Mapping segments accessing user‐generated content and website applications in a joint space

Abstract

PurposeThe relevant literature suggests that website designers should consider the needs of their target groups. This study aims to show the importance of certain website content/applications as perceived by specific user segments, and reveal a posteriori segments based on motivational factors for reading user‐generated content (UGC). The study then seeks to visualize the connections between segments, their perceived importance of website applications, and further explanatory variables, by applying correspondence analysis (CA). The authors show that creative usage of CA may give insight into the varying contributions of certain variables through the exclusion of scale categories or segments.Design/methodology/approachThe authors collected 440 completed questionnaires in an online survey. Of the 240 respondents who read UGC, the authors clustered motivational factors by applying a vector quantization method, and then used CA to give insights into the importance of website content/applications for certain segments. The paper explains how matrices can be simplified in order to facilitate interpretation, and applies Rasch analysis to ensure the accuracy of this simplification.FindingsThe results indicate that six segments exist with different motivations for accessing UGC: enthusiasts, mavericks, tips and price optimizers, safety players, uncommercials, and avoiders. For these different segments, the perceived importance of diverse website content/applications vary. The authors show that interpretation may be simplified, without the loss of substantive information, by combining scale levels and excluding neutral categories. The Rasch analysis also supports combining categories.Research limitations/implicationsThe authors also show how the demonstration of certain effects can be enhanced by animated graphics, and that these can then be embedded into PDF files. However, embedding of animations only makes sense for digital articles or media in general; in a printed version, the reader would need to be redirected to a website.Practical implicationsSocial media website providers need to be aware that diverse segments perceive the importance of content/applications differently, and designers should customize a website accordingly. Finally, and in terms of methodology, this paper highlights how CA is valuable for management presentations because it displays categorical data in an easy‐to‐read graph format.Originality/valueNo research has hitherto shed light on the connection between the perceived importance of website content/applications and the motivational factors for accessing UGC. This paper contributes to filling this gap.

Progress on information and communication technologies in hospitality and tourism

“…Kastner and Stangl (2012) examine the elements of a Web site that motivate users to read UGC. Their findings identify six factors, namely:…”

“…Even though social media sites are an inevitable information source for consumers, some studies indicate that their uptake is associated with various factors. Kastner and Stangl (2012) examine the elements of a Web site that motivate users to read UGC. Their findings identify six factors, namely:…”

The Features of Online Tourism Information towards Young Traveler Satisfaction: A Case of Kuching the City of Unity

“…Therefore, it can be generalized that websites are the favored source of online information for booking travel destination and others. This is due to the general characteristics of individuals who prefer to be well-prepared when they go for travelling as they like security and non-adventurous vacation (Kastner & Stangi, 2012).…”

“…Thus, the users feel insecure and worried about the credibility of online tourism information (Conte, 2002). The website"s credibility is superior if it comes together with a proper organization of information to serve preferences or taste of travelers from different background (Kastner & Stangi, 2012). Segmenting the information is helpful for travelers with different cultures and lifestyles to make the decision (Massidda & Etzo, 2012).…”