How do the preferences of online buyers and browsers differ on the design and content of travel websites

Purpose – The issue of perceptions between buyers who have made online purchases and browsers who have browsed websites on the quality of travel websites is rarely, if ever, investigated by tourism and hospitality researchers. This paper aims to report on a study that examined these two groups of users' perceived importance of the factors that contribute to content richness and ease of use of travel websites. In addition, it seeks to study these users' level of satisfaction and purchase intention.Design/methodology/approach – A total of 862 international travelers were interviewed in Hong Kong International Airport in October 2005.Findings – Empirical findings indicated that travel website users viewed quality factors important, and they were generally satisfied with travel websites. Although these website users had a positive view for purchase intention in the long term, there existed significant differences between the two groups of users in all attributes of customer satisfaction and purchase intention...

[1]  R. Oliver.  Whence Consumer Loyalty? , 1999 .

[2]  Rob Law,et al.  Usability of Travel Websites: A Case Study of the Perceptions of Hong Kong Travelers , 2005 .

[3]  Fred D. Davis.  User Acceptance of Information Technology: System Characteristics, User Perceptions and Behavioral Impacts , 1993, Int. J. Man Mach. Stud..

[4]  Pui-Mun Lee,et al.  Behavioral Model of Online Purchasers in E-Commerce Environment , 2002, Electron. Commer. Res..

[5]  R. Law,et al.  Developing a performance indicator for hotel websites , 2003 .

[6]  Zheng Xiang,et al.  Interface Metaphors and Their Roles in Travel Related Websites , 2004, ENTER.

[7]  A. Rangaswamy,et al.  Customer satisfaction and loyalty in online and offline environments , 2003 .

[8]  Jonathan W. Palmer,et al.  Web Site Usability, Design, and Performance Metrics , 2002, Inf. Syst. Res..

[9]  P. Phillips.  Guest Editor's introduction: special issue on a new research agenda for hospitality management , 2009 .

[10]  Soo K. Kang,et al.  Buyer Characteristics Among Users of Various Travel Intermediaries , 2004 .

[11]  Karin Weber,et al.  Profiling People Searching for and Purchasing Travel Products on the World Wide Web , 1999 .

[12]  R Law,et al.  A modified functionality performance evaluation model for evaluating the performance of China based hotel websites , 2003 .

[13]  Eelko K. R. E. Huizingh,et al.  The content and design of web sites: an empirical study , 2000, Inf. Manag..

[14]  Rob Law,et al.  Successful Factors For A Travel Web Site: Perceptions Of On-Line Purchasers In Hong Kong , 2003 .

[15]  Stephen Taylor,et al.  Marketing Small Hotels on the World Wide Web , 1999, J. Inf. Technol. Tour..

[16]  I. Wen.  Factors affecting the online travel buying decision: a review , 2009 .

[17]  Cathy H. C. Hsu,et al.  Testing the sufficiency of the theory of planned behavior : a case of customer dissatisfaction responses in restaurants , 2005 .

[18]  Rob Law,et al.  A contrast analysis of online hotel web service purchasers and browsers , 2009 .

[19]  Mary Ann Eastlick,et al.  An online prepurchase intentions model: The role of intention to search , 2001 .

[20]  R. Law,et al.  The impact of the Internet on travel agencies , 2004 .

[21]  G. Day.  A Two-Dimensional Concept of Brand Loyalty , 1976 .

[22]  Daniel Muijs,et al.  Doing Quantitative Research in Education with SPSS , 2004 .

[23]  Ming-te Lu,et al.  A framework for effective commercial Web application development , 1998, Internet Res..

[24]  R. Chu.  What online Hong Kong travelers look for on airline/travel websites? , 2001 .

[25]  Mark A. Bonn,et al.  Using the Internet as a Pleasure Travel Planning Tool: an Examination of the Sociodemographic and Behavioral Characteristics Among Internet Users and Nonusers , 1998 .

[26]  Charles F. Hofacker,et al.  Website-generated market-research data Tracing the tracks left behind by visitors , 2001 .

[27]  Rolph E. Anderson,et al.  E‐satisfaction and e‐loyalty: A contingency framework , 2003 .

[28]  R. Oliver.  A Cognitive Model of the Antecedents and Consequences of Satisfaction Decisions , 1980 .

[29]  Rob Law,et al.  Evaluation of Usability: A Study of Hotel Web Sites in Hong Kong , 2006 .

[30]  J. Makens,et al.  The Travel Industry , 1984 .