Website fit: an overview

Abstract

Designing a website using a standard user interface without taking into consideration cultural differences may need to be relooked. A country such as Malaysia, who has a multi-racial population composition, may need more innovative web designs that could fulfill the preferences of its diverse online users. While there are many discussions on this issue, empirical investigation on the linkage between culture and web design is quite limited. Therefore, this paper attempts to fulfill this gap by proposing a study on this topic. After reviewing the related literature, we proposed a research model in which we hypothesized that culture affects individuals’ preference of interface design. Moreover, we hypothesized that cultural markers and cultural dimensions in a website interface that fit with users’ cultural dimensions will affect website usability and later their experience. Methodology and conclusion are also discussed.