Halo effect
One strong positive impression colours judgement of other, unrelated qualities.
Three of the eight page areas.
It also applies sitewide, on every page. See everything at work on Homepage pages
Three ways to use it, and one to avoid.
- Lead with the strongest genuine asset, such as an award, a hero product or a standout review.
- Keep design and photography quality consistent across the site.
- Hold copy to the same standard, since first impressions of the page carry over to judgements of the products.
- Avoid: displaying a trust or quality mark without authorisation, which is a banned practice under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024.
Halo in ratings has been found repeatedly. Its use on websites is inferred.
A warm manner raised ratings of unrelated traits without people noticing.
Halo in ratings has been found repeatedly since Thorndike. Nisbett and Wilson showed a warm manner raised ratings of unrelated traits without people noticing. Beckwith and Lehmann found overall liking shaped attribute ratings in consumer attitude models. No ecommerce field evidence found; the web use is inferred from laboratory and survey work.
Four sources, each checked.
Last reviewed
Awards, trust marks and endorsements must be genuine and authorised. Displaying a trust or quality mark without authorisation is a banned practice under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (Schedule 20) and breaches the CAP Code.
This is simply a pointer to check, not legal advice. Seek legal advice before you put this principle into action.