Study Results

The study showed that consumers and experts differed greatly in the criteria they used to evaluate a site. Specifically:

• Consumers primarily used as their key criteria design and visual appeal, including layout, typography, and color schemes
• Experts primarily used as their key criteria the quality of information, such as information focus, company motive, information bias, and name reputation
• Finance experts looked for a range of unbiased educational information and research and disliked sites with a clear company motive or information bias
• Health experts looked for reputable sources, such as names and credentials of content authors