The Effect of Electronic Word-of-Mouth Marketing (e-WOMM) on Consumers' Hotel Preferences

Abstract

Today, with the development of information and communication technologies, the usage area of online social networking sites has expanded, and consumers are offered unlimited sharing and information opportunities. Consumers can access the ease of sharing their opinions, thoughts and experiences through various channels on the internet. Especially in the tourism sector, where experiences are important, the intangibility of the products offered and the lack of the opportunity to try before purchasing create uncertainty for consumers. Therefore, the sharing and comments of those who experience the services constitute an important data source for consumers who want to make hotel choices. In this context, it is useful to examine the effects of e-WOMM (e-word of mouth marketing), which refers to the sharing of experiences and opinions in an online social network environment, on consumer decisions and preferences. Within the scope of the research, in order to measure the effect of e-WOMM on consumers' hotel preferences, 415 valid questionnaires were obtained through an online questionnaire directed to participants aged 18 and over who were determined by judgmental/purposive sampling method and who had previously participated in tourism activities. In addition to descriptive statistics, reliability, t-test, ANOVA and regression analyses were conducted on the data obtained. The results of the study revealed that e-WOMM influences consumers' hotel preferences and that positive/negative online reviews, as well as the reliability of reviews, the number of reviews, and the quality of reviews have a high impact on consumers' hotel preferences.