Content, usability, and aesthetics are core constructs in users' perception and evaluation of websites, but little is known about their interplay in different use phases. In a first study web users (N=330) stated content as most relevant, followed by usability and aesthetics. In study 2 tests with four websites were performed (N=300), resulting data were modeled in path analyses. In this model aesthetics had the largest influence on first impressions, while all three constructs had an impact on first and overall impressions. However, only content contributed significantly to the intention to revisit or recommend a website. Using data from a third study (N=512, 42 websites), we were able to replicate this model. As before, perceived usability affected first and overall impressions, while content perception was important for all analyzed website use phases. In addition, aesthetics also had a small but significant impact on the participants' intentions to revisit or recommend.

The current study investigates how different types of company website designs influence first impressions, aesthetic evaluations, and memory performance. We implemented an online study with a between-subjects design to examine differences between three design categories identified by ten experts in a pretest: SCOFA (strong colours of one colour family), LAPIC (large pictures), and SAPAT (same amount of pictures and text). The data of 458 participants (52.2% female) reveal that a) after an exposure time of five seconds, response times for website-related attributes differ between the categories, b) LAPIC and SAPAT are perceived as more aesthetic than SCOFA, c) memory performance is best on SAPAT sites. These results underline the importance of first impressions of a site's appearance and provide practical guidance for web designers by showing what users associate with certain designs, which designs they prefer, and which sites are the most memorable.

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