VISUAL QUALITY AND THUMBNAILS: HOW E-COMMERCE PLATFORMS SHAPE CONSUMER PURCHASE BEHAVIOR
DOI:
10.54443/morfai.v5i2.3725Published:
2025-08-02Downloads
Abstract
This study investigates the influence of product visual quality, with a specific focus on product thumbnails, on consumer purchasing behavior across two leading e-commerce platforms in Indonesia. Employing a quantitative methodology using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), data were gathered from 150 active online shoppers in South Sulawesi. The findings demonstrate that product visual quality exerts a significant, direct impact on consumer purchasing behavior, emphasizing that clear and appealing visuals foster consumer trust and mitigate perceived risks. Furthermore, the visual quality of thumbnails not only enhances the perceived value of products but also bolsters the overall credibility of the platform, serving as both informational cues and trust signals. These results corroborate the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) framework, demonstrating that high-quality visual function serves as a stimulus that influences consumer perceptions and purchasing intentions. This research contributes to the expanding body of digital marketing literature by reaffirming that visuals are not merely decorative elements but are essential in motivating online purchasing behaviors. Practical implications advise e-commerce managers to prioritize consistent, high-resolution imagery and an intuitive platform design to sustain consumer confidence and boost sales conversions.
Keywords:
Consumer Behavior, E-Commerce, Product Thumbnails, Product Visual Quality, Purchase IntentionReferences
Ali, R., Wahyu, F. R. M., Darmawan, D., Retnowati, E., & Lestari, U. P. (2022). Effect of Electronic Word of Mouth, Perceived Service Quality and Perceived Usefulness on Alibaba’s Customer Commitment. Journal of Business and Economics Research (JBE), 3(2), Article 2. https://doi.org/10.47065/jbe.v3i2.1763
Amsl, S., Watson, I., Teller, C., & Wood, S. (2023). Presenting products on websites – the importance of information quality criteria for online shoppers. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, 51(9/10), 1213–1238. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJRDM-04-2023-0266
Chen, J., Guo, Z., & Huang, J. (2022). An Economic Analysis of Rebates Conditional on Positive Reviews. Information Systems Research, 33(1), 224–243. https://doi.org/10.1287/isre.2021.1048
Gao, S., & Wu, L. (2025). Understanding Consumer Preferences for Hedonic Furniture: A Push-Pull-Mooring Analysis. Empirical Studies of the Arts, 02762374251320523. https://doi.org/10.1177/02762374251320523
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), Article 8. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15086347
Hair, J. F., Hult, G. T. M., Ringle, C. M., Sarstedt, M., Danks, N. P., & Ray, S. (2021). Evaluation of Reflective Measurement Models. In J. F. Hair Jr., G. T. M. Hult, C. M. Ringle, M. Sarstedt, N. P. Danks, & S. Ray (Eds.), Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) Using R: A Workbook (pp. 75–90). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-80519-7_4
Hair, J. F., Risher, J. J., Sarstedt, M., & Ringle, C. M. (2019). When to use and how to report the results of PLS-SEM. European Business Review, 31(1), 2–24. https://doi.org/10.1108/EBR-11-2018-0203
Henseler, J., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2015). A new criterion for assessing discriminant validity in variance-based structural equation modeling. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 43(1), 115–135. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-014-0403-8
Huang, H. (2025). The Study of Factors Influencing E-commerce Consumers’ Purchasing Decisions | Advances in Economics, Management and Political Sciences. Advances in Economics, Management and Political Sciences. https://doi.org/10.54254/2754-1169/2025.19880
Jabbour Al Maalouf, N., Sayegh, E., Makhoul, W., & Sarkis, N. (2025). Consumers’ attitudes and purchase intentions toward food ordering via online platforms. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 82, 104151. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2024.104151
Jeong, J., Kim, D., Li, X., Li, Q., Choi, I., & Kim, J. (2022). An Empirical Investigation of Personalized Recommendation and Reward Effect on Customer Behavior: A Stimulus–Organism–Response (SOR) Model Perspective. Sustainability, 14(22), Article 22. https://doi.org/10.3390/su142215369
Kridaningsih, A. (2023). Penentu Utama Keputusan Pembelian: Evaluasi Kualitas Produk dan Daya Tarik Visual Kemasan Minuman. Journal of Trends Economics and Accounting Research, 4(2), Article 2. https://doi.org/10.47065/jtear.v4i2.1006
Li, M., Wang, Q., & Cao, Y. (2022). Understanding Consumer Online Impulse Buying in Live Streaming E-Commerce: A Stimulus-Organism-Response Framework. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(7), Article 7. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19074378
Li, X., Wang, M., & Chen, Y. (2014, January). The impact of product photo on online consumer purchase intention: An image-processing enabled empirical study. ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/287267271_The_impact_of_product_photo_on_online_consumer_purchase_intention_An_image-processing_enabled_empirical_study
Liu, C., Samsudin, M. R., & Zou, Y. (2025). The Impact of Visual Elements of Packaging Design on Purchase Intention: Brand Experience as a Mediator in the Tea Bag Product Category. Behavioral Sciences, 15(2), Article 2. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15020181
Loebbecke, C., Obeng-Antwi, A., Boboschko, I., & Cremer, S. (2024). Towards AI-based thumbnail design for fostering consumption on digital media platforms. International Journal of Information Management, 78, 102801. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2024.102801
MasterClass. (2023). How to Keep Cake Moist: 8 Cake Baking Tips. https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-keep-cake-moist
Nasti, N., Lubis, A. H., & Ms, A. R. (2024). Analysis of the Influence of Consumer Behavior on Purchasing Decisions in the E-Commerce Industry. International Journal of Economics (IJEC), 3(2), 870–875. https://doi.org/10.55299/ijec.v3i2.996
Preacher, K. J., & Hayes, A. F. (2008). Asymptotic and resampling strategies for assessing and comparing indirect effects in multiple mediator models. Behavior Research Methods, 40(3), 879–891. https://doi.org/10.3758/BRM.40.3.879
Riswanto, A. L., Kim, S., Williady, A., Ha, Y., & Kim, H.-S. (2025). How Visual Design in Dairy Packaging Affects Consumer Attention and Decision-Making. Dairy, 6(1), 4. https://doi.org/10.3390/dairy6010004
Tang, R., Cui, X., & Inoue, Y. (2025). Relationship Between Visual Marketing Elements and Consumer Satisfaction. Platforms, 3(1), Article 1. https://doi.org/10.3390/platforms3010005
Wang, C., Liu, T., Zhu, Y., Wang, H., Wang, X., & Zhao, S. (2023). The influence of consumer perception on purchase intention: Evidence from cross-border E-commerce platforms. Heliyon, 9(11), e21617. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e21617
Xiong, R. (2023). Application of Brand Visual Design in E-Commerce. 86–92. https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-122-7_14
Yang, X., Su, X., Lin, J., Liu, J., Miao, M., & Jiang, Y. (2024). How Do We Engage Customers in Official Activity in the Virtual Brand Community? The Effects of Enterprise-Generated Contents on Customer Engagement Behaviors. Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research, 19(4), Article 4. https://doi.org/10.3390/jtaer19040171
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Jazzlynne Kenzie Santoso, Hajar, Whitney Laurens, Putri Cahyati, Nivi Fictorianus, Michael Ricky Sondak
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Downloads
How to Cite
