting consumer behaviour towards electronic durable goods. Indian Journal of Marketing, 49(7), 35–48. https://doi.org/10.17010/ijom/2019/v49/i7/145403
17. Lazaris, C., Sarantopoulos, P., Vrechopoulos, A., & Doukidis, G. (2021). Effects of increased omnichannel integration on customer satisfaction and loyalty intentions. International Journal of Electronic Commerce, 25(4), 440–468. https://doi.org/10.1080/10864415.2021.1967005
18. Lee, S. S., Chen, H., & Lee, Y.-H. (2022). How endorser-product congruity and self-expressiveness affect Instagram micro-celebrities' native advertising effectiveness. Journal of Product & Brand Management, 31(1), 149–162. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPBM-02-2020-2757
19. Ltifi, M., & Gharbi, J. E. (2012). E-satisfaction and e-loyalty of consumers shopping online. Journal of Internet Banking and Commerce, 17(1), 1–20. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/287951671
20. Madiawati, P. N., Pradana, M., Sulistijono, S., Hidayat, A. M., & Wahyuddin, S. (2020). Customers' satisfaction of online shopping measured by information quality and trust factors. International Journal of Management, 11(8), 1094–1105. https://doi.org/10.34218/IJM.11.8.2020.098
21. Mehta, N., & Chugan, P. K. (2018). Impact of visual merchandising on consumer perception of electronics products and usage of technology. SSRN. https://ssrn.com/abstract=3114237
22. Mofokeng, T. E. (2021). The impact of online shopping attributes on customer satisfaction and loyalty: Moderating effects of e-commerce experience. Cogent Business & Management, 8(1), Article ID 1968206. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2021.1968206
23. Omar, S., Mohsen, K., Tsimonis, G., Oozeerally, A., & Hsu, J.-H. (2021). M-commerce: The nexus between mobile shopping service quality and loyalty. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 60, Article ID 102468. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2021.102468
24. Payne, E. M., Peltier, J. W., & Barger, V. A. (2017). Omni-channel marketing, integrated marketing communications and consumer engagement: A research agenda. Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing, 11(2), 185–197. https://doi.org/10.1108/JRIM-08-2016-0091
25. Qalati, S. A., Vela, E. G., Li, W., Dakhan, S. A., Thuy, T. T., & Merani, S. H. (2021). Effects of perceived service quality, website quality, and reputation on purchase intention: The mediating and moderating roles of Trust and perceived risk in online shopping. Cogent Business & Management, 8(1), Article ID 1869363. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2020.1869363
26. Rosário, A., & Raimundo, R. (2021). Consumer marketing strategy and e-commerce in the last decade: A literature review. Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research, 16(7), 3003–3024. https://doi.org/10.3390/jtaer16070164
27. Sharma, R., & Sachdeva, K. (2022). Essential elements for digital merchandising portals in retail: A review based study. International Journal of Business Research and Excellence, 1–23. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/362871244
28. Singh, A., & Verma, P. (2017). Investigating the nexus of corporate social responsibility and brand equity: A systematic review. Prabandhan: Indian Journal of Management, 10(2), 7–25. https://doi.org/10.17010/pijom/2017/v10i2/110625
29. Srisathan, W. A., Ketkaew, C., Jantuma, N., & Naruetharadhol, P. (2024). Trust and website conversion in consumer responses to green product purchasing: A new perspective through the lens of innovative website design's technology integration. Heliyon, 10(1), Article ID e23764. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e23764
30. Srivastava, R., Gupta, P., Kumar, H., & Tuli, N. (2023). Digital customer engagement: A systematic literature review and research agenda. Australian Journal of Management, 50(1), 220–245. https://doi.org/10.1177/03128962231177096
31. Suhendar, U., & Ruswanti, E. (2019). Effect of product quality, perception of price and satisfaction to customer loyalty (study on Agroindustrial Company in Indonesia). International Journal of Economics, Commerce and Management, 7(3), 23–33. https://ijecm.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/732.pdf
32. Suurmaa, P. (2021). The impact of website design on e-loyalty through customers' trust and satisfaction (Doctoral dissertation, Aalto University). School of Business. https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:aalto-202110059483
33. Szulc, R., & Musielak, K. (2022). Product photography in product attractiveness perception and e-commerce customer purchase decisions. Scientific Papers of Silesian University of Technology, 783–796. https://doi.org/10.29119/1641-3466.2022.166.49
34. Venkatakrishnan, J., Alagiriswamy, R., & Parayitam, S. (2023). Web design and trust are moderators in the relationship between e-service quality, customer satisfaction, and customer loyalty. The TQM Journal, 35(8), 2455–2484. https://doi.org/10.1108/TQM-10-2022-0298
35. Vijay, T. S., Prashar, S., & Sahay, V. (2019). The influence of online shopping values and web atmospheric cues on e-loyalty: Mediating role of e-satisfaction. Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research, 14(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.4067/S0718-18762019000100102
36. Wooton, I., & Cui, Z. (2022). The effect of online advertising on consumer buying interest in online selling applications with customer satisfaction as an intervening variable (Study from Member of United Kingdom Medical Doctor Department). Medalion Journal: Medical Research, Nursing, Health and Midwife Participation, 3(3), 82–100. https://doi.org/10.59733/medalion.v3i3.21