An Evaluation of Hotel Websites’ Persuasive Characteristics: A Segmentation of Four–Star Hotels in Greece

Author(s):  
Konstantinos Koronios ◽  
Lazaros Ntasis ◽  
Panagiotis Dimitropoulos ◽  
John Douvis ◽  
Genovefa Manousaridou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
2014 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-60
Author(s):  
Ljudevit Pranić ◽  
Daniela Garbin Praničević ◽  
Josip Arnerić

The Purpose – An evaluation of 197 hotel websites in Croatia was conducted to determine whether hotels in this economically lagging transition country exploit the potentials of the Internet as a marketing tool. Design/Methodology/Approach – A team of 30 trained assistants evaluated the websites using an amended modified Balanced Scorecard (mBSC) approach from the user-friendliness, site attractiveness, marketing effectiveness, and F&B informativeness perspectives. MANOVA was used to test main and interaction effects of hotel size, quality rating, and location on four website performance perspectives. Findings – Although hoteliers recognize the importance of online presence, most are not effectively using websites from the user-friendliness, marketing effectiveness, and F&B perspectives. Hotel quality rating, location, and their two-way interaction are significant in explaining differences in site attractiveness and marketing effectiveness. Hotel size does not explain the differences among the four website perspectives. Originality – In lieu of the rapidly evolving IT and consumer trends, this study provides hoteliers with an updated website assessment tool that can serve as a point of comparison against contemporary e-marketing approaches. Moreover, since tourism website evaluation is an under researched topic in transition economies, this article makes a contribution in the needed direction. The study ends with a discussion of results and implications for hoteliers, policy makers, and scholars.


2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 347-365 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Brochado ◽  
Paulo Rita ◽  
Ana Margarido

Purpose This paper presents an analysis of the impact of current technologies on customer experiences in upscale hotels and assesses the potential of the latest technologies for enhancing customers’ stay. Design/methodology/approach A two-step approach was applied in this study. The qualitative phase included an examination of upscale hotel websites, interviews with hotel managers and an internet search regarding the latest technological innovations in hotels. In the quantitative stage, a questionnaire was developed for hotel guests, generating a sample of 310 valid completed questionnaires. Findings The results reveal that hotel guests value digital involvement in their hotel experience. Moreover, business travellers and younger generations give greater importance to latest technologies. Originality/value This study analyses the most innovative technologies, providing guidance for hoteliers wishing to upgrade or implement new technologies. Based on the findings, hoteliers can achieve greater differentiation by offering the most important and latest technology to guests, enhancing their experience and attracting new customers, which can potentially lead to increased revenues. The study’s results are also important because they include the perceptions of both managers and customers.


2012 ◽  
Vol 54 (1) ◽  
pp. 38-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edmond H. C. Wu ◽  
Rob Law ◽  
Brianda Jiang

A study of the online browsing and purchasing habits of some 1,400 outbound travelers in Hong Kong demonstrates the analytical power of weight-of-evidence (WOE) data mining. The WOE approach allows analysts to identify and transform the variables with the most predictive power regarding the likelihood of tourists’ online preferences and decisions. The study found that just over one-third of the respondents browsed hotel-related websites, and about half of those browsers had booked a room on those sites. Browsers in Hong Kong tended to be young, well educated, and well traveled. Those who used the hotel websites for purchases were, of course, part of the browser group, and were likewise relatively well educated. However, one unexpected variable set off those who used the websites for a hotel purchase, the length of their most recent trip. One possible reason is that long-haul tourists want to be sure of their accommodations, or this may reflect hotels’ free-night offers. The convenient use of model-based customer segmentation and decision rules would help hospitality practitioners effectively manage their marketing resources and activities, and enhance information-based marketing strategies to attract target customers.


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 3747-3765
Author(s):  
Rahmi Baki

Purpose The purpose of this study is to develop a useful, effective and comprehensive approach to facilitate the evaluation of hotel websites. Design/methodology/approach The paper examines the literature evaluating e-commerce sites, particularly that is focused on hotel, tourism and travel. Moreover, 5 criteria and 19 sub-criteria are identified, and a two-step method is proposed for the assessment of hotel websites whereby the global weights of the proposed criteria are determined by the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process, and hotel websites are ranked through the fuzzy technique for order preference by similarity to ideal situation. Findings The results show that the leading criteria to effectively evaluate hotel websites are trust and information quality and that the most important sub-criteria are special discounts, assurance and reservation information. Practical implications This research offers practical advice to increase understanding of the determinants of an effective hotel website so that appropriate strategies can be developed to convert a website visitor into a customer. Originality/value The study aims to contribute to businesses operating in the tourism sector which seeks to increase the effectiveness of their websites by identifying criteria and proposing a methodology for hotel website evaluation.


2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 129-159
Author(s):  
Gomaa M. Agag ◽  
Mohamed A. Khashan ◽  
Nazan Colmekcioglu ◽  
Ahmed Almamy ◽  
Nawaf S. Alharbi ◽  
...  

Purpose Despite the increasing utilization of webpages for the purposes of information seeking, customers’ concerns have become a crucial impediment for online shopping. The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of the effectiveness of web assurance seals services (WASS) and customers’ concerns on customer’s willingness to book hotels through perceived website trust and perceived value. Design/methodology/approach A questionnaire was administrated to measure the study variables. Using partial least squares–structural equation modeling approach to analyze the data collected from 860 users of online hotel websites. Findings The results indicate that WASS influence positively on perceived website trust and negatively on consumers’ concerns. As well as, perceived value and trust play a mediating role in the link between WASS and consumers’ concerns and their intentions. Finally, perceived website trust and perceived value have greater effect on intention to book hotel for low-habit consumers. Research limitations/implications This study ignored the cross-culture issue as it concentrates on the customers from developing countries, so further research may need to compare between two or more than two samples from different societies that could give a significant insights. Second, this study stresses on the WASS to predict customers booking intentions that indicates significant results, so further research may need to examine the role of online reviews as a predictor of customers purchase decision as well. Originality/value To the authors’ best knowledge, this is the first empirical research that investigates and examines the influence of the effectiveness of WASS and consumers’ concerns on consumers’ intentions through perceived value and trust. This research also investigates the moderating role of habit in the link between perceived website, perceived value and consumers’ intentions.


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