E-Marketing and the Hotel Industry: Calculating Web Presence Index (WPI) for the Hospitality Sector

E-Marketing

E-Marketing has become a link between modern communication technologies. E-Marketing, also known as electronic marketing applies marketing technologies and principles via the internet. It helps in the process of marketing a brand over the internet and increasing its reach ability. E-marketing involves all the activities an enterprise presents through the World Wide Web in order to attract new customers and businesses and retain them. E-marketing makes use of these same technologies specifically as a logical extension to fulfill the traditional market practices of creating, communicating and delivering value to customers. Closely aligned with this, e-commerce refers specifically to the facilitation of the transactions created by the businesses’ marketing activities. In the same manner, internet marketing and e-marketing are often used synonymously and taken to mean the same thing (Strauss & Frost, 2005; Coupey, 2001; Chaffey, 2003; O'Connor et al., 2004). The internet is the venue where e-commerce takes place; it provides information via the World Wide Web, e-mail, allows for real-time communications and enables the sharing of databases. However, e-marketing is about much more than just the internet. It involves other technologies that enable Customer Relationship Management, Enterprise Resource Planning, Supply Chain Management, Text Messaging, Bar Code scanners and Digital TV (Fjermestad & Romano, 2003). Electronic customer relationship management: revisiting the general principles of usability and resistance – an integrative implementation framework. Business Process Management Journal, 9: 572 – 591.”

E-Marketing follows a strategy to spread commercial messages to groups of people in order to increase awareness regarding the service or product. With the help of E-marketing, these days hotels are able to take feedback, complaints, queries and appreciation from their customers. Through their official website, hotels can make their consumers aware about new offers, discounts, and festive offers. A strong online presence nowadays is not merely a recommendation but has become a bare necessity. As tourists from all over the world use the web and track details of fascinating and convenient hotel destinations, it is necessary for the hotel industry to maintain strong online presence. An effective domain name and developing a brand new website are the steps to attract and further retain customers.