Abstract :
This article explores the associations that message features
and Web structural features have with perceptions
of Web site credibility. In a within-subjects experiment,
84 participants actively located health-related Web sites
on the basis of two tasks that differed in task specificity
and complexity. Web sites that were deemed most credible
were content analyzed for message features and
structural features that have been found to be associated
with perceptions of source credibility. Regression analyses
indicated that message features predicted perceived
Web site credibility for both searches when controlling
for Internet experience and issue involvement. Advertisements
and structural features had no significant
effects on perceived Web site credibility. Institutionaffiliated
domain names (.gov, .org, .edu) predicted Web
site credibility, but only in the general search, which was
more difficult. Implications of results are discussed in
terms of online credibility research and Web site design.
