The Evaluation of the Use of Websites by Four and Five-Star Hotels in the Marmara Region of Turkey

Abstract

For businesses, the use of the internet and electronic commerce has opened the door to a vast number of potential customers and is able to be used to great effect in order to increase competitive advantage, particularly within crowded marketplaces. By means of the global structure of the internet, businesses such as accommodation providers are able to promote their services to potential customers throughout the world, circumventing traditional boundaries imposed by differences in time zone and geographic location. In order for businesses to successfully take advantage of e-commerce and leverage their position however, the design of quality websites is essential (Hernández, Jiménez, & Martín, 2009). The aim of this study was to employ the method of content analysis in order to evaluate the use of key website design features by four and five-star hotels within the Marmara region of Turkey, considered as key to success within the world of e-commerce. Resultant from the analyses conducted, it was found that hotels classified as being five-star and those belonging to a chain attached a greater level of importance to several design issues such as content and speed. Additionally, it was found that while the websites of independent and four-star hotels were more static and provided general information, fivestar and chain hotel establishments were more dynamic in the content and design of websites.

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