Exploring Developments in Web Based Relationship Marketing Within the Hotel Industry

ABSTRACT This paper provides a content analysis study of the application of World Wide Web marketing by the hotel industry. There is a lack of historical perspective on industry related web marketing applications and this paper attempts to resolve this with a two-year follow-up case study of the changing use of the Web to develop different types of relationships. Specifically, the aims are: • To identify key changes in the way holds are using the Web; • To look for evidence of the adoption of a Relationship Marketing (RM) model as a strategy for (he development of hotel Web sites and the use of new technologies; and, • To investigate the use of multimedia in hotel Web sites. The development and strategic exploitation of the Internet has transformed (he basis of marketing. Using the evidence from a Web content survey this study reveals the way relationships are being created and managed within the hotel industry by its use of the Web as a marketing tool. The authors have collected evidence by means of a descriptive study on the way hotels build and create relationships with their Web presence delivering multi-media information as well as channel and interactive means of communication. In addition a strategic framework is offered as the means to describe the mechanism and orientation of Web based marketing by hotels. The study utilises a model by Gilbert (1996) as a means of developing a measurement instrument to allow a content analysis of the current approach by hotels to the development of Web sites. The results indicate hotels are aware of the new uses of Web technology and are promoting hotel products in the global electronic market in new and sophisticated ways.

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