Tourism & Management Studies, 12(1) (2016), 25-39 DOI: 10.18089/tms.2016.12103 25 Hotel ǁeďsites ĐharaĐterisatioŶ fraŵeǁork for ĐoŶsuŵer’s iŶforŵatioŶ Ŷeeds Referencial para a caracterização de websites de hotéis de acordo com as necessidades dos consumidores Célia M.Q. Ramos University of the Algarve - ESGHT and CEFAGE (University of Évora); Campus da Penha, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal, cmramos@ualg.pt Marisol B. Correia University of the Algarve – ESGHT and CEG-IST (Universidade de Lisboa); Campus da Penha, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal, mcorreia@ualg.pt João M.F. Rodrigues University of the Algarve - ISE, LARSyS and CIAC; Campus da Penha, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal, jrodrig@ualg.pt Carlos M.R. Sousa University of the Algarve – ESGHT, Campus da Penha, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal, cmsousa@ualg.pt Pedro M. Cascada University of the Algarve – ESGHT, Campus da Penha, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal, pcascada@ualg.pt Abstract Online presence is essential for tourism organisations, and the quality of websites can influence customers. In the case of hotels, there are many studies to evaluate website performance based on functionality, usability and other factors, much less on the amount of different information available to the consumer. In the near future by using Big Data it is expected that hotel websites will be dynamic, they will adapt themselves on-the-fly, showing personalized information to each consumer. Different consumers will have different websites ;iŶfoƌŵatioŶ aǀailaďleͿ fƌoŵ the saŵe hotel. This papeƌ pƌeseŶts a framework for the characterisation of hotel websites, focusing on the amount of information available to the consumer in each website, which was applied in a case study during the last months of 2013 to the websites of five-star hotels that operate in the tourist region of the Algarve, Portugal. The framework allowed to identify a set of exhaustive indicators for hotel website characterisation, which were then grouped into ten fundamental information dimensions. These dimensions further fell into four dimension groups. Finally, it is presented and discussed quantitative and qualitative evaluations, that illustrates which indicators and dimensions are more often considered oŶ hotel ǁeďsites to satisfLJ the ĐoŶsuŵeƌs iŶfoƌŵatioŶ Ŷeeds. Keywords: Website characterisation, tourism, hospitality, content analysis, website quality. Resumo A presença online é essencial para as organizações de turismo, e a qualidade dos seus websites pode influenciar os consumidores. No caso dos hotéis, existem muitos estudos para avaliar o desempenho do website com base, entre outros fatores, nas suas funcionalidades e na usabilidade, no entanto, existem poucos sobre a quantidade de diferentes informações disponíveis para o consumidor. Num futuro próximo, através da utilização de Big Data, espera-se que os websites dos hotéis sejam dinâmicos, que se adaptem em tempo real e que apresentem informações personalizadas para cada consumidor. Este artigo apresenta um referencial para a caracterização dos websites de hotéis, com foco na quantidade de informações disponíveis para o consumidor, o qual foi aplicado num estudo de caso, durante os últimos meses de 2013, nos websites dos hotéis de cinco estrelas da região do Algarve, Portugal. A aplicação do referencial, permitiu identificar um conjunto exaustivo de indicadores para a caracterização dos websites, os quais foram agrupados em dez dimensões de informação, que por sua vez, foram agrupadas em quatro grupos. Por fim, são apresentadas e discutidas as avaliações quantitativas e qualitativas obtidas, que ilustram quais os indicadores e as dimensões mais contemplados em websites de hotéis para satisfazer as necessidades de informação do consumidor. Palavras-chave: Caracterização do website, turismo, hotelaria, análise de conteúdos, qualidade do website. 1. Introduction The rapid development of information and communication technologies (ICTs) over the last decades has changed the tourism and hospitality industries. ICTs have become powerful tools to help in the dissemination of tourist activities and have potentiated and increased the development of the competitiveness of all participants in these activities, from transport to accommodation, as well as catering and entertainment. An online presence is necessary for the survival and competitiveness of tourism organisations, with a more obvious impact on organisations that sell components of touƌists tƌips, as iŶ the Đase of hospitalitLJ. AŵoŶg otheƌ advantages, an online presence allows the disclosure, booking and sale of accommodations through direct channels, according to Đustoŵeƌs pƌefeƌeŶĐes. In this context, it is widely accepted that the Internet can serve as an effective marketing tool in tourism (Buhalis & Law, 2008). The planning and development of hotel and resort websites is increasingly pertinent, including their evaluation, to ensure that the interface with customers is as appealing and informative as possible and to transform visitors into buyers (Ramos & Perna, 2009). While developing these websites, in order to ensure that the product attains the desired quality, designers must consider usability: the website must take into ĐoŶsideƌatioŶ ĐoŶsuŵeƌ pƌofiles aŶd theiƌ satisfaĐtioŶ ǁheŶ using the website (Nysveen & Lexhagen, 2001). However, these are not the only factors to take into account. One of the