Analyzing Customers' Behaviors with Approach of Measuring Visual Attention of Users to Websites Banner Advertising

Since a large budge is spent on advertisements that lack effectiveness, important elements should be investigated in order to increase the effectiveness of advertisements and avoid wasting expenditure. Reviewing the models of customers' buying behavior shows that customers' attraction is a key issue in attracting customers. With regard to the impact of banner advertising on customers' buying behavior, the purpose of this study is measuring the effect of personalization of banner advertising on visual attention to the advertisement. A 2(advertisement type)×2(task cognitive demand) matrix was used for exploring this relationship. 80 people participated in this test to measure the way by which the personalized information affects visual attention in two levels of task cognitive demand. These effects on participants' attitude toward advertisement were measured. In this research, visual attention, attitude toward advertisement and perceived goal impediment are dependent variables and personalization and cognitive demand are independent variables. Eye tracking device was used for collecting data about visual attention and questionnaire was used for measuring attitude and perceived goal impediment and two-way ANOVA was applied for measuring the relationship between dependent and independent variables. Findings show that participants pay more and longer attention to personalized advertisements in comparison to impersonalized advertisements. However, task cognitive demand mediates the effect of personalization on attention. There is no significant effect between personalization and task cognitive demand on perceived goal impediment and attitude toward advertisement.