Effects of 3-D Visualization on Persuasion in Online Shopping Sites: A Moderating Role of Product Knowledge

The use of a three-dimensional (3-D) visualization in commercial Websites has been growing. In order to better understand the influences of this technology on marketing, a laboratory experiment (n=104) was conducted to examine the effects of visualization type (3-D vs. 2-D) and prior product knowledge (low vs. high) on persuasion. The results indicate that 3-D visualization positively influences attitude, and this relationship was found to be greater for novices than experts. Furthermore, a consumer’s sense of presence was found to mediate the effects of product visualization type on persuasion as previously postulated. These findings and future implications for developing effecting online marketing strategies are discussed