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With the rise of Internet health, online medical platforms play the key role of information bridge and convenient channel in medical service selection. Users tend to rely on doctor images and electronic word-of-mouth evaluations displayed on online medical platforms when selecting medical services. This study aims to explore the impact of facial features displayed on online platforms on users’ offline conversion rate. It will help us understand the psychological mechanism behind users’ decisions from the perspective of the first impression effect. Python was used to collect pictures and information of 7547 doctors from “haodf.com”, a well-known online medical platform in China. Then, we used commercial software to calculate their facial feature values. The results showed that: Appearance attractiveness, smile, and gender of facial displays on online platforms have a significant positive relationship on users’ offline conversion rate. Satisfaction evaluations do not significantly regulate the relationship between appearance attractiveness and smile on users’ offline conversion rate, but have a significant negative moderating effect on the effect of gender. This study emphasizes the importance of the eWOM platform in image management. It also provides a new perspective for optimizing resource allocation and improving service efficiency. It has important theoretical and practical value for further promoting the innovation of online service systems and realizing the seamless connection between online and offline.
Zhang et al. (Wed,) studied this question.