Search results

Four years after the release of a responsive design website that provides a dynamic screen layout across three access devices (computer, tablet and smartphone), a repeat study was conducted to determine changes in the way that library website functions are and are not accessed.

A survey, similar to the original study, was used to determine the rate of access of 20 website functions by three access devices (computer, tablet and smartphone) and a “did not use” (DNU) category. A two-proportion Z-test was used to determine significant differences in the rate of access for each website function and the “did not use” (DNU) category by each access device from 2014 to 2018.

The computer is still the primary tool used to access website functions, but its rate of use is declining, while access via the smartphone is increasing, including research and for learning functions traditionally accessed only by computer. Access by tablet, with poor website function access rates in 2014, declined in use, with some rates approaching zero. Increases in the DNU category for website functions occurred, but reasons why were not determined. The increases raised questions about the relevance of some of the website functions and if other actions are needed to increase use.

Repeating the 2014 study provided insights into the changing landscape of device preferences for accessing library website functions. The number of significant changes identified demonstrates the importance of recurring studies to determine how online access to library website functions evolves over time.

The purpose of this paper is to establish a social-network sp.orts lottery system to support users in predicting and simulating sports lottery betting. The community data were generated to support user decision and featured instant game records and odds data synchronisation. Furthermore, the next development cycle were evaluated through a questionnaire.

An extended prototype website development methodology was applied to develop the system. An online sample was collected to evaluate the function, interface, operation, and prediction designs. The χ2 test and variance analysis were used to determine the association between facets and basic demographics. Finally, the regression model was used to identify the potentially essential predictors that influence the measurement facets.

The high frequency of Facebook users, sports lottery purchases, and sports game viewers prefer the ability to predict the results of future sports games as advanced decision-making functions. However, the agent-based virtual gift presentation function was the least preferred function.

The study sample was limited only to users: who used PTT and Facebook; were of uneven age, education, and gender; and none segment groups. The study sample primarily comprised Taiwanese respondents. These differences might influence the practicality and prediction bias of the designed website and related models.

The proposed method integrates social-network messages with real-time data access by using APIs, crawler schemes, and prediction mechanisms that enable developers to devise strategies for obtaining high system satisfaction. The system can be improved by adding the results of future sports games and excluding authorised Facebook message posts.

A social-network-based sports lottery and prediction prototyping website was evaluated through a user-preference survey regarding design functions. The measurement results indicated that users share their opinions, predictions, and personal betting results and interact with their friends.

The usage of augmented reality (AR) in online shopping websites provides a “try-on” experience for consumers. AR technology combines the virtual and real world. Previous studies have addressed AR usage’s benefits to consumers’ online shopping experience. However, this study aims to explore the dark side of AR usage in consumers’ online purchasing process.

The authors conduct six experiments to examine whether AR usage leads to adverse effects on consumers’ purchase intention and explain the mechanism of its dark side.

The result shows that AR usage in online shopping websites reduces consumers’ purchase intention. The authors further reveal that the usage of AR leads to more vital psychological ownership of the product, and psychological ownership positively relates to cognitive conflict. Cognitive conflict explains the negative influence of AR usage on purchase intention.

First, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to explore the impact of embedded AR function of websites on consumers’ decision-making process. Also, it is the first study on the application of AR in a real shopping scene, which makes the study of AR close to reality. Second, psychological ownership is introduced in this study. Although there are many types of research on psychological ownership, few scholars have explored it in AR research. Third, most studies stress the advantages of using AR during purchase; this research demonstrates that embedding AR function in a shopping website may negatively affect purchase intention.

Website benchmarking theory and the website analysis method (WAM) are benchmark tested across non-commercial tropical tourism websites. The paper aims to discuss this issue.

The abridged WAM benchmarks 280 tropical tourism websites from four continental areas (Africa, Asia, Oceania, and The Americas) and presence or absence of website components objectively rank-scores. Across locations significant website benchmark score differences are determined. In all, 20 of these websites are ranked by an eight expert focus group. These experts also seek-out the existence of allocated common website components.

The abridged WAM approach is suitable for benchmarking tropical tourism websites. Website benchmarking scores at-level are determined. At the website, domain, and function levels significant continental area differences exist. Experts cross-check the study. They find it easier to rank websites with fewer components, and show split decisions when determining the existence of common website components.

This study’s abridged version of WAM uses publicly viewable components to show significant differences across website scores, and identifies some missing components for possible future inclusion on the website, and it also supports the WAM benchmarking theory approach.

Website managers/owners can apply WAM (or an abridged WAM) to benchmark their websites. WAM is theoretically supported and it systematically allows comparison against the universal set of components and/or against competitor websites. A full or abridged WAM approach to website benchmarking is preferable to subjective or survey-based approaches.

This study successfully applies the Cassidy and Hamilton (2016) theory and approach to practical website benchmarking.

Literature-identified website benchmarking (WB) approaches are generally time consuming, survey based, with little agreement on what and how to measure website components. The purpose of this paper is to establish a theoretical approach to WB. A comprehensive design science research methodology (DSRM) artifact facilitates the evaluation of the website against the universal set of benchmark components. This knowledge allows managers to gauge/reposition their websites.

DSRM establishes a website analysis method (WAM) artifact. Across six activities (problem identification, solution objective, artifact design/development, artifact demonstration, artifact evaluation, results communication), the WAM artifact solves the DSRM-identified WB problem.

The WAM artifact uses 230 differentiated components, allowing managers to understand in-depth and at-level WB. Typological website components deliver interpretable WB scores. Website comparisons are made at domain (aesthetic, marketing, technical) and/or functional levels.

New/emergent components (and occasionally new functions) are included (and redundant components removed) as upgrades to the DSRM WAM artifact’s three domains and 28 functions. Such modifications help keep latest benchmarking comparisons (and/or website upgrades) optimized.

This DSRM study employs a dichotomous present/absent component approach, allowing the WAM artifact’s measures to be software programmed, and merged at three different levels, delivering a useful WB tool for corporates.

DSRM identifies the benchmarking problem. Rough-cut set-theory and mutual-exclusivity of components allow the causal-summing of typological website components into an objective WAM artifact WB solution. This new, comprehensive, objective-measurement approach to WB thus offers comparative, competitive, and website behavioral implications for corporates.

Taking the dynamic capability and institutional perspectives, this study seeks to examine how capability‐driven and institution‐driven factors influence usage of internet technology in trade show markets. The current study also examines the influence of the usage of the internet for trade show marketing on performance of trade shows.

Structural equation modeling was undertaken to test the research model in a sample of 414 exhibitors at the Chinese Export Commodity Fair.

Overall, the results point to the powerful influence of the usage of the internet for trade show marketing on trade show performance as perceived by exhibitors. The specific results also reveal that, while a website's capability in providing quality information facilitates the usage of the company website for pre‐show promotion, an exhibitor's legitimacy motive of using its website to build up the company image contributes to the usage of the company website for at‐show selling, and the firm's inter‐functional coordinating capabilities that capitalize on internet connectivity in support of superior customer services encourage the usage of company website for post‐show follow‐up.

The key lesson for exhibitors is to adopt the right approach to internet marketing – using the internet primarily for “informational and communicational purpose” in pre‐show promotion, and for “customer service and support purpose” in post‐show follow‐up.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the use of political party websites for e-electioneering and their impact on the outcome of the elections.

Empirical data for the study were collected from the websites of 11 major political parties of Pakistan using modified version of the coding scheme used by Gibson, Rommele and Ward for the evaluation of functionality and delivery of websites. Data were analysed using web content analysis method to achieve the objectives of this study. The study also ranked the party websites based on points scored for functionalities and delivery.

The study found that although Pakistani political parties have started using their websites for communication with their voters during the general elections but they have not utilized the full potential of the website functionalities for e-electioneering.

The study focused on content analysis of political party websites of Pakistan only. However, comparisons were made to other studies where possible to contextualize the results of this study in international perspective. It is suggested to replicate this study after ten years to study the changing behaviour of political parties.

Political parties might like to improve their websites in the light of findings of this study to spread their message more effectively to larger voter base.

Findings of the study will help in improving the readiness of political parties for e-electioneering and improved websites will help voters in making an informed decision during election. It will overall improve the electoral process in the country where democratic system is not very strong.

With the advent of internet, political parties are using their websites during elections for various purposes. This study, first ever in Pakistan on the topic, provides empirical evidence on the use of political party websites during May 2013 general election in Pakistan and presents its impact on the outcome of the election. The study will be valuable for political science researchers especially those focusing on Asia and Pakistan.

The website is a digital media, a platform that represents the school through its visual and textual elements. This way, it is becoming an important channel of communication and source of information. This chapter primarily looks at the school image as one of the aspects that the school needs to take into account in the context of the website, thinking not only about the good image, but, in particular, about the goals and values as a whole. Secondly, previous studies on the content and function of websites are analysed. In order to better explore the current practice of content creation and discover its weaknesses and potential, semi-structured in-depth interviews with Latvian school representatives, namely website content managers, were carried out.

The school website still has a lot of unrealised potential. Nonetheless, the website as a technological tool can improve both the learning process and the school image, as well as serve as an information channel in the local community. Schools, for the most part, do not control their self-image, as well as the choice of content on the website is often not strategic enough. Overall, schools focus on regularly informing the audience, but much less on the marketing and learning solutions on the website. The represented image of the schools include both the characteristics of the local community and the formal institution. Identifying audience and its desires, as well as redistributing resources, are one of the necessities for realising the website’s potential.

This research aims to investigate how emerging destinations cope with digitalization of information, where they are in the process and how digitalization of information takes place in destination marketing organizations (DMOs). As a case for emerging destinations that must deal with the negative consequences of the digital divide, the Vietnamese Mekong Delta (VMD) will be examined. A new framework, solutions in general, and potential innovative approaches will be presented.

A mixed methods approach was used. Firstly, a content analysis comprising 68 criteria to examine 10 destination websites was conducted to evaluate the performance of provincial destination websites of VMD. Secondly, the authors interviewed five managers from VMD DMOs to reveal the strategy, status quo and their challenges with digitalization.

Some digitalization is evident in VMD DMOs, with the digitization of tourist information provision developing from analog formats to digital modes. The content analysis of the websites shows that provincial destination websites of VMD perform well with regard to communication but need improvements for transaction, and especially relationship aspects. Emerging destinations like VMD DMOs are reaching the second or third level in the digitalization process. Yet they face challenges with human and financial resources.

This research provides recommendations concerning destination website performance, the process of digitalization and how to promote digitalization and apply more digital instruments to move to the next stages of destination digitalization. Also, suggestions on how to overcome existing challenges/barriers in similar areas of the world are provided.

A new, extended more granulated version of the digitalization framework by Karpova et al. (2019) has been developed. The new model acknowledges the continued importance of printed information, provides information about the sequence of steps how to implement website dimensions, and which instruments are realistic to implement in different levels of digitalization considering the challenges and barriers developing destinations face.

The purpose of this paper is to propose and apply a conceptual model that can be used to evaluate the functional performance of hospitality and tourism websites. This model will evaluate the websites from the perspective of information provision, communication, transactions, relationships, and technological merit, and how that applies to overall website functionality.

The paper uses a case study methodology in order to evaluate a random sample of the top 400 casual dining restaurant chains of 2007. The casual dining restaurant segment is chosen because of its importance in the overall foodservice industry, as well as its predominant use of websites.

Restaurant websites appear to be fairly strong in providing information in a technologically savvy environment. The areas that are found to be lower in functional efficiency are communication, relationship, and transaction. The three lowest‐rated individual attributes of the websites studied in the current research are the use and functionality of banners, reservations, and language on the websites.

As a case study, the limitations of this research are that the findings cannot be generalized to all restaurants because only a sample of casual dining chain restaurants is used. In addition, the model evaluated all of the components of the websites as being equal with the understanding that different website components weigh differently in their importance with consumers.

The implications of the paper are critical for website developers and hospitality organizations as the analysis shows that there is still a gap between customer perceptions of restaurant websites and the potential to use the website to engage and connect with guests. The paper will give industry practitioners some insight into the perceptions regarding the usability of their websites in order to allow the organizations to make changes accordingly.

The paper is pioneering in developing and proposing a conceptual model of website evaluation and applying this theory‐supported conceptual model to the casual dining chain restaurants website evaluation.