Arūnas Gudinavičius, Andrius Šuminas. Vilnius University Presentation at the International Book Science Conference "The minority book: historical experiences and modern expressions in the global world". Vilnius University, Lithuanian Academy of Sciences, Vilnius, 24–25 September 2015.

1. The analysis of online
bookshop consumer groups
behavior differences
RESEARCHERS: ARŪNAS GUDINAVIČIUS, ANDRIUS ŠUMINAS
DATA COLLECTORS: JUSTINAS ČERVOKAS, INGRIDA KUORYTĖ
VILNIUS UNIVERSITY

2. 1 new ebook title every 1 minute
(just on Amazon)

3. Aim and tasks
Aim: to find out how different age groups and sexes of readers are
choosing books by its covers on internet bookstores
Tasks:
• Find differences on book cover selection between men and
women, age groups (18-35, 36-55, over 56) on:
• colors,
• graphics,
• decision speed,
• looking at cover time,
• browsing strategies

4. Methodology

5. Cover selection principles: colors, graphics
and not bestsellers
Colours:
• Two covers in each primary colors: red, yellow, and blue.
• Two covers in each secondary colors: orange, green, and violet (purple).
• Two covers in white and black colors.
• Two multicolored covers.
Graphics:
• Two different kinds of graphic: computer graphic (line art, painting, etc.)
and photorealistic graphic (humans, faces, landscapes, etc.);
• Men, woman, children, nature landscapes inluded;
Other:
• Not bestsellers: the authors are little known (subjectively);
• Books in Lithuanian language (original or translations).

6. Selected covers

7. Data collection equipment
Mobile eye tracking laboratory:
• eye tracking equipment (Tobii X2-30 Eye Tracker)
• eye tracking software (Tobii Studio 3.2)

8. Measures
• time to first fixation
• fixation count
• mouse click count

9. Research duration and locations
Work with the respondents: June 2015
180 respondents
Locations:
• Bookstore Didysis Pegasas. PC
AKROPOLIS, Ozo g. 25, Vilnius (48
hours)
• Vilnius County Adomas Mickevicius
Public Library, Trakų st. 10, Vilnius (30
hours)

10. Findings (1/2)
DECISION TIME, AVERAGE LOOKING AT BOOK COVER TIME , WHICH COVER
SEEN FIRST AND THE REASONS OF BOOK COVER CHOOSING

11. Respondent portrait
• 3,2 books read in past 6 months
• 1,4 books bought at traditional bookstores in past 6 months
• 2,3 books bought at supermarkets in past 6 months
• 1,6 books bought at internet bookstores in past 6 months
• 2,6 books borrowed at libraries in past 6 months

12. Women and age group 18-35 decide faster
Average time to decision
42,98
39,16
27,53
39,04
34,07
36,56
0,00 5,00 10,00 15,00 20,00 25,00 30,00 35,00 40,00 45,00 50,00
Age 56+
Age 36-55
Age 18-35
Men
Women
All

13. Men and age group 36-55 are looking longer
Average looking at book cover time (sec.)
1,14
1,63
1,14
1,44
1,17
1,30
0,00 0,20 0,40 0,60 0,80 1,00 1,20 1,40 1,60 1,80
Age 56+
Age 36-55
Age 18-35
Men
Women
All

14. Average looking at book cover time:
Women – 1,17; Men – 1,44; all – 1,30 sec.
MW Men
12%
MW Men
12%
MW Women
10%
MW Men
12%
MW Women
12%
MW Women
11%
LW Men
1%
MW Women
10%
W: 1,42 W: 1,51 W: 1,54 W: 0,96 W: 1,09 W: 1,08
M: 1,57 M: 2,20 M: 1,75 M: 1,38 M: 1,30 M: 1,51
W: 1,21 W: 1,26 W: 1,34 W: 1,20 W: 1,13 W: 0,99
M: 1,63 M: 1,68 M: 1,25 M: 1,06 M: 1,40 M: 1,29
W: 0,93 W: 1,02 W: 1,22 W: 1,23 W: 1,04 W: 0,84
M: 1,23 M: 1,10 M: 1,31 M: 1,50 M: 1,15 M: 1,56
M – Men, W – Women, MW – most wanted cover, LW – less wanted cover, green – best results, red – worst results
LW Women
1%
LW Women
1%
LW Men
1%
LW Women
1%
LW Men
1%
LW Women
2%
LW Men
1%
MW Men
9%

15. Which cover seen first?
Average time on cover first fixation
MW Men
12%
MW Men
12%
MW Women
10%
MW Men
12%
MW Women
12%
MW Women
11%
LW Men
1%
MW Women
10%
W: 1,42 W: 1,51 W: 1,54 W: 0,96 W: 1,09 W: 1,08
M: 1,57 M: 2,20 M: 1,75 M: 1,38 M: 1,30 M: 1,51
W: 1,21 W: 1,26 W: 1,34 W: 1,20 W: 1,13 W: 0,99
M: 1,63 M: 1,68 M: 1,25 M: 1,06 M: 1,40 M: 1,29
W: 0,93 W: 1,02 W: 1,22 W: 1,23 W: 1,04 W: 0,84
M: 1,23 M: 1,10 M: 1,31 M: 1,50 M: 1,15 M: 1,56
M – Men, W – Women, MW – most wanted cover, LW – less wanted cover, green – best results, red – worst results
LW Women
1%
LW Women
1%
LW Men
1%
LW Women
1%
LW Men
1%
LW Women
2%
LW Men
1%
MW Men
9%

16. Why did you selected this book?
(women vs men)
1
3
7
16
20
43
0
3
8
9
22
48
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Friend recommendation
Seen in advertisement
Known author
Other
Nice cover
Attractive title
Men Woman

17. Why did you selected this book?
(age groups)
0
2
11
10
11
26
1
1
2
9
13
34
0
3
2
6
18
31
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
Friend recommendation
Seen in advertisement
Known author
Other
Nice cover
Attractive title
Age 18-35 Age 36-55 Age 56+

18. Findings (2/2)
WARM VS COOL COLOR PREFERENCES, PHOTOREALISTIC VS GRAPHIC STYLES
PREFERENCES AND BROWSING STRATEGIES

19. Warm and cool colors:
men prefer warm, women – cool color covers
1-2
1-3
1-4
1-5
2-1
2-2
2-4
1-1
2-5
2-6
3-2
3-3
3-5
3-6
WHITE: 1-6, 2-3 BLACK: 3-1, 3-4
Warm, % Cool, %
All 51% 49%
Women 46% 54%
Men 55% 45%

20. Warm and cool colors:
changing preferences with age
1-2
1-3
1-4
1-5
2-1
2-2
2-4
1-1
2-5
2-6
3-2
3-3
3-5
3-6
WHITE: 1-6, 2-3 BLACK: 3-1, 3-4
Women
& men
Warm, % Cool, %
Age 18-35 38% 62%
Age 36-55 52% 48%
Age 56+ 60% 40%

21. Warm and cool colors:
changing preferences with age
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Age 18-35 Age 36-55 Age 56+
Women
Warm Cool
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Age 18-35 Age 36-55 Age 56+
Men
Warm Cool
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Age 18-35 Age 36-55 Age 56+
All (women & men)
Warm Cool

22. Photorealism vs stylized:
changing preferences with age
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Age 18-35 Age 36-55 Age 56+
Women
Photorealism Stylized
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Age 18-35 Age 36-55 Age 56+
Men
Photorealism Stylized
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Age 18-35 Age 36-55 Age 56+
All (women & men)
Photorealism Stylized

23. Younger are looking more focused (age 18-35)

24. Younger are looking more focused (age 36-55)

25. Younger are looking more focused (age 56+)

26. Selecting strategies: cover IS NOT important

27. Selecting strategies: cover IS important

28. Selecting strategies: thorough and chaotic

29. Selecting strategies: fast and consistent

30. Conclusions
• It takes 15% more time to decide on book cover for men then for women
• Men are looking (fixation time) into book cover 23% more time then
women
• It takes 42% more time to decide on book cover for age group 36-55
then 18-35. And for age 56+ takes 10% more time then 36-55.
• Age group 36-55 was looking (fixation time) at book covers 30% more
time then 18-35 or 55+

31. Conclusions
• Women are looking 10% longer to the most wanted covers (to compare
with average time)
• Men are looking 1% longer to the most wanted covers
• Both (women and men) are looking 12-14% shorter to the least wanted
covers
• The place of cover (in 3 rows and 6 columns grid) is not important for
choosing cover the user want when choosing duration is managed by
user itself.

32. Conclusions
• Women at younger age (18-35) much more prefer cool book cover
colors, but at the age 36+ the difference almost disappears.
• Men at younger age (18-55) almost has no preference between warm
and cool color book covers. At the age 56+ much more men prefer
warm colors.
• In all age groups women likes a little bit more cool colors (54%) and men
likes more warm colors (55%).
• Men at younger ages (18-55) prefer stylized book cover. This changes in
56+ age group to 60% photorealistic covers preference.
• Women has modest photorealistic style book covers preference over
stylized at all age groups and this preference reveals at 56+ age group
up to 57%.

33. Conclusions
• Few browsing strategies can be identified:
• cover IS NOT important vs cover IS important
• thorough and chaotic vs fast and consistent
• The research should be continued on investigating the reasons of book
selecting behavior, motives and browsing strategies

34. The analysis of online
bookshop consumer groups
behavior differences
RESEARCHERS: ARŪNAS GUDINAVIČIUS, ANDRIUS ŠUMINAS
DATA COLLECTORS: JUSTINAS ČERVOKAS, INGRIDA KUORYTĖ
VILNIUS UNIVERSITY