Website Evaluation of the Top 100 Hotels Using Advanced Content Analysis and eMICA Model

Abstract

This study analyzes the features offered by the websites of the top 100 independent hotels on four continents, as listed in Travel + Leisure in 2010. The study demonstrates the application of a modified extended Model of Internet Commerce Adoption (eMICA) technique for technical depth and content analysis for breadth as well as inferential statistics and perceptual mapping. The study assesses the presence of fifty-nine website features on the hotels’ websites grouped according to the three eMICA stages of promotion, provision, and processing and also grouped in seven dimensions determined by the content analysis, namely, functionality, innovation, interactivity, marketing, navigation, online processing, and service. The results of website evaluation modeling suggest that (1) hotels in Asia have more of the features than those of the other continent, (2) Europe and Asia were the leading continents in website development depth based on the eMICA model, and (3) each continent’s webpages were distinct as follows: (a) European hotel webpages emphasized online and multilanguage support, (b) Asian sites emphasized on real-time interaction services and privacy policies, (c) Africa’s pages emphasized travel tips and weather information services, and (d) American hotel webpages led in Web 2.0 features.

Keywords

hotel website evaluation content analysis perceptual mapping

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