Do gender, age and frequency of internet access matter on the perceived importance of hotel website features?

Abstract

Purpose - This study measures the relative importance of hotel website features based on users' perceptions and analyses the impact of gender, age, and frequency of Internet access on the given importance of features. Our study includes ten features and three hypotheses. Design/methodology/approach - A research questionnaire was developed and distributed to hotel guests. A total of 406 responses were collected. Statistical analysis included paired t-tests and one-way ANOVA. Findings - Results showed that users prioritized information about products and services, bookings and reservations, an easy-to-use website, and contact information. Privacy, design, and information on the surroundings were also important features. Customer feedback options, corporate information, and links to social media sites were ranked as significantly less important. Moreover, age and frequency of Internet access have a significant impact on the perceived importance of features, while no differences were found with regard to gender. Originality - Many studies have used web performance tools to measure the performance of hotel websites. However, these studies have not provided guests' preferences and perceived importance of website features. To our knowledge, no previous research has examined the effect of gender, age, and frequency of Internet access on the perceived importance of hotel website features.