Analysis of hotel websites using eMICA model: A research applied to 3, 4, and 5 star hotels in İstanbul and Antalya

Today, hotels' websites have become an important marketing tool for hotels. Hotels can directly sell to their customers via their own websites resulting in decreased costs and increased revenue. Studies showed that website design and content affect online booking decision of the hotel customers (Wang et al., 2015; Musante et al. 2009: 205). In this study, the objective is to compare development level of websites of 3, 4 and 5-star hotels in İstanbul and Antalya in terms of electronic marketing and electronic commerce. eMICA (extended Model of Internet Commerce Adoptation) model has been adopted in website analysis. Another intention of this study is to modify and update eMICA model for hotel websites. Sample of the study has been selected in four towns of Istanbul and Antalya with the highest number of 3, 4, and 5-star hotels located. 40 hotels in each hotel category from four towns of each city were selected. A total of 240 hotels – 120 hotels in İstanbul and 120 hotels in Antalya – have been analyzed with eMICA method. Results of this study showed that websites of 5-star hotels are more advanced than 4 and 3-star hotels and websites of 4-star hotels are more advanced than 3-star hotels. Another important finding of the study is that 5 and 4-star hotels' websites in İstanbul are much better than hotels in Antalya in the same category. There is no finding that shows statistically significant difference between 3-star hotels in Istanbul and Antalya in terms of website content level. Under the scope of the study, social media accounts linked by hotel websites are also analyzed. Results of this study present managerial practices and recommendations for hotelier.