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1 – 10 of over 7000Ajay Aluri, Lisa Slevitch and Robert Larzelere
The main purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of embedded social media channels and determine whether the embedded social media channels enhance the overall…
Abstract
Purpose
The main purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of embedded social media channels and determine whether the embedded social media channels enhance the overall experience of travelers using the hotel Web sites.
Design/methodology/approach
A true-experimental, between-group and post-test-only design was used to address the primary research questions. Two privately accessible complete versions of the Web site (one with embedded social media channels and one without them) were designed for the experiment. The uses and gratifications approach was used to test the proposed hypotheses. Data were analyzed using ANOVA.
Findings
The results of this study revealed that embedded social media channels on the hotel Web site enhanced travelers’ social gratifications of perceived social interaction. Apart from these benefits for travelers seeking social gratifications, embedded social media channels did not enhance the overall experience (content and process gratifications) of travelers using the Web site.
Practical implications
In the case of embedded social media on hotel Web sites, this study suggests that hotel managers measure return on engagement to examine the effectiveness of embedded social media, instead of return on investment.
Social implications
The study revealed that the emergence of embedded social media channels and their integration on hotel Web sites will have significant influence on travelers who seek social gratifications.
Originality/value
The findings of this study offer new empirical evidence that embedded social media channels enhance only travelers’ perceived social interaction during their first visit to the hotel Web site.
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Ángel Herrero, Héctor San Martín and José M. Hernández
The purpose of this paper is to advance in research on consumer psychology of hospitality, since it investigates how online search behavior of users (particularly, information…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to advance in research on consumer psychology of hospitality, since it investigates how online search behavior of users (particularly, information search and choice) is influenced by the opinions of other people in a new context characterized by the generalized use of Web 2.0 applications.
Design/methodology/approach
Empirical research was carried out in the hotel sector in Iberian Peninsula, where two Web 2.0 applications are especially relevant for users: the review Web sites and the hotel interactive Web sites. A qualitative method (in-depth interviews with hotel managers) and a quantitative technique (personal surveys to a sample of 830 users) were used to conduct this research.
Findings
The results indicates that the perceived influence on behavior of the user-generated content on these Web 2.0 applications is determined, in both cases, by the value of the information, the credibility of the sources and the degree of similarity between the user and the creators of content.
Practical implications
Firms should have an active presence in the review Web sites and the hotel interactive Web sites, and use these platforms for market research and communication. Firms should engage users to post content, support their credibility and facilitate the evaluation of the content generators’ similarity.
Originality/value
This paper is the first study in the hospitality literature that develops and empirically tests an integrative model explaining the perceived influence on behavior of user-generated content on Web 2.0 applications.
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Kelly Virginia Phelan, Natasa Christodoulidou, Cary C. Countryman and Leonard J. Kistner
This study aims to examine web site heuristics and their influence on the likelihood to purchase.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine web site heuristics and their influence on the likelihood to purchase.
Design/methodology/approach
A convenience sample of 28 participants was assigned a list of 30 hotel web sites to evaluate according to predetermined criteria and open‐ended questions.
Findings
Results indicated that booking decisions are positively related to a web site's aesthetic appeal. The study found the presence of photographs on a hotel web site was the most significant factor impacting site appeal and influencing the booking decision. Other features affecting purchase decisions included ease of use, color, link availability, lack of web site clutter, and sites unique in appearance.
Research limitations/implications
Research limitations included the size and composition of the sample. Respondents were college students, thus they represented a younger demographic and one which may be more tech‐savvy than other age groups. Also, the hotel web sites which were evaluated were located in one popular US tourist destination, meaning generalization to a larger population or to another industry may be limited.
Practical implications
Results showed four variables; pictures, ease of use, neat/uncluttered and plain/boring; were most significant on both site appeal and site influence. Practitioners would be well served to improve these web site elements to better accommodate customers and realize the greatest return on investment.
Originality/value
The paper investigates heuristics of hotel web sites. Findings identified areas for improvement by practitioners as well as areas for future research.
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JungKook Lee and Alastair M. Morrison
The purpose of this paper is to develop a set of criteria and an instrument for evaluating upscale hotel web sites and test these in a comparative study of South Korean and the US…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to develop a set of criteria and an instrument for evaluating upscale hotel web sites and test these in a comparative study of South Korean and the US upscale hotel web sites.
Design/methodology/approach
The hotel web sites are assessed by a team of 25 trained evaluators. The study measures and compares the overall effectiveness of upscale hotel web sites and checks the correlation between overall web site effectiveness and size of upscale hotels in South Korea and the US by using balanced scorecard (BSC) approach. To evaluate and analyze upscale hotel web site performance or effectiveness, 14 upscale hotels in both South Korea and the USA are selected. These hotels are selected through Expedia.com or Hotels.com and are rated as either four‐ to five‐star.
Findings
The results show that there is no significant difference in the overall effectiveness of the upscale hotel web sites in South Korea and the USA. However, the web sites of the Korean upscale hotels perform slightly better than their US counterparts. The main conclusion drawn is that most upscale hotels in both countries are not effectively using web sites from the marketing and upscale hotel perspectives.
Originality/value
The first objective of this research study is to develop a web site evaluation tool for upscale hotels. The modified BSC approach for performance measurement is adopted as the overall framework for the evaluation process. Therefore, BSC performance measurements are adapted and developed to reflect the specific context of upscale hotel online marketing, with an upscale hotel perspective being added to the critical success factors. Also, this study compares actual upscale hotels web page in two different countries and that approach is unique.
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The purpose of this paper is to analyze the environmental management policies and practices of the top 50 hotel companies as disclosed on their corporate web sites.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the environmental management policies and practices of the top 50 hotel companies as disclosed on their corporate web sites.
Design/methodology/approach
This study employed content analysis to review the web sites of the top 50 hotel companies as defined herein.
Findings
Only 46 per cent of the selected hotel companies used web pages to post information related to environmental issues on their public web sites. The web pages of Wyndham, IHG, Accor, Whitbread, Hyatt, Rezidor, Sol Melia, TUI, and Scandic featured more revealing environmental information than that posted by other companies, which indicated their environmental commitment and engagement. The results of content analysis identified 12 major environmental focus areas in which the sample hotel companies engaged.
Research limitations/implications
The findings on environmental policies and practices are limited to the environmental information featured on the web sites of the top 50 hotel companies. Some of these companies may have established environmental policies or initiated environmental programs not disseminated on their web sites. In addition, web page information can be changed at any time, and the findings of this study are based upon a snapshot of the web sites as of March 2010.
Practical implications
This study establishes a benchmark of the dissemination of environmental information on the internet by leading hotels, and provides a preliminary picture of environmental initiatives and engagement among these top hotel companies. The information generated from this study can serve as a guide for hotels that would like to engage in an environmental management program. This study also provides a source of information for hotels that would like to develop environmental web sites to demonstrate their environmental commitment to their stakeholders.
Originality/value
Information concerning the content of environmental information disseminated on the web sites of large hotel companies is sparse. Consequently, this study aims to provide a snapshot of where the hotel industry is with regard to on‐line environmental disclosure and related environmental policies and practices.
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Michael Lwin and Ian Phau
The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether rational and emotional appeals are more effective for small boutique hotel websites in Australia. Specifically, it assesses how…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether rational and emotional appeals are more effective for small boutique hotel websites in Australia. Specifically, it assesses how attitudes towards websites, service expectations and attitudes towards boutique hotels will influence purchase intention under the two different types of appeals.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a systematic intercept approach, a total of 249 useable data was collected in a large suburb of Western Australia. Results were analysed using t‐test and a series of multiple regressions.
Findings
The results show boutique hotel websites that used emotional appeals performed differently to those that used rational appeals. Further analysis shows that emotional appeals evoked more favourable attitudes towards the website and attitudes towards the boutique hotel. In addition, websites that utilised emotional appeals were a stronger predictor of purchase intention.
Research limitations/implications
The research focuses only on homepages of the boutique hotels. Further, the study was limited to two rational (price and service accolades) and two emotional appeals (warmth and serenity).
Originality/value
The study is the first to provide empirical evidence on the effectiveness of website appeals. It broadens the scope of the service communication literature by exploring rational and emotional appeals in an interactive medium.
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In the hotel industry today, web site marketing and third party distribution metrics are of critical importance in understanding the effectiveness of hotel revenue management…
Abstract
Purpose
In the hotel industry today, web site marketing and third party distribution metrics are of critical importance in understanding the effectiveness of hotel revenue management objectives. The purpose of this paper is to propose a new model which tests hotel web‐effectiveness using the following variables: reach, content, consistency and price parity (RCO2P).
Design/methodology/approach
For the current RCO2P study, the hotel sample was broken down into two segment groupings of five hotels: luxury; and upper‐upscale. The ten full‐service hotels were monitored over a 90‐day period using room rate quotations and ordinal values across 14 dimensions based on three pre‐selected arrival dates.
Findings
Results of the RCO2P study indicated preferential display sequencing emerged as a significant factor in the reach category among all hotel properties reviewed. Only six of ten properties were measured as having achieved optimal web‐effectiveness, while poor price‐parity competency reflected the most situation‐critical performance among sampled hotel properties.
Originality/value
International comparative research methodologies were examined and determined to be effective models of certain hotel web‐effectiveness dimensions; however, a comprehensive hotel web‐effectiveness measurement model is still lacking which can better inform hotel industry executives. Therefore, future research should incorporate a best practice research approach combining the current RCO2P study elements with other web‐effectiveness measurement criteria based on the collective best practices identified among the research studies reviewed.
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Hotels at present have largely adopted e‐commerce to achieve different business goals. The existing hospitality literature, however, rarely investigates the importance of specific…
Abstract
Purpose
Hotels at present have largely adopted e‐commerce to achieve different business goals. The existing hospitality literature, however, rarely investigates the importance of specific dimensions and attributes of hotel web sites from the perspective of web site users. In other words, what should be included on their branded hotel web sites remains unknown to hotel managers. This paper aims to report an exploratory study that investigated the perceived importance of dimensions and attributes on hotel web sites from the perspective of travellers.
Design/methodology/approach
Through personal interviews with 304 travellers who had previously visited hotel web sites in the past year, the extent to which various hotel web site dimensions and attributes were perceived as important was examined.
Findings
Empirical results indicated that respondents viewed reservation information as the most important dimension, and room rates as the most important attribute. In addition, respondents viewed that the included dimensions and attributes were more important on web sites of up‐scale hotels than on web sites of economy hotels.
Research limitations/implications
A limitation of this research is the non‐random sample used.
Originality/value
Findings of this study would benefit hotel managers in better understanding of the preferences of their customers on specific hotel web site dimensions and attributes, and assist hotel managers with the allocation of their efforts on e‐commerce development accordingly.
Betsy Bender Stringam and John Gerdes
Consumers as well as hotel web sites are evolving, changing the requirements and expectations for online hotel room reservations. Building on previous research, the purpose of…
Abstract
Purpose
Consumers as well as hotel web sites are evolving, changing the requirements and expectations for online hotel room reservations. Building on previous research, the purpose of this paper is to explore hotel web site design's influence on site appeal and likelihood to purchase.
Design/methodology/approach
The methodology incorporates both qualitative and quantitative methods. College‐age participants visited hotel web sites detailing their impressions. Using a grounded theory‐based approach and regression analysis, web design factors are identified and assessed.
Findings
The paper finds a preference for enhanced graphical web site design. This finding contradicts prior studies. The paper also finds continued importance in: ease of use, brand loyalty site content, and site aesthetics.
Research limitations/implications
This paper uses a combination of qualitative and quantitative data. The coding of qualitative data can be affected by researcher bias. This paper also suffers from an age and geographic population bias. While this paper suggests that certain factors influence the likelihood to purchase, more extensive definition of these factors is needed. In addition, several factors, which were important in previous studies, have incongruous findings in this paper and need further examination.
Practical implications
The results give direction to the design of effective hotel web sites.
Originality/value
Rapidly evolving internet technologies and consumer behavior generate a need for ongoing research to consumer behavior. A study with valid insight and information completed previously may not accurately reflect today's internet hotel market. The findings are significant: they suggest there has been a shift in consumer preferences.
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David C. Gilbert, Jan Powell‐Perry and Sianandar Widijoso
Offers a study of the current use of the Internet, as a marketing tool, by the hotel industry. Such a study is timely given that the growth rate of the World Wide Web (WWW or the …
Abstract
Offers a study of the current use of the Internet, as a marketing tool, by the hotel industry. Such a study is timely given that the growth rate of the World Wide Web (WWW or the “Web”) is estimated at about 50 per cent per month, with the number of sites doubling every 53 days. Seeks to present an argument for the application of the relationship marketing (RM) model as a framework for the development of hotel Web sites. The authors believe that a successful Web presence depends upon more than just the technology used and the “look and feel” of the site. Hotels need a framework which can bridge the gap between simply connecting to the Web and harnessing its power for competitive advantage.
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