Evaluating and Improving Websites

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The Tourism Destination Web Watch

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 Copyright 2005 World Tourism Organization
Calle Capitn Haya, 42
28020 Madrid, Spain

Evaluating and Improving Websites - The Tourism Destination Web Watch

ISBN 92-844-0917-9

Published and printed by the World Tourism Organization, Madrid, Spain

First printing in 2005
All rights reserved

The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication does not imply the
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expression of any opinions whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the World Tourism Organization
concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities or concerning the
delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.
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World Tourism Organization

Calle Capitn Haya, 42
28020 Madrid, Spain
Tel.: (+34) 915 678 100
Fax: (+34) 915 713 733
Website: www.world-tourism.org
Email: [email protected]

This publication may be reproduced for such purposes as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching,
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 Table of Contents

Glossary....................................................................................................................... V

Introduction ................................................................................................................. 1
The WTO/IFITT Joint Project Organization of an Evaluation and
Benchmarking Scheme for Destination Websites ..................................................... 1
Project Objectives .................................................................................................... 1
Preliminary Research................................................................................................ 1
About this Report ..................................................................................................... 2
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Acknowledgements .................................................................................................... 3
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Chapter I: Defining Success Quality Criteria and Critical Success Factors

for Destination Websites ......................................................................... 5
1 Introduction ................................................................................................. 5
1.1 The AIDA concept ................................................................................ 6
1.2 2QCV3Q Meta Model ........................................................................... 6
2 Important Quality Criteria and Critical Success Factors ................................... 7
2.1 Accessibility & Readability .................................................................... 7
2.1.1 Barriers on the World Wide Web ............................................ 7
2.1.2 Reaching all Potential Users ................................................... 8
2.1.3 WAI Guidelines....................................................................... 8
2.1.4 Overview of Design Principles and Guidelines ........................ 8
2.1.5 WAI Conformance Requirements ........................................... 9
2.1.6 Conformance Requirements of Governments......................... 10
2.2 Identity & Trust ..................................................................................... 10
2.3 Customization and Interactivity ............................................................. 11
2.4 Navigation ............................................................................................ 12
2.5 Findability and Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) ................................ 15
2.5.1 Crawler-Based Search Engines .............................................. 16
2.5.2 Organic SEO Versus Paid Listings.......................................... 16
2.5.3 Maximized Accessibility for Search Engine Crawlers .............. 17
2.5.4 Optimized Meta Data, Content and Links............................... 17
2.6 Technical Performance ......................................................................... 18

2005 World Tourism Organization - ISBN 92-844-0917-9

 II

3 Successful Service Concept ............................................................................ 18

3.1 Information Services ............................................................................. 20
3.2 Transaction Services ............................................................................ 21
3.2.1 More Aspects of Usability....................................................... 23
3.3 Experience Cycle ................................................................................ 24

Chapter II: Evaluating Success Methods of Analysis and Evaluation ............... 25

1 Introduction ..................................................................................................... 25
2 Best Practice-Based Evaluations and Measurements ...................................... 25
3 Online Surveys................................................................................................. 26
3.1 Key Actions for Successful Execution of Online Surveys....................... 26
3.2 Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Surveys ............................... 27
4 Web Analytics Tracking and Tracing User Behaviour..................................... 28
4.1 Data Collection ..................................................................................... 28
4.2 Some Advantages and Disadvantages of the Respective Methods....... 29
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4.3 Selecting Online Behavior Analysis Tools .............................................. 30

4.4 Identifying Goals, Measuring Effectiveness, Taking Action ..................... 31
5 Online Experiments.......................................................................................... 31
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6 Laboratory Testing ........................................................................................... 32

6.1 Laboratory Testing Versus Online Experiments...................................... 32
6.2 Methodology......................................................................................... 32
6.3 Strengths of Laboratory Testing ............................................................ 33
6.4 Points of Special Interest with Regard to Laboratory Testing................. 34

Chapter III: The Destination Web Watch................................................................... 35

1 Introduction...................................................................................................... 35
2 Services ........................................................................................................... 35
3 Destination Web Watch Audit .......................................................................... 35
3.1 Objectives............................................................................................. 35
3.2 Method ................................................................................................. 36
3.3 Report and Action Plan......................................................................... 36
4 Destination Web Watch Evaluation................................................................... 37
4.1 Objectives............................................................................................. 37
4.2 Method ................................................................................................. 37
4.3 Report and Action Plan......................................................................... 37
5 Destination Web Watch Newsletter Audit ......................................................... 38
5.1 Objectives............................................................................................. 38
5.2 Method ................................................................................................. 38
5.3 Report and Action Plan......................................................................... 39
 III

6 Destination Web Watch Online Surveys ........................................................... 39

6.1 Objectives............................................................................................. 39
6.2 Method ................................................................................................. 39
6.3 Report .................................................................................................. 40
7 Destination Web Watch Laboratory Testing...................................................... 40
7.1 Objectives............................................................................................. 40
7.2 Method ................................................................................................. 40
8 Research, Analysis and Action Plans ............................................................... 41
9 Destination Web Watch Site............................................................................. 42

Recommended Action for DMOs............................................................................... 43

References................................................................................................................... 45
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 Glossary

This publication refers to evaluation of destination websites and the tools to improve them, and uses specialized
terms. This glossary serves as a shorthand tool for them.

AIDA: Acronym for Attention, Interest, Desire, Action; refers to an approach to identifying and categorizing quality
criteria for websites.

BENCHMARKING: DMOs will be able to compare the results of the Destination Web Watch audits, evaluations
and surveys. They can opt-in to exchanging data relating to their individual web activities with other DMOs,
particularly within peer groups. Customized analysis and interpretation is possible for individual DMOs or a
group of them, in accordance with their specifications.

BEST PRACTICE-BASED EVALUATIONS AND MEASUREMENTS: Best practice-based evaluation of a website or a

newsletter is based on a set of accepted quality criteria and critical success factors. Evaluation criteria may be
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based on the guidelines of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI), on the
outcome of surveys into the factors which determine the trustworthiness and usability of websites, on legal
requirements in key travel and tourism markets, on the behavior of search engine users and on the factors
which may influence the ranking in search engines, and on the insights of people with practical, hands-on
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experience of making websites work.

CRAWLER-BASED SEARCH ENGINES: Some search engines depend on humans for their directories. People
submit a description to the directory for the website or editors write one for the sites they review. The search
engines that account for the majority of web searches are crawler-based, such as Google, Yahoo and MSN, and
create their listings automatically.

The crawler or spider visits and reads websites, and then follows links to other pages within the site. The
index, or catalog, contains a copy of every web page the spider finds. Search engine software sifts through the
pages in the index to find matches to a query. The software ranks the matches in order of what it believes is
most relevant.

DATA COLLECTION: Web analytics is based on data collection. There are several ways to obtain data on where
website visitors come from, what they do while they are on a site, how they leave the site and where they go,
for example:

Server-side data collection: This is based on log files generated by the server that hosts a site. Every time a
user types in a web address (URL) or clicks on a link, the users web browser requests a file from the server.
These requests are recorded by the servers software.

Client-side data collection: Client-side or browser-based data collection: data on visitor behavior is
collected directly from the users browser. A tracking code or tag is placed on each web page. When a
visitor views a page on the site, the code sends a stream of information to a server about the page and the
user.

DESTINATION WEB WATCH AUDIT: provides a tool to ascertain the quality of tourism websites, in comparison
with peer DMO sites. It is an initial, sound assessment of the minimum standards a good website, should meet.
It assesses some 150 quality criteria and critical success factors for websites in the following six categories:
accessibility and readability, identity and trust, customization and interactivity, navigation, findability and
search engine optimization, technical performance.

DESTINATION WEB WATCH EVALUATION: includes a Destination Web Watch Audit (as described above) and
an in-depth strategy based evaluation of services and content. The Audit assesses the general quality of a site.
The in-depth strategy-based Evaluation evaluates the services and content offered by the site, i.e., the qualities
of the site as a destination marketing site and takes into account the total marketing strategy of the DMO. The

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 VI Evaluating and Improving Websites - The Tourism Destination Web Watch

categories of services evaluated are: information services, contact services, transaction services, entertainment
services, and relationship services.

DESTINATION WEB WATCH LABORATORY TESTING: This laboratory test analyzes the user-friendliness and
functional effectiveness of websites by assessing decision-making processes of consumers when navigating a
site, through observation of their behavior, recording of their comments whilst they use a site, analysis of the
way they use it and in-depth interviews. It evaluates the efficiency of a website, including task difficulty, degree
of accessibility of information and dead ends, strengths and weaknesses of the website navigation,
appearance and clarity, and format of data posted.

DESTINATION WEB WATCH NEWSLETTER AUDIT: A well-crafted and targeted newsletter and email is a most
effective direct marketing approach on the Internet to promote customer loyalty and repeat visits. A properly
designed newsletter, which adds value for the customer, is a cost-effective means of driving traffic to a website
and of maintaining an ongoing relationship with visitors. The Destination Web Watch Newsletter Audit has
been developed to assist DMOs in making correct and effective use of electronic newsletters and to avoid basic
mistakes.

EXPERIENCE CYCLE: the experiences a tourist might have visualized as a cycle: from the first intent to decide to
travel, to dreaming, planning, booking and experiencing, until after the return home, reflecting, rejecting or
sharing experiences, and maybe deciding to go again.

FINDABILITY AND SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION (SEO): As the majority of Internet users start their search
for information via a search engine, a correctly optimized and high-ranking (and thus easy to find) website can
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LABORATORY TESTING: Website testing takes place in a laboratory, not by studying the behavior of real users
visiting the site in their home or office environment.
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META TAGS: All crawler-based search engines use some of the information in Meta Tags or Data to help categorize
the content of a site. Meta Tags are a part of the source code of a page as titles, headlines or descriptions. When
correctly formulated and individualized on each page, meta tags increase the chances of a high ranking on
relevant search results pages.

NAVIGATION: The navigation of a website is the representation of the information architecture (the structure) of
that website and the mechanism by which users move around it.

ORGANIC SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION: The process of paying attention to the critical success factors and
of choosing targeted keywords or keyword phrases and ensuring that the site appears high in the rankings when
those keyword phrases are used in a query.

PAID LISTINGS: The purchase of positioning for a web page in search results, for a specific search term. Pay-Per-
Click (PPC) charges the advertiser for each time a user actually clicks to the site. Google features PPC and other
types of paid listings or sponsored links on the top and right-hand side of the pages with search results.

USABILITY: The international standard ISO 9241 provides guidance on usability and defines it as: The extent to
which a product can be used by specified users to achieve specified goals with effectiveness, efficiency and
satisfaction in a specified context of use. Usability is about:

Effectiveness - can users complete tasks, achieve goals with the product, i.e., do what they want to do?

Efficiency - how much effort do users require to do this?

Satisfaction what do users think about the products ease of use?

WEB ACCESSIBILITY: means unrestricted access to the Web for everyone. It also means that people with
disabilities can perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with the Web, and that they can contribute to the
Web. Web accessibility encompasses all disabilities that affect access to the Web, including visual, auditory,
physical, speech, cognitive, and neurological disabilities.

WEB ACCESSIBILITY INITIATIVE (WAI): working groups within W3C, in coordination with organizations around
the world, pursue web accessibility through five important areas of work: technology, guidelines, tools,
education and outreach, and research and development. http://www.w3c.org/wai
 Glossary VII

WEB ACCESSIBILITY POLICIES: Web accessibility related laws and policies around the world. Developments
related to legislation are listed on the W3C website: http://www.w3.org/wai/policy/overview.html

WEB ANALYTICS: The analysis of website traffic data to understand user behavior, to evaluate the websites
effectiveness and to optimize it so that it best serves an organizations objectives. Other terms, such as web
metrics, web measurement or e-metrics, are used for this process of tracking and tracing the digital footsteps
Internet users leave behind.

WEB CONTENT ACCESSIBILITY GUIDELINES (WCAG): Outlines design principles for creating accessible web
content. Version 1.0 (WCAG 1.0) was published in 1999 and WCAG 2.0, at the time this publication was
written (winter 2004/2005), was in the Working Draft stage. Up-to-date information on the guidelines can be
found on http://www.w3c.org/wai

WORLD WIDE WEB CONSORTIUM (W3C): Non-profit organization that develops interoperable technologies
(specifications, guidelines, software, and tools) to lead the Web to its full potential. Organizations located all
over the world and involved in many different fields join W3C to participate in a vendor-neutral forum for the
creation of Web standards. http://www.w3.org

WTO/IFITT DESTINATION WEB WATCH ONLINE SURVEYS: Online surveys provide valuable insight into the
needs, preferences, opinions and satisfaction of the users of a website and other Internet services. The
Destination Web Watch Online Surveys provide information not only about users needs, opinions,
satisfaction, but also the websites impact on their behavior and reactions to the site, helping to give the DMO
a competitive edge in the new electronic marketplace.
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2QCV3Q META MODEL: Model developed by experts of the University of Trento as a set of questions to define
and evaluate the quality of the websites. This acronym stands for the Latin words quis? (who?), quid? (what),
cur? (why?), ubi? (where?), quando? (when?), quomodo? (how?), quibus auxiliis? (with what means?).
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 Introduction

In recent years, investment by destination management organizations (DMOs) in websites has

increased substantially. Online marketing activities make up an important part of the operational
programs of many DMOs, local, regional and national. The International Federation for IT and Travel &
Tourism (IFITT), and the World Tourism Organization (WTO) have agreed to jointly establish a scheme
to help DMOs evaluate and benchmark the quality and effectiveness of their web activities and their
return on investment. This report is an introduction to the scheme, which is called the WTO/IFITT
Destination Web Watch.

The WTO/IFITT Joint Project Organization of an Evaluation and

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Benchmarking Scheme for Destination Websites

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Work on the WTO/IFITT Joint Project Organization of an Evaluation and Benchmarking Scheme for
Destination Websites (the WTO/IFITT Joint Project) commenced in 2002 with the appointment l of a
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Project Group. Members of IFITT1 and representatives of the WTO Business Council brought their
unique expertise to this project, under the chairmanship of Dr. Roger Carter, and the supervision- of
the WTO Business Council CEO.

IFITT associates the WTO Business Council in their shared aim to stimulate the exchange of knowledge
and experience among its members and to contribute to the research and development process in the
growing and very important field of international travel and tourism. The successful partnership with
the WTO and this WTO/IFITT Joint Project are excellent examples of how both organizations strive to
realize its objectives.

Project Objectives
The objectives of the WTO/IFITT Joint Project are to:

Encourage and help DMOs to enhance the quality of their web activity and systems;
Enable DMOs to assess the performance of their websites, in relation to those of peer DMOs;
Facilitate cooperation between DMOs with regard to web activity and to encourage innovation of
products and services;
Enhance understanding of the key factors that influence the effectiveness of websites;
Develop and operate a scheme of practical and affordable services for DMOs that wish to
improve the quality and effectiveness of their web activities.

Preliminary Research
All market research reports show that there has been rapid growth in both the number of Internet users
who visit travel and tourism websites and the levels of travel-related spending online. While these
numbers are being monitored by various organizations, the precise needs and preferences of Internet
users world-wide are rarely taken into account.

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 2 Evaluating and Improving Websites - The Tourism Destination Web Watch

This certainly applies to users of tourism destination websites. Most research focuses on the supply
side. Additional research into what motivates people to visit tourism websites and to book online is
required.

In order to develop a better understanding of the requirements of destination website users in general,
an initial WTO Online User Survey was undertaken by IZT, Institute for Futures Studies and Technology
Assessment, during the summer of 2003. A broad range of factors possibly affecting users perception
of a destination website was assessed.

In the summer of 2004 the Project Group undertook a DMO Survey and a Destination Web Watch
Audit Pilot of DMO websites. Fifteen national, regional and local DMOs took part. To gain a better
insight into the character of their destination and their organization, into their marketing objectives and
their web activities, they were sent a questionnaire. Subsequently, one website of each participating
DMO was analyzed as part of an Audit Pilot. (The various chapters of this report will fully describe the
Destination Web Watch Audit developed for this project as well as many of the quality criteria used.)

About this Publication

This publication follows two earlier ones, published by the WTO Business Council. The first , the 1999
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Marketing Tourism Destinations Online publication, described the implications of the Information
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Age for marketing activities by the travel and tourism sectors. It covered the development and use of
electronic distribution systems and the emergence of the Internet as a distribution channel.

The second Study, E-Business for Tourism Practical Guidelines for Destinations and Businesses,
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followed in 2001. This publication included an overview of the changing value chains and the evolving
role of DMOs. After all, e-business impacts on all types of communication and business processes,
internally and externally. The reports objective was to assist DMOs and other tourism organizations in
their response to challenges by developing e-business systems, specifically websites.

This third publication Evaluating and Improving Websites is an introduction to the WTO/IFITT
Destination Web Watch, an evaluation and benchmarking scheme for DMO websites.

Chapter I focuses on defining success, on visions of and research into what makes a website a first-rate
and effective website. Important quality criteria categories and critical success factors for websites in
general and destination websites in particular will be discussed.

Chapter II describes the main methodologies for evaluating the quality and effectiveness of websites.

Chapters I and II also feature results of preliminary research - the Online User Survey, the DMO Survey
and the Audit Pilot.

Chapter III outlines the evaluation and benchmarking scheme, the WTO/IFITT Destination Web Watch,
and this schemes services that have been developed for DMOs.

The Project Group has focused on the quality and effectiveness of consumer-oriented destination
websites, as does this report. Research into critical success factors for MICE (Meetings, Incentives,
Conferences and Exhibitions) websites, travel trade websites, media sites and corporate DMO sites and
the development of services to evaluate these sites will be carried out in the future.

1
(IFITT is a non-profit organization. Since its establishment in 1996, IFITT has developed into the leading, independent global
community for the development and exchange of knowledge on the use and impact of new information and communication
technologies in the fields of travel and tourism. Members of IFITT comprise people employed in the travel and tourism
industry and institutional members, such as organizations, companies and research institutes ).
 Acknowledgements

WTO Business Council wishes to thank Ms Karin Nijhuis of Interimair Internet Consultancy for her
research on behalf of the Destination Web Watch project and for the coordination of the inputs from
the different authors of this book. Heartful thanks are also expressed to: Roger Carter of TEAM -Tourism
Enterprise and Management, Annelies Hellings and Betty Neijmeijer for their advise and patient
comments on drafts, to Britta Oertel of IZT- Institute for Futures Studies and Technology Assessment,
and Maggie Bowen of 2020 Strategies for their invaluable contributions, in particular to the sections on
online surveys and search engine optimization. Thanks are also due to Jamie Murphy and Patrick Horan
and to the staff of Adversitement and WebAbacus for sharing their expertise on web analytics.
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Antonio de la Morena Ballesteros

Chief Executive Officer, Affiliate Members
World Tourism Organization
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 Chapter I

Defining Success - Quality Criteria and Critical

Success Factors for Destination Websites

1 Introduction
What is a successful website? How can success be measured? What makes a website a quality website?
What makes a destination website an effective marketing tool? How can quality and effectiveness be
evaluated? There are no simple answers to these questions. In this chapter we will see that quality and
effectiveness have many facets - facets that can ensure that a website fully meets the wishes and needs
of users; facets that can ensure that a website fully contributes to meeting an organizations objectives.

In the past few years, many studies have been conducted into the factors that influence the quality of
websites. Ideas on website quality may differ, but there is also a great deal of common ground.
Usability and trustworthiness, for instance, are recurring concepts and it is helpful to see which aspects
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are considered to make a website user-friendly and to inspire the users confidence.
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To give an impression of the diversity in visions of and theories on the quality of websites in general
and on tourism websites in particular, we will briefly look at the:
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The AIDA concept;

2QCV3Q Meta Model, developed by the University of Trento.

We will describe in detail the approach of quality and those categories of quality criteria which experts
in the WTO/IFITT Joint Project have identified:

Accessibility and readability;

Identity and trust;
Customization and interactivity;
Navigation;
Findability and search engine optimization;
Technical performance and;
The service concept, which defines the quality of a website in terms of the quality of the services
offered via that website.

The objective is not to be exhaustive, but to create an awareness of the critical success factors.

We distinguish between:

Non sector-specific quality criteria and success factors that determine the minimum standards a
good website, and, therefore, any destination website, should meet;

Sector-specific quality criteria and success factors that assess the content and services provided
by a website in more depth and evaluate the qualities of the site as a destination marketing site.

However, initially we will look at two interesting examples of the visions of and theories on the quality
of websites, developed in recent years, that have influenced the work of the WTO/IFITT1 Project Group.
Both attempt to answer questions such as what does a website do and what should a website
contain?

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 6 Evaluating and Improving Websites - The Tourism Destination Web Watch

1.1 The AIDA Concept

For a study of the Internet activities of European DMOs, IZT (Institute for Futures Studies and
Technology Assessment) and dwif (German Economic Institute for Tourism Research at Munich
University) chose the AIDA concept.2 Point of departure was the belief that the appearance and
information structure in an attractive tourism site should correspond with the AIDA concept often used
in marketing:

Attention
On the homepage the user expects an overview (navigation structure, site maps), attractive
photos, special offers, logos, etc., which emphasize the uniqueness of the region (unique selling
points), and ways of communicating with the organization (colophon, contact button).

Interest
Attractive descriptions of the region or city and practical tips are expected (weather, travel
information, etc.). The more extensive the impression the potential guest gets of this destination,
the better. It whets the users appetite and increases the interest to visit the destination. The site
should contain descriptions of nature and historical and cultural attractions. Photos and, possibly,
sounds should be featured, as well as information on accommodation and travel within the
region, with maps and route planners.
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Desire
The desire to travel to the region is stimulated through an attractive description of the things to do
and see. Information on accommodations is also included in this section.
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Action
Stands for interaction and booking possibilities. Ideally, the desire to travel results in a reservation.
Communication and the contact possibilities should be optimal. Possibilities to search by
availability, online reservation possibilities, secure payment, etc., should be provided.

1.2 2QCV3Q Meta Model

A website must be complete and convincing with regard to a number of important aspects. In their
attempts to find a conceptual base and reference scheme for the evaluation of the quality of websites,
experts of the University of Trento used principles taken from rhetoric.3

The cognitive and social function of rhetoric is to discover and explain the rules of communication. It
does not aim to persuade, but to find the persuasive means that surround each argument. Rhetoric rules
try to verify the completeness of an exposition and may therefore also be used if this exposition is a
web presentation.

The Roman scholar Cicero described the principles of rhetoric in his De Inventione. At the University
of Trento these principles are used to shape a model, a set of properties and the relative questions that
can be used to define and evaluate success.

The 2QCV3Q Meta Model, as it is called (in Latin V stands for U), has been used to carry out studies
on the quality of the websites of regional tourist boards in the Alps. The model asks the following
questions about a website:

Quis? Who? Identity? The users trust in the websites owner is a most important factor. This
dimension, therefore, considers the image of the organization and all elements that make up its
identity;

Quid? What? Content? Content is evaluated in terms of the sites coverage of its domain in
accordance with the requirements of the sites owner and the user;
 Chapter I : Defining Success - Quality Criteria and Critical Success Factors for Destination Websites 7

Cur? Why? Services? Criteria related to this question evaluate the functions offered by the site;

Ubi? Where? Location? This dimension concerns the visibility of a site and, therefore, everything
that contributes to its accessibility. It also refers to the sites ability to provide tourists with a
location where they can interact with each other and with the organization;

Quando? When? Management? Criteria in this category address, among other things, the
maintenance of the site;

Quomodo? How? Usability? This dimension concerns all the aspects that enable relatively
undemanding use of the site in terms of cost, time or cognitive input;

Quibus Auxiliis? Feasibility? With what means? Includes all aspects strictly relating to project
management, including time and budget limits, skills required, choice of architecture, etc.

2 Important Quality Criteria and Critical Success Factors

To formulate their own quality criteria, experts involved in the WTO/IFITT Joint Project drew (with
acknowledgement and gratitude) on the thoughts and the experiences of colleagues, such as the ones
mentioned above. Also, they took into account the outcome of the most recent surveys into the factors
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that determine the quality and effectiveness of websites in general and of destination websites in
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particular and considered the current guidelines for web accessibility, legal requirements in key travel
and tourism markets, the behavior of search engine users, the factors which may influence the ranking
in search engines and the insights of people with hands-on experience in making websites work.
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In this chapter we will look at important categories of quality criteria and critical success factors and
results of the WTO Online User Survey. This publication is limited to consumer-oriented destination
websites, and does not deal with MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) websites,
travel trade websites, media sites or corporate DMO sites.

2.1 Accessibility and Readability

The development of the World Wide Web technology is in the hands of the World Wide Web
Consortium (W3C). W3C is a non-profit organization that connects numerous research institutes,
government organizations and commercial partners. The organization concerns itself with the
development and approval of interoperable technologies (specifications, guidelines, software and tools)
to lead the web to its full potential. Access by everyone regardless of disability is an essential aspect.
This section deals with accessibility and with possibilities to remove any barriers.

2.1.1 Barriers on the World Wide Web

Web accessibility means unrestricted access to the web for everyone, regardless of disability. Web
accessibility requires taking into account visual, reading, hearing, physical, speech, cognitive and
neurological limitations of potential users. It also means that an accessible information technology
system is one that can be operated in a variety of ways and does not rely on a single sense or ability of
the user. Users must be able to access the content using adapted strategies and assisted technologies.

Depending on the kind of disability of the potential users, we distinguish several types of barriers. A
few examples:

Visual barriers: concern those who are blind, have low vision or color blindness.
Blind people must be able to use an equivalent of the web content in Braille, tactile graphics or
audio. An example of a visual barrier is an image that does not have an alternative text. Other
visually impaired people that cannot read small fonts easily, should be offered the possibility to
enlarge the font. People with color deficient sight cannot, for example, difficulty distinguishing
between red and green.
 8 Evaluating and Improving Websites - The Tourism Destination Web Watch

Physical barriers: are experienced by those who suffer from motor disabilities and have trouble
handling the keyboard or mouse and other peripheral devices. To use the Web, people with motor
disabilities may use a specialized mouse or keyboard; a pointing device such as mouth-stick;
voice-recognition software; an eye-gaze system; or other assistive technologies to interact with the
information on websites. An example of a barrier is a form that cannot be tabbed through in a
logical order.

Cognitive and neurological barriers: are experienced by people that have for example dyslexia,
learning or memory or seizure disorders. Barriers arise from the use of unnecessarily complex
language, the flickering effect of web pages, a lack of consistent organization of the website.

2.1.2 Reaching all Potential Users

Web accessibility is a marketplace issue. At least ten percent of the population in most countries has
some form of disability. This is far too large a market share to ignore. Another important aspect is the
fact that the average age of the population in many countries is increasing. Ageing sometimes results
in combinations of accessibility issues: sight, sound and memory usually deteriorate. Removing or
preventing barriers in websites, however, is to the advantage of all users. An accessible website is a
website that is user-friendly and easy to read.

There are more advantages offered by websites that are fully accessible. Fully accessible web pages are
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or screen resolution. The web content is also accessible to a variety of web-enabled devices, such as
phones, hand-held devices, kiosks and network appliances.

In addition, there are carry-over benefits with regards to findability and search engine optimization.
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Web pages that are fully accessible to users are usually also easily accessible to search engine crawlers.

2.1.3 WAI Guidelines

The Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) working groups within W3C are engaged specifically with web
accessibility. In coordination with organizations around the world, they pursue web accessibility
through five important areas of work: technology, guidelines, tools, education and outreach, and
research and development.

WAIs Web Content Accessibility Guidelines outline design principles for creating accessible web
content. Version 1.0 (WCAG 1.0) was published in 1999 and defined target levels of accessibility. The
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 (WCAG 2.0) were published on November 19, 2004. Even
though WCAG 2.0 is at the moment this publication is written (winter2004/ 2005) still a Working
Draft, we list these guidelines here.4 Their scope is the same as the WCAG 1.0 guidelines, however, the
WCAG 2.0 guidelines outline the principles of accessibility more clearly.

2.1.4 OverView of Design Principles and Guidelines

The four basic principles and their WCAG 2.0:

Principle 1: Content must be perceivable

- Guideline 1.1 Provide text alternatives for all non-text content;

- Guideline 1.2 Provide synchronized alternatives for multimedia;
- Guideline 1.3 Ensure that information, functionality and structure are separable from
presentation;
- Guideline 1.4 Make it easy to distinguish foreground information from background images
or sounds.
 Chapter I : Defining Success - Quality Criteria and Critical Success Factors for Destination Websites 9

Principle 2: Interface elements in the content must be operable

- Guideline 2.1 Make all functionality operable via a keyboard or a keyboard interface;
- Guideline 2.2 Allow users to control time limits on their reading or interaction;
- Guideline 2.3 Allow users to avoid content that could cause photosensitive epileptic seizures;
- Guideline 2.4 Provide mechanisms to help users find content, orient themselves within it,
and navigate through it;
- Guideline 2.5 Help users avoid mistakes and make it easy to correct them.

Principle 3: Content and controls must be understandable

- Guideline 3.1 Ensure that the meaning of content can be determined;

- Guideline 3.2 Organize content consistently from page to page and make interactive
components behave in predictable ways.

Principle 4: Content must be robust enough to work with current and future technologies

- Guideline 4.1 Use technologies according to specification;

- Guideline 4.2 Ensure that user interfaces are accessible or provide accessible alternatives.

2.1.5 WAI Conformance Requirements

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WCAG 1.0 identified three priority levels:

Priority 1: checkpoints must be met, otherwise some groups will find it impossible to use the web
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documents;
Priority 2: checkpoints should be met in order to prevent barriers or remove significant barriers
to accessing websites/documents for some groups;
Priority 3: checkpoints may be addressed.

WCAG 2.0 identifies three levels of success criteria:

Level 1: success criteria that achieve a minimum level of accessibility and can be reasonably
applied to all web resources;
Level 2: success criteria that achieve direct accessibility without requiring users or their user
agents to do anything different from users without disabilities;
Level 3: success criteria that aim at enhanced accessibility.
Until now, a site had to meet priority levels. WAI has newly defined the conformance criteria as
follows:

Any conformance with WCAG 2.0 requires that all level 1 success criteria for all guidelines be
met;
WCAG 2.0 conformance at level A means that all level 1 success criteria for all guidelines are
met;
WCAG 2.0 conformance at level Double-A means that all level 1 and all level 2 success criteria
for all guidelines are met;
WCAG 2.0 conformance at level Triple-A means that all level 1, level 2 and level 3 success criteria
for all guidelines are met.
WCAG 2.0 and its success criteria have been formulated more clearly than WCAG 1.0. Even so, to
apply these guidelines and test them on conformance, relevant expertise and technical knowledge is
essential.
 10 Evaluating and Improving Websites - The Tourism Destination Web Watch

2.1.6 Conformance Requirements of Governments

Meeting the criteria of a fully accessible website is not restricted to meeting the WAI conformance
levels. Web accessibility has the attention of many national governments. Developments related to
legislation are listed on the W3C website: http://www.w3.org/wai/policy/overview.html.

The European Commission's Information Society Technologies Program supports WAI, for example. In
addition, the accessibility of websites for people with disabilities is a specific target of the eEurope
Action Plan. All member states commit themselves to apply the accessibility guidelines first to public
sites at European and national levels and to gradually extend such coverage to regional and local
levels. This means that corresponding resolutions of the EU have to be incorporated into national laws.
Regional and local government authorities are also drawing up binding accessibility regulations. As the
tourism sector is publicly supported in many countries, websites of the official national, regional and
local DMOs have to comply with the WAI guidelines, now or in the near future.

Some governments actively campaign for an accessible Internet. They stimulate organizations and
companies to adapt their sites to meet the WAI conformance levels. In return they are offered advice
(partly free) by experts of, for instance, a national accessibility bureau. An example is the 2001-2002
Barriers Gone campaign by the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport. Organizations that
signed a declaration of intent received ten hours free advice from an accessibility expert.5
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Accessibility of destination websites

In the summer of 2003 IZT and dwif analyzed the accessibility of the websites of the national
DMOs within the European Union.6 The researchers found that none complied with WCAG 1.0.
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Even the minimum, Priority 1, guidelines were not met by any of the sites. Some DMO sites
scored well on consistent availability of alternative texts for graphic elements. Other guidelines
were met with varying degrees of success.

For the summer 2004 Audit Pilot fifteen national, regional and local DMO sites from around the
world were evaluated. The results of this pilot were similar to the IZT/dwif analysis results. None
of the pilot destination websites were compliant with the Priority 1 guidelines. Individual
guidelines, however, had been understood and applied.

2.2 Identity and Trust

Trust is a recurring theme when discussing the quality of websites. The trust of website users is fragile.
This applies to users of an e-commerce site in particular. Compared with traditional shopping, online
shopping has the advantage that it takes relatively little effort and enables consumers to compare a large
range of products. On the down side, online shopping is still distrusted. In a recent study,
Christophersen and Konradt point out that this distrust is a result of users awareness of the risks:7

The risk that the supplier defaults on the transaction;

The risk that the supplier has the intention to deceive;
The risk that the transaction is not safe.

The first two risks are related to trust in the supplier, the third is related to trust in technology. Regardless
of the type of trust, e-commerce sites in particular must ensure that content and design inspire the users
confidence.

Nielsen has defined trust as the user's willingness to risk time, money and personal data on a website.8
Key actions to increase this willingness are to:

Provide a clear statement of purpose and state explicitly what a website offers that is of value to
users;
 Chapter I : Defining Success - Quality Criteria and Critical Success Factors for Destination Websites 11

Feature a logo/trademark on all pages of the site. This not only contributes to a consistent layout,
it is important to remember that many visitors do not access a site via the home page. These
Internet users enter a keyword in a search engine and thus enter a site. In his August 16, 2004
Alertbox newsletter, Nielsen writes that his research shows that users started from a search
engine 88% of the time when asked to complete a new task on the web.9 Regardless of the page
on which visitors access a site, it must immediately be clear who the site owner is;

Provide an About us or About <company name> page or a page with a similar title which is
common in the language of the site. Best practice is to clearly state:

- Name of organization;
- Location and postal address;
- Fax and telephone numbers;
- E-mail address;
- Opening hours;
- Profile or mission statement;
- Corporate registration details.

Include a privacy policy that clearly states the purpose of data collection, in the language of the
site. The privacy policy must meet all legal requirements for this type of document in key tourism
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markets;

Clearly state the terms for use of the site.

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Official tourism information sites need to communicate their status effectively within a crowded web
environment. For this reason, it is advisable to ensure that:

The URL of a website is related to the name of your destination;

The content is accurate and up-to-date;

It is clear that the website is the official site of a DMO and the graphic design of a site conjures
up the image of a DMO in the region concerned;
External links in the website and forms of advertisement are in keeping with the purpose of your
organization;
The images used accurately characterize the destination. Users may distrust obvious stock photos
using models;
The website indicates the source of information of special items.

2.3 Customization and Interactivity

The term customization is used here for matters regarding direct user control: the user explicitly selects
between certain options. Personalization is driven by the computer that tries to serve individualized
pages to the user, based on information of that user's needs. Personalization can build loyalty and
increase click-throughs, but seems to be appreciated in certain situations only, whereas effective sites
allow travelers to interact with the site to produce information tailored to their needs and to initiate
communication. It is therefore important to:

Provide a contact us link on every site page and/or list contact details in a footer (this is a
standard line at the bottom of every web page);
Ensure that this contact us link does not open the users e-mail program. It should link to an easy-
to-use form to answer questions and provide personal details. Presenting an empty e-mail screen
is not perceived as service. It does not invite a response and discourages many users from
contacting the organization in question;
 12 Evaluating and Improving Websites - The Tourism Destination Web Watch

Facilitate keyword search by providing a box (entry field);

Provide an easy-to-use form to report errors or give feedback;
Provide help for key tasks;
Provide an easy-to-use site map and/or site index.

DMOs can also:

Facilitate customization for/by multiple user groups (tourists, meeting planners, press, business
partners, etc.);
Differentiate information for several types of tourists;
Facilitate customization by market/language;
Fulfill the criteria most used by tourists in search engines for hotels, events, tourist attractions,
etc.;
Facilitate customization of the search for accommodation by price;
Facilitate customization of the search for accommodation by availability.

Other possibilities to offer information interactively and to allow users to tailor information to their
specific needs are:

A route planner for motoring holidays;

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A route planner for public transport;

An interactive idea generator or;
An itinerary planning tool.
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2.4 Navigation
The navigation of a website is the representation of the information architecture (the structure) of that
website and the mechanism by which users move around the website. The basic principles of how to
encourage users to navigate the content are among the most important critical factors that determine
the usability of a site. Much of the interaction between the user and the user interface is determined
and served through the navigation items. Navigation should be as smooth as possible and should
positively influence the users frame of mind.

Good navigation allows the users to easily answer the following questions for every page of the site:

What site am I on?

Where am I in the site?
What can I do here?
Where can I go from here?
Where is the information I am looking for?

A variety of navigation types can be used throughout a site. The most common include of course:

The global navigation that allows easy access to major parts of the site;
The local navigation which allows people to move around that part of the site they are currently
visiting;
The contextual navigation linking together related pages and often embodied as links within text
or lists of see also or referral links;
Supplemental navigation which comprises additional tools such as site maps and site indexes.
 Chapter I : Defining Success - Quality Criteria and Critical Success Factors for Destination Websites 13

Important navigation principles:

Show the global navigation of the site on every page;

Make sure the global navigation covers all content;
Ensure that the navigation menu has a logical and consistent structure and is easy to peruse;
Have a link or icon to home on each page;
If the site has deeper pages, provide breadcrumb navigation. This shows the path of navigation,
i.e. it mentions both the title of the page the visitor is currently viewing and the higher pages. The
breadcrumb navigation must use text links and > or / as separators;
If active icons are used, these must be easy to understand and internationally recognized, and a
so-called OnMouseOver alt text must be provided for each icon;
Distinguish between visited and unvisited links through color;
Use read on links or icons conveniently and consistently;
Provide referral links to related subjects in order to arouse the readers interest to explore a
website further.
With regard to the navigation of a destination website, there are more sector specific issues to consider.
These include:

Navigation facilitating early customization/selection by the various potential types users of the site
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(tourists, meeting planners, press, business partners, etc.);

A language switch on every page;
Navigation facilitating geographical search;
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The ability to search for information by interests or types of activities or kind of tourist/party;
The ability to search for information by season;
Links to other DMOs (national, regional or local).

Website effectiveness depends on how well a site performs with respect to the goals of an organization.
Each destination has individual characteristics and each DMO has its own organizational objectives
and marketing strategy. The type of site structure and navigation which will best serve those objectives
may require further research using, for example, online experiments and laboratory testing.
 14 Evaluating and Improving Websites - The Tourism Destination Web Watch

Relative importance of features

The question Which factors are more important than other factors? is an intriguing one.

For this reason, studies into the relative importance that users attach to various aspects of
websites are closely monitored for the WTO/IFITT Joint Project. The summer 2003 WTO Online
User Survey provides some insights into the relative importance that users of DMO sites attach
to the various features.

Figure 1: Which of the following design or security features of tourism Websites are
important to you?
(n=1.500)

The site is easy to navigate

The site uses a secure web server for data transaction
The site takes privacy seriously very important
The pages of this site load quickly ...
The site has search facilities ...
The site offers information in a choice of languages ...
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...
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The site looks professionally designed

The site provides printer-friendly pages unimportant
The site appears on the first page of search engines results
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The site provides useful downloads

The site recognizes that you have been there before
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Figure 2: How important to you are the following features of a tourism destination
Website?
(n=1.500)

The site offers up-to-date information

The site gives a contact e-mail address

very important
The site provides a quick e-mail response to
customer service questions ...
The site sends e-mails confirming reservations ...
or transactions you have made
The site gives the organization's postal address ...

...
The site is the official website of this destination
unimportant
The site provides useful links to tourism businesses in this area

The site's domain name matches the region's name

The site gives a contact phone number

The site offers an electronic newsletter with
special news and offers
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Source: IZT
 Chapter I : Defining Success - Quality Criteria and Critical Success Factors for Destination Websites 15

2.5 Findability and Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

The key indicator of poor search performance is not appearing on page 1 of important search engines,
such as Google, Yahoo and MSN. Important keywords or keyword phrases are a part of a web search.
The majority of Internet users start their search for a product or service via a search engine.

Because of the dominance of crawler-based search engines, a correctly optimized and high-ranking site
is likely to be the most cost-effective marketing spend.

Search perfomance of DMO sites

The sites of most DMOs participating in the summer 2004 Audit Pilot by the WTO/IFITT Project
Group were far from optimized for search engines. SEO is probably the least understood aspect
of website performance. The skills involved are not shared or understood outside a relatively
small community.

Other possible reasons for poor search performance of destination websites:

SEO requires the marketer to have a degree of interest in the architecture of his site, in the
source code or mark-up, and in so-called meta tags. Not all website builders point out to
marketers that input and coordination are essential to provide good content for those meta
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tags, for instance;

SEO is an ongoing process that needs to be carried out at individual site level. Site owners or
operators must be able to effect changes to page structure, text, links and meta data and
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monitor the effectiveness on search performance.

The WTO Online User Survey question on how users had found the website in question, clearly
showed the importance of findability.

Figure 3: How did you find this Website on the Internet?

(n=1.500)

Via a search engine

This site has proven useful to me before

Recommended by family, friends or colleagues

From a link or banner on another Internet Website

From a reference on a printed information brochure or guide book

From a reference in a newspaper or magazine

From a reference on the radio or on TV

Other
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

Source: IZT
 16 Evaluating and Improving Websites - The Tourism Destination Web Watch

2.5.1 Crawler-based Search Engines

The term search engine is used to describe both crawler-based search engines and human-powered
directories. These two types of search engines come by their listings in radically different ways. Human-
powered directories depend on humans for their listings. People submit a description to the directory
for the website or editors write one for the sites they review. Crawler-based search engines, such as
Google, create their listings automatically. They crawl or spider the web.

Crawler-based search engines have three major elements. The first one is the crawler. It visits and reads
websites, and then follows links to other pages within the site. The spider returns to the site once or
twice a month to look for changes.

Everything the crawler finds goes into the second element of the search engine, the index. The index,
or catalog, contains a copy of every web page the spider finds. If a web page changes, the index is
updated with the new information. Sometimes it can take a while for new pages or changes that the
spider finds to be added to the index. A web page may have been spidered but not yet indexed. Until
it is indexed, it is not available to people searching with the search engine.

Search engine software is the third part of a search engine. Search engine software sifts through the
millions of pages in the index to find matches to a query. The software ranks the matches in order of
what it believes is most relevant.10
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2.5.2 Organic SEO Versus Paid Listings

Before we discuss the critical success factors for search performance, it is important to clarify the
difference between Organic SEO and Paid Listings. Organic SEO is the process of paying attention to
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the critical success factors which will be dealt with here and of choosing targeted keywords or keyword
phrases and ensuring that the site appears high in the rankings when those keyword phrases are used.

A Paid Listing is the purchase of positioning for a web page in search results, for a specific search term.
Pay-Per-Click (PPC) charges the advertiser for each time a user actually clicks to the site. Google
features PPC and other types of Paid Listings or sponsored links on the top and right-hand side of the
pages with search results.11

The choice for Paid Listings is the obvious one if website owners:

Want quick results with the (new) site while Organic SEO takes effect;
Have a campaign that they wish to turn on and off;
Want to test search terms, products, offers, wording;
Have a search engine-unfriendly site they do not want to change.

This publication is not about advertising effectiveness. Its focus is on improving consumer-oriented
destination websites. Characteristics of sites which rank high in search engines are:

Maximized accessibility for search engine crawlers;

Optimized meta data;
Optimized content for important keywords;
Frequently updated and timely content;
Link popularity, that is, a high number of inward links.
 Chapter I : Defining Success - Quality Criteria and Critical Success Factors for Destination Websites 17

2.5.3 Maximized Accessibility for Search Engine Crawlers

It is of critical importance that both the site architecture and content are search engine- friendly. Sites
must be accessible to search engine crawlers which should not be hindered by any obstacles, such as:

Splash pages with little or no content;

Flash introductions;
Frames (multiple, independently controlled sections of a web page).

In the section on accessibility we already discussed the carry-over benefits of accessibility for search
engine optimization. If a website meets the WAI guidelines for accessibility and the source code
conforms to good practice, it is usually accessible to search engine crawlers.

Many destination sites have splash pages, usually designed to offer a language choice. Solving the
presentation of language choice in a search engine-friendly manner is a priority. If splash pages are
essential for a destination website, it is vital that they carry optimized text and meta data in relevant
languages. Even when text and meta are added, splash pages may lower the ranking of the deeper
pages.

2.5.4 Optimized Meta Data, Content and Links

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All crawler-based search engines use some of the information in Meta Tags to help categorize the
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content of a site. Meta Tags are a part of the source code lines of a page. Correctly formulated and
individualized meta data on each page, re-enforcing chosen search terms, will increase the chances of
a high ranking. Important Meta Tags are:
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Meta title: the title of the page: When a website is opened, the Meta title appears at the very top
of the page, e.g. in the blue bar at the top of Internet Explorer. Best practice is to include the
keywords you are targeting, but also to make sense when the title is displayed within a browser;

Meta description: a true description of an organization or business. This description should be

backed up with keywords and text that have been used on the home page;

Meta keywords: important keywords identified within the text on the page and included in the
keywords Meta Tag in the source code.

To identify keywords and optimize content, research into how users search must be carried out. The log
files of a website contain referring fields showing where the user came from, for example from which
search engine. They also reveal with which keywords a user started his web search when he arrived at
the site and are an invaluable source of information. See Chapter II for more information on web
analytics.

The target keywords should accurately reflect your sites content, and the other way around. Search
engines will check if the search keywords appear in the text near the top of a web page, usually in the
headline or in the first few paragraphs. They assume that any page relevant to the topic will mention
those keywords right at the beginning. Individual pages may be optimized for different target keywords
or phrases. Also internal and external text links should also reflect target keywords.

Destination websites should be optimized for geographic keyword phrases, e.g. Munich tourist
information, as well as themed phrases, such as water sports holiday Wales.

Search engines compare crawled pages with cached pages to determine how dynamic the content is.
There is evidence that frequently updated pages make a difference as to how frequently a site is
crawled. This can have a significant impact on ranking. The same applies to pages with dates or timely
content, such as festivals and seasonal offers.

All major search engine-ranking systems consider the quantity and quality of links a very important
factor. This includes reciprocal links to and from other sites and links from sites, such as portals and
 18 Evaluating and Improving Websites - The Tourism Destination Web Watch

directories. Improving the link popularity of a website helps to increase its popularity with search
engines.

2.6 Technical Performance

Glitches in the technical performance of a website are frustrating for visitors. They cause them to lose
trust in the site and in the organization operating it. To avoid losing visitor traffic to websites that
function better, it is important to ensure that:

All website elements are compatible with the most common browsers, such as Netscape and
Internet Explorer, and with the most recent versions of these browsers;
The website uses a web-compatible font;
The layout is liquid and allows users to adjust it to their own monitors/resolutions. If the layout is
not liquid, the site should load correctly when the resolution is 800x600 or higher;
Pages download quickly;
Logos and pictures do not exceed 20 Kb and can be downloaded correctly;
All external and internal links are intact;
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The site clearly indicates whether additional software or plug-ins are necessary, and that links are
provided to the site where this software can be downloaded;
The pages print properly or a printable version is offered.
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3 Successful Service Concept

The Internet is a layered phenomenon consisting of:

An information and communication technology infrastructure;

Which can, through universal agreements;
Use various applications;
Which allow people and organizations to offer and buy services;
Which may be used for economic, social, cultural, educational, scientific and other purposes.12

This vision on the Internet as a collection of services is also an excellent point of departure for the kind
of best-practice based evaluation, as outlined in Chapter II. After all, the quality of a website may be
defined in terms of the quality of the services offered via that site.

The following services may be distinguished:

Information services, which offer information to the Internet user. Information can be defined as
anything that is communicated in any form of language;
Contact services are services that enable direct contact with the owner of the website and with
other Internet users: for example, a contact us by e-mail option, a call back button, the option
of the support of a live person by (Internet Relay) Chat;
Transaction services: services that allow governments, companies, institutions and consumers to
conduct business online and to make agreements. Payments may be a part of transaction services;
Entertainment services, such as competitions and games, which can contribute to a positive
experience of a site;
 Chapter I : Defining Success - Quality Criteria and Critical Success Factors for Destination Websites 19

Relationship services comprising loyalty programs, saving programs, newsletters, incentives, etc.
Recruiting new clients is usually expensive and time-consuming. It is often easier for
organizations to increase their profits by selling more to existing clients. Relationship services aim
to turn existing clients into loyal clients, to create possibilities for permission marketing and to
maintain long-term relationships. The e-mail newsletter, however, is the best-known and main
type of relationship service.13

It goes without saying that many Internet services are a combination of information, contact and
transaction services. These services can have both an entertainment and a business character. It is this
very combination which can make a service very attractive; for the user, who can look and choose,
order and pay, and for the supplier who can work on his reputation and his relation with his client as
well as do business, all within one environment.14

The relationship between the quality of the services a website offers and the quality of the website in
general has been made clear in the previous paragraphs. In the description of the quality criteria for
accessibility and readability, identity and trust, customization and interactivity, we already came across
a range of services. We saw, for example, how to prevent possible barriers and reach all possible users
by providing the right information services, such as an alt-text for each non-text element in a website.
And we saw how to increase the trustworthiness of a website and of an organization by providing
information services, such as an about us page and a privacy policy.
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The opposite also applies: the quality of information services increases when the above quality criteria
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are applied and information is presented in an accessible, well structured, interactive way, tailored to
users needs, correct and up-to-date. The success of transaction services grows when the identity of an
organization is communicated clearly and when the site owner/organization does its utmost to
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promote trust.

More about information services and transaction services that define success will follow in this chapter,
as these services are critically important in defining the success of a destination website.

Some results of the WTO Online User Survey

Figures 4 and 5 give an insight into the relative importance that users who took part in the WTO
Online User Survey attach to the various types of services.

Figure 4: Did you access this website...?

(n=1.500)

For information purposes only

To order information brochures online

To buy travel products and services online

To make a reservation

To contact the Organization running this website

Other

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
 20 Evaluating and Improving Websites - The Tourism Destination Web Watch

Figure 5: Which activities are you typically interested in while on holiday?

(n=1.500)

Sightseeing
Historic Sites
Nature Sports
Art or Museums
Shopping
Local Cultures
Recreation Events
Outdoor Activities
Meeting people
Festivals or Fairs
Dining or Nightlife
Health or Wellness
Family Attractions
Other
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
Source: IZT
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3.1 Information Services

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If the Internet enables anyone to communicate easily with the end consumer, what is the role for
intermediaries, including DMOs?15 One of the possible answers to this question has to do with
optimization of information services.

It goes without saying that design, presentation, images, text and other features must serve the
objectives of the website and the organization. However, providing exhaustive, up-to-date and
unbiased information on a destination is added value that DMOs in particular can offer. Best-practice
based checklists therefore ask:

Does the website contain attractive eye catchers?

Does the site provide maps?
Does the site contain pictures and/or descriptions of the landscape?
Does the site give a description of the natural assets of the country or region?
Does the user of the site gain an easy understanding of the type of vacation that is possible in the
region?
Does the site give information on the accommodation alternatives?
Does the site provide information about wellness centers?
Does the site list information about the night life?
Does the site feature information about food and refreshment facilities?
Does the site mention local culinary traditions?
Does the site refer to locally grown or produced food products?
Is information available on different types of activities and their locations?
Is information provided on the condition of these locations (For example, local snow conditions,
range of skiing slopes, quality of the sea water)?
Is information featured on the cultural heritage of the destination?
Is information given about folklore and traditions?
Is there a kids corner?
 Chapter I : Defining Success - Quality Criteria and Critical Success Factors for Destination Websites 21

Is information provided on the local climate?

Is a current weather forecast accessible?
Is information provided on public transport?
Does the site feature information about prices?
Does the site provide information on opening/business hours?
Does the site provide information on holidays and public holidays?
Does the site give information on events?
Does the site provide information about the accessibility of hotels, tourist attractions, etc. for
disabled visitors?

3.2 Transaction Services

Internet transaction services are the services that allow an organization to conduct business online and
to make agreements. Payments may or may not be a part of transaction services, but are not an essential
component of these services.

Each destination has individual characteristics. Each DMO has its own organizational objectives and
marketing strategies, and operates within financial and political confines.
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Not all DMOs can offer a fully online bookable range of tourism products via their sites. Government
grants-in-aid, for instance, prevent some DMOs from competing with other parties, as a result of which
not the whole range of transaction services may be used.
unknown

Transaction services with which DMOs may enrich their website include possibilities to:

Reserve several types of accommodation on the website;

Reserve last minutes/special offers;
Purchase holiday packages;
Buy/reserve tickets for events, attractions or museums;
Buy flights;
Rent means of transport (cars, yachts, bicycles, etc.);
Purchase/make reservations for other holiday-related items, such as ski passes, loyalty/destination
cards, or merchandising;
Buy travel insurance;
Download or order brochures.
 22 Evaluating and Improving Websites - The Tourism Destination Web Watch

Some results of the WTO Online User Survey

The WTO Online User Survey showed that the majority of respondents all users of a DMO site
at that moment highly rate brochures as a source of information on travel destinations (figure
6). It seems advisable to offer ample opportunity to send brochures via the website and to make
sure this service is carried out correctly. Some DMOs experiment with printing on
demand/customized brochures. The likely success of such a service needs to be studied further.

Figure 6: How do you prefer to receive information about travel destinations?

(n=1.500)

As printed information brochures by mail

From the Web only

As newsletter by e-mail
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I do not want any information by mail or e-mail

unknown

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

Figures 7 and 8 give an insight into why and when a user decided to book online.

Figure 7: Have you ever booked or bought tickets or accommodation online?

(n=1.500)

Accomodation services

Airline or railway tickets

Tickets for events etc.

Last-minute arrangements

Package holidays

Other

0 10 20 30 40 50 60
 Chapter I : Defining Success - Quality Criteria and Critical Success Factors for Destination Websites 23

Figure 8: Are the following features important for your decision to book or buy travel
products and services Online?
(n=1.500)

Possibility to check the availability

Possibility to compare prices

Secure facilities for using credit cards online

Possibility to establish e-mail contact with tourism businesses

Good experience with online shopping in the past

Different options for paying online

Possibility to obtain products that cannot be purchased elsewhere

Possibility to shop day and night

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
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3.2.1 More Aspects of Usability

unknown

In their study mentioned earlier, Christophersen and Konradt explore the many mistakes made in
designing e-commerce sites and explain ways to avoid the pitfalls. Research shows that some 50% of
all users fail to successfully complete an order.

The importance of removing any possible cause of distrust, especially in e-commerce sites, has been
discussed already in the section on identity and trust. In addition to trust, usability is a decisive factor
for transaction services, as it is for information services.

Usability is the result of attending to the above mentioned important categories of quality criteria and
critical success factors. Usability is the quality criterion for software according to the ISO 9241
standards. In the ISO standards, usability has all three elements:

Effectiveness: the accuracy and completeness with which specified users can achieve specified
goals in particular environments;
Efficiency: the resources expended in relation to the accuracy and completeness of goals
achieved;
Satisfaction: the comfort and acceptability of a system to its users and other people affected by its
use.16

These are fairly abstract definitions. The well-known usability expert Nielsen uses a more accessible
one: Usability is a quality attribute that assesses how easy user interfaces are to use.17 He
distinguishes and tests five quality components of usability:

Learnability: how easy is it for users to accomplish basic tasks the first time they encounter the
design?
Efficiency: once users have learned the design, how quickly can they perform tasks?
Memorability: when users return to the design after a period of not using it, how easily can they
re-establish proficiency?
 24 Evaluating and Improving Websites - The Tourism Destination Web Watch

Errors: how many errors do users make, how severe are these errors, and how easily can they
recover from the errors?
Satisfaction: how pleasant is it to use the design?18

Experience with e-commerce sites, user competencies and motivations play an important role in online
shopping. Christophersen and Konradt emphasize that it is of paramount importance to take into
account the mental models that develop when people go shopping or online shopping. It is advisable
to offer the customer easy associations, for instance by given him a shopping cart on the website, and
to follow conventions and quasi-standards in design.19

3.3 Experience Cycle

In conclusion, if success is measured in terms of a continuing relationship between DMO and tourist,
than DMOs are advised to set up their information and other Internet activities in such a way that they
can serve the tourist during his/her complete experience cycle: from the first intent to dreaming,
planning, booking and experiencing, until after the return home, reflecting, rejecting or sharing
experiences, and maybe deciding to go again. To facilitate this, a destination website could, for
example, feature highlights of the destination for those who are still in the decision-making process and
the possibility to upload holiday pictures (possibly encouraged through a competition) and buy
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souvenirs online after returning home.

unknown

1 For more information about IFITT: www.ifitt.org.

2 Oertel et al. (2003), 60 ff. See also Oertel et al. (2001, 2002).

3 Mich & Franch (2000). Mich et al (2003, 2003a).

4 Retrieved December 5, 2004, from http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20.

5 Up-to-date information on policies regarding web accessibility can be found on http://www.w3.org/WAI/policy (retrieved
October 2, 2004). Slatin & Rush (2003).

6 Oertel et al. (2004).

7 Christophersen & Konradt (2004) 3-4.

8 Nielsen et al. (2001).

9 Nielsen (2004).

10 Up-to-date search engine resources can be found on, for example, http//searchenginewatch.com (retrieved October 2,
2004)

11 Barnes (2004).

12 Tiggelaar (1999) 15.

13 Godin (1999).

14 Tiggelaar (1999) 215-217. Some authors distinguish information services and communication services. But there is no clear
distinction between an information service and a communication service, since communication can be considered a transfer
of information. Entertainment services are mentioned here as a separate category for practical reasons. They can. of course,
be considered information services too, as these services contain information with the aim to entertain.

15 World Tourism Organization (2001) 16.

16 Christophersen & Konradt (2004) 7

17 Nielsen (2003a).

18 Nielsen (2003a).

19 Christophersen & Konradt (2004) 13 ff. See also: Nielsen(2000, 2001). Nielsen & Tahir (2001). Nielsen et al. (2001).
 Chapter II

Evaluating Success - Methods of Analysis

and Evaluation

1 Introduction
Chapter I made clear that ideas on website quality differ, but also overlap. A myriad of factors both
sector specific and non-sector specific make a destination website outstanding and effective and one
which contributes fully to the objectives of the DMO.

This chapter deals with the evaluation of quality and effectiveness of a website. We will see that the
types of evaluations have some overlaps too, but also address specific issues and can be used to
evaluate and improve a website in various stages of development and exploitation. The types of
evaluation discussed here are:

Best practice-based evaluations and measurements;

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Online surveys;
Web analytics;
Online experiments;
unknown

Laboratory testing.

2 Best Practice-Based Evaluations and Measurements

Best practice-based evaluation of a website or a newsletter is conducted by experts and is based on a
set of accepted quality criteria and critical success factors. In Chapter I various concepts and
approaches were outlined. Evaluation criteria should be based on the outcomes of research into the
factors that determine the usability and effectiveness of websites, the current guidelines for web
accessibility, legal requirements, the behavior of search engine users, the factors which may influence
the ranking in search engines as well as the insights of people with hands-on experience in making
websites work.

Ideally the evaluations are scalable and flexible or modular, to allow for:

Evaluations with varying degrees of detail;

Evaluations at a generic (sector-independent) level; assessing in terms of the minimum standards
any good website should meet;
Evaluations at the level of a domain or sector such as tourism destinations;
Evaluations at the level of a specific purpose, i.e. meeting the requirements of, for example, niche
consumer markets, the corporate sector, travel trade, etc.;
Evaluations at the level of an individual company or organization.

Each organization has individual characteristics and its own organizational objectives and marketing
strategy. A full website evaluation should, therefore, be preceded by an in-depth discussion of these
factors. This enables the analyst to fully understand all the factors that define effectiveness. The services
provided by the website and the organizations other communications with and activities for Internet
users should be rated in the context of this knowledge.

2005 World Tourism Organization - ISBN 92-844-0917-9

 26 Evaluating and Improving Websites - The Tourism Destination Web Watch

A best practice-based evaluation may involve desk research, testing of technical aspects of the site and
some mystery shopping in order to assess fulfillment of, for instance, contact and transaction services
offered on the website. Does the organization, for example, reply to e-mails within the promised period
of time? Does the organization indeed send the promised brochures?

Most quality criteria and critical success factors allow for an objective decision, based on the
application of detailed guidelines, measuring or performance testing. Some criteria require a more
subjective decision by the analyst. If this is the case, the analyst must make this clear in the report.

3 Online Surveys
Online surveys are an excellent means of obtaining an insight into the needs, preferences, opinions and
satisfaction of the users of your website. Knowledge on online surveys has increased constantly in the
past years. This applies to both e-mail surveys and website surveys.

Debatable aspects of web-based survey data are how far web users reflect the profile of the overall
population, and how far the respondents to online surveys reflect the profile of the users of the website
in question. The latter is the more relevant issue, since the population of people that we wish to survey
is one of web users. The essential requirement then is to achieve the highest possible response rate, i.e.
proportion of those asked to participate agreeing to do so.
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In the early Internet years the typical Internet user, and therefore respondent in online surveys, was
young, male and usually well educated. In the course of the years, the group of Internet users has come
to reflect the average population. This has considerably increased the significance of web-based
unknown

surveys.

Scores of suppliers have been offering excellent tools for online surveys for a number of years. The user-
friendliness and the current prices of online surveys make this a very accessible means of evaluating
websites. This has also, however, resulted in people underestimating the methodical knowledge
required on how online surveys must be set up and interpreted. Some experience with empiric social
research and knowledge on the use of the Internet is essential.

3.1 Key Actions for Successful Execution of Online Surveys

When setting up an online survey it is particularly important to:

Pay careful attention to the way in which potential respondents are invited to take part in the
online survey;
Limit the length of the questionnaire to 12 - 15 questions;
Avoid programming mistakes in the questionnaire and the database;
Pay careful attention to how both the individual questions and the questionnaire as a whole are
formulated and designed. Respondents should understand the meaning of the question easily. The
questionnaire must raise the interest of the respondent and hold his/her attention;
Include information on confidentiality and data security. Despite your best efforts to protect
respondents identities, it is virtually impossible to fully guarantee their anonymity. You may only
guarantee confidentiality and reassure respondents that you will not attempt to capture
information that they do not provide voluntarily;
Tailor the questionnaire to the target group.

The most popular types of questions that researchers use in surveys are multiple choice, ratings, scales
(excellent/poor), agreement scales (agree/disagree) and short answer questions allowing either numeric
answers or text answers (fixed length or open end).
 Chapter II : Evaluating Success - Methods of Analysis and Evaluation 27

The most common faults in online surveys are:

Inaccuracies and mistakes in the translation of questionnaires into other languages;

Questionnaires that are too long and tedious;
Questions that are too long and offer a large number of options, such as complex so-called Matrix
questions.

Potential pitfalls include:

Formulating the text in a way that is not adequate for the medium;
Neglecting to consider performance and other technical issues, such as speedy download times.
Slow modem connections or high telecommunication costs may discourage some respondents.

It is important not to underestimate the dynamics of the Internet. The theory that the Internet has come
of age must also be considered when putting together online surveys. The principle of Customer
Relation Management (CRM) applies: It is much harder to win a new client (or an online survey
respondent) than to lose an old one.

Technological developments must be monitored. Online surveys, for instance, are often presented in
the form of pop-ups. It is not yet known what the effect will be of the possibility offered by the newest
generation of Internet browsers to intercept and not show pop-ups. However, even before this
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alternative options to attract the attention of the Internet user.

Key actions to interest people in taking part in an online survey:

unknown

Communicate the objectives and the reason for the survey clearly. After all, people are more
inclined to take part in a survey when they are interested in the topic and consider the objectives
worthwhile;
Offer to inform respondents about the results of the survey. The willingness to take part in a survey
increases when respondents know that the results may be of interest to them, either on a personal
or professional level;
Offer an incentive for instance the opportunity to win a prize in a raffle among respondents. This
motivates people to take part.

3.2 Advantages and Disadvantages of Online surveys

Online surveys are especially valuable for evaluating websites and other Internet services. If the
objective is to assess the needs and wishes of customers or potential customers in general, online
surveys offer several advantages compared with the more conventional types of surveys, such as face-
to-face and telephone interviews.

Some online survey advantages:

Less costly than conventional research methods;

Results are available more quickly than those from conventional research methods. The greatest
strength of online survey data collection is the potential to collect a large amount of data in a
relatively short amount of time;
Personal topics or opinions can be more easily discussed online as respondents never actually
meet face-to-face;
Easier access to a global community.
 28 Evaluating and Improving Websites - The Tourism Destination Web Watch

Some online survey disadvantages:

Finding the right respondents for a survey or focus group can be difficult;
No personal interaction;
Security or confidentiality concerns may apply;
Slow modem connections or high telecommunication costs may discourage some respondents.

4 Web Analytics - Tracking and Tracing User Behavior

Web analytics can be defined as the analysis of website traffic data to determine a websites success
and to understand customer behavior. Other terms, such as web metrics, web measurement or e-
metrics, are used for this process of tracking and tracing the digital footsteps Internet users leave behind.
Web analytics comprises an array of competing technologies and approaches and is a very versatile
instrument.

Web analytics may be used to:

Analyze user behavior in order to examine a websites effectiveness in terms of actual usage and
to learn how to optimize the site so that it best serves business objectives;
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Measure the relative value and return-on-investment of marketing campaigns and the different
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ways of promoting a site. Analyzing how visitors arrive at a website, and how they behave once
they are there, provides an insight into the performance of the marketing efforts that directed them
to the site in the first place;
unknown

Track outbound marketing response if advertising is hosted on a site;

Establish how effective a website or the Internet activities of an organization as a whole are in
providing a service to its clients and partners (for example, SMEs, in the case of a DMO);
Benchmark a sites performance with other DMO sites.

4.1 Data Collection

Web analytics is based on data collection. There are several ways to obtain data on where site visitors
come from, what they do while they are on a site, how they leave the site and where they go, for
example:

Server-side data collection: log files generated by the server that hosts a site. Every time a user
types in a web address (URL) or clicks on a link, the users web browser requests a file from the
server. These requests are recorded by the servers software. Tools both free and commercial
can analyze these data. Data which may be stored in server log files include:

- Requested URL, or address of the web page;

- Return code or status of the request;
- Internet Protocol (IP) address of the requesting computer;
- Domain name of the requesting computer;
- Browser version the requesting computer used;
- Date and time of the request.

Log files help address questions on visitor behavior, including:

- First page visited;
- Last page visited;
- Navigational sequences;
 Chapter II : Evaluating Success - Methods of Analysis and Evaluation 29

- Average number of pages visited;

- Referring fields showing where the user came from, i.e. from which website, which
advertisement, which search engine, and with which keywords a user started his web search
when he arrived at the site.

Client-side or browser-based data collection, whereby data is collected directly from the users
browser. A tracking code or tag, usually a so-called JavaScript, is placed on each web page. When
a visitor views a page on the site, the code sends a stream of information to a server about the
page and the user, such as the variables mentioned above;

Hybrid solutions, i.e. a combination of the methods mentioned above.

Exactly which information is captured in the log files and the tracking codes depends on how the server
and the tags are configured. Other information, such as data from a product catalog or a CRM database,
can be brought in and combined with the user behavior information. Most web analytics tools allow
for this type of external data to be looked up when reports are generated.

An insight into the number of unique visitors and their behavior can only be generated if an identifying
file, better known as a cookie, is placed on the users hard drive, or when visitors accept to register.
Even when users do not disable or delete cookies, this method is not totally accurate. A user may use
more than one computer or multiple users may use the same computer.
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4.2 Some Advantages and Disadvantages of the Respective Methods

unknown

It is outside the scope of this publication to provide a full analysis of the relative merits of server-side
data collection or log files versus client-side or browser-based data collection. We mention a number
of key issues.

Client-side data collection captures almost all traffic, whereas server-side data collection does not. This
is to do with the fact that in order to deliver web pages fast, Internet Service Providers (ISPs) cache
pages on their proxy server. Browsers also cache pages. Storing pages locally on a proxy server or users
hard drive yields faster download times should the user return to those same pages.

Servers do not record the requests for these cached pages. Systems that provide client-based data
collection detect all displayed pages, regardless of the source, because all data is gathered directly from
browsers. Common estimates are that 20% of the typical web traffic is served by caching servers instead
of the web servers that originated the content.

Client-side data collection provides a more accurate representation of certain aspects of visitor
behavior in that actual visitor experience is monitored, rather than the requests for files. Moving the
client-side tracking code from the top to the bottom of a large web page or under important content,
for example, can result in a significant difference in total page views. This stems from the fact that
visitors often move to another page before the page they have requested has been fully loaded in their
browser. The content is not viewed. In addition, surfers following familiar paths often jump between
pages quickly, without viewing page content. Log files do not record page views of visitors using the
back-button or refresh command, because no server requests are made.

Client-side data collection can give dynamic pages, for example a search results pages, unique
identifiers. These allow client-side reports to provide accurate statistics for dynamic content.

Pages which are composed of frames (multiple, independently controlled sections) are not counted
more than once in client-side data collection, whereas server-side data collection does. The tracking
code is included in just one section, usually the frame page containing important content rather than
the global navigation.
 30 Evaluating and Improving Websites - The Tourism Destination Web Watch

The log files of a website also store the visits by search engine crawlers. These obscure actual visitor
behavior. In client-side data collection a 1 x 1 pixel transparent .gif file may be returned within an
invisible layer of a clients web page. Search engine crawlers do not load this image and as a result the
records automatically exclude the numerous crawler visits.

However, client-side data collection, the tagging, can have a slight impact on the performance of the
website, while server-side data collection has no impact.

On balance, client-side data collection probably provides more useful options for capturing data, while
server-side log analysis can be applied retrospectively, if needed.

A combination of the two is the perfect choice.1

4.3 Selecting Online Behavior Analysis Tools

When selecting online behavior tools, it is important to consider the following aspects:

The ease with which the tool can be set up;

The costs of ownership;
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Security. Outsourcing to a provider and local maintenance each have their own security issues;
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Integration. Can historical data be analyzed? What are the possibilities and ways to integrate
external data and what is;
unknown

The impact combining data has on security. Does this involve sending sensitive data over the
Internet?
Accuracy. Does the tool provide accurate data and does it have the back up of an independent
body, such as ABC Electronic. Initiatives, such as ABC Electronics Associate Subscriber Scheme,
provide an independently audited certification of web traffic;2
Reporting flexibility. Can reports be consulted real-time or does it require much extra time, effort
and money to obtain the required information?
Scalability. Can the tool develop with an expanding site and with the changing needs within the
organization?3

Web analytics by DMOs

At no other time in the history of marketing was it possible to gain so much information on
clients browsing and purchasing behavior so fast and at such relatively low cost. Murphy and
Hofacker write: Online marketing offers a fast-paced cycle of optimizing, based on effective
feedback.4 However, these data are underutilized which unfortunately results in online
marketing efforts being far less efficient and effective than they could be. Despite the potential
of log data, most marketers are content with a cursory glance at simple, canned reports of their
website activity.

The results of the summer 2004 DMO Survey for the Destination Web Watch confirm Murphy
and Hofackers opinion. DMOs were asked whether they carried out log file analysis, what they
were measuring at the time and how they used the information provided. Even though only
fifteen DMOs took part in this survey, their answers give reason to believe that many DMOs
monitor results regularly but superficially and without taking appropriate action.

Conducting log file analysis does not seem to be a major problem to DMOs, with 85% of
respondents conducting this type of analysis. Approximately one third focused their attention on
the basic data, such as the number of visits and page views. More than 50% say they conduct a
 Chapter II : Evaluating Success - Methods of Analysis and Evaluation 31

more comprehensive log file analysis and study real-time data, referral pages, search engine
referrals, opt-in pages, opt-out pages, etc.

Generally speaking, the destination websites basic log file information and updates are
presented in monthly reports provided by the analysis tool, in order to monitor trends. The
information is regularly published in reports provided by the DMO for the government, DMO
partners and members. Reports are used to justify divisional budget allocations and marketing
expenses by partners and members.

The DMOs focus on checking which content or language/market version users are most
interested in, and the allocation of resources seems to be concentrating on this area. Only three
of the DMO Survey respondents use the information gathered from log files to enhance the
usability of their website, to improve the performance of their website with respect to their
organizational objectives and/or to calculate the returnon-investment of their online
campaigns.

4.4 Identifying Goals, Measuring Effectiveness, Taking Action

The objective of web analytics is to measure and analyze online events in order to improve the
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effectiveness of websites. Identifying the goals of the organization, identifying measurement criteria,
weighting measurement criteria, i.e. determine which metrics will reveal how well they are attaining
those goals and measuring the effectiveness of the website with the criteria and metrics identified, are
necessary steps.
unknown

Website effectiveness depends on how well a site performs with respect to the organizations
objectives. Measuring everything possible in the hope of finding something that is of value is not cost-
effective. It is much more effective to focus on measuring what really matters to the organization:
optimizing the design and the navigation, for instance, or maximizing revenue and return-on-
investment. Improving customer relationships or brand building may be addressed too. Each strategic
and marketing objective requires a specific approach and the studying of specific metrics. If the main
goal is revenue, for example, the factors that stimulate the customer to buy must be identified.

Subsequently, the results are analyzed to try and understand the events that lead to these results. It is
important that action plans are indeed carried out. Meanwhile, the measuring activities must be
continued, for web analytics should be an ongoing process.

5 Online Experiments
Collecting and analyzing data on user behavior on an existing site can yield extremely valuable
insights. This certainly applies to online experiments. These experiments monitor the behavior of users,
who are shown different versions of a website or a web page at random.

We have noted already that extensive information on quality criteria and critical success factors for
websites in general and destination websites in particular has been gathered in recent years. We have
also stated that further research is necessary and that cut-and-dried answers are not always available to
the question of which characteristics support the specific objectives of websites and organizations.
Correctly executed online experiments, however, can usually answer this question.
 32 Evaluating and Improving Websites - The Tourism Destination Web Watch

Experiments can be executed at various levels, such as:

Individual link; experiments can test, for example, wording or the icon or image that anchors the
link;
Web page; the effectiveness of the presence, the number, the appearance and the position of the
various elements - text, images, links can be tested;
Whole website; online experiments can show the best site structure and how to present that
structure to the user in the best way; for example, which navigational structure best supports the
website objectives.

Murphy and Hofacker describe the several mechanisms that can help execute online experiments.5 A
so-called CGI script that generates the random number can log the page version sent and the visitors
IP address. After identifying unique visitors to the site, the log generated by the CGI script can classify
these visitors according to the page version they saw. There are other possible mechanisms and some
relevant expertise is essential to correctly execute online experiments and to avoid possible pitfalls.

6 Laboratory Testing
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6.1 Laboratory Testing Versus Online Experiments

Laboratory testing also has experimental aspects. However, it differs from the online experiments
unknown

described above in that:

Methodology takes place in a laboratory, not by tracking and tracing the digital footprints left
behind by real users visiting the site in their home or office environment;
Laboratory respondents are recruited to visit a site and perform tasks in a controlled environment,
while online experiments use real visitors to (versions of) a site;
Demographics of the users are known, whereas with online experiments only the IP address and
the operating system of the user are known;
Online experiments may be used to assess the effect of specific web page elements; laboratory
testing provides a much richer evaluation of the overall usability of the website.

6.2 Methodology
In laboratory testing, people perform a sequence of typical tasks using a website and are observed
while performing these tasks. This way of evaluating websites has a myriad of possibilities and a
detailed description of testing methodologies is beyond the scope of this report. Relevant aspects that
are recorded in a test plan and script or scenario are:

The objectives of the test, i.e. the issues and questions to be answered and their priorities;
The recruitment procedure and the characteristics of the desired test participants, i.e. people
whose characteristics (or profiles) match those of the websites target audience;
The description of the typical tasks the test participants should perform and instructions;
Instructions for the test facilitators, a support team, if required, and other observers;
 Chapter II : Evaluating Success - Methods of Analysis and Evaluation 33

The way in which observations are recorded and other data are collected, usually a combination
of:

- Notes taken by observers at specific prompts in the test script;

- Audio-visual records of what the test participants do;
- Web analytics, i.e. the analysis of server-side (log files) and/or client-side data on the behavior
of the test participants;
- Questionnaires to be filled in by the test participants;
- Debriefing/exit interviews with the test participants.

Result reporting.

6.3 Strengths of Laboratory Testing

Best-practice evaluations and measurements, such as the audits and evaluations outlined in the
following chapter, are carried out by skilled and experienced analysts. Real users often surprise the
testers, encountering unexpected problems, or handling anticipated problems with ease.

As mentioned before, laboratory testing can provide a much richer evaluation of the overall usability
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of the website. Some matters that can be tested:

How accessible is information? How long does it take users to find desired information on a
search site? How many and what kind of errors do users make in finding the desired information?
unknown

Which of two alternative navigations or designs for a home page do users prefer, and why?
What problems do users encounter when using the booking facilities or when downloading a
brochure? How long does the process of, for example, making a hotel reservation take and how
long do users want it to take?

Experience shows that laboratory testing yields actual user experience, valuable measurable answers
and quantitative data related to usability issues, despite being an artificial situation. In general, test
participants engage strongly with the test tasks, because it is a human desire to be successful and
perform tasks well. To a degree they forget the distractions of the laboratory, such as the presence of
the testing facilitators, the presence of mirrors and audio-visual equipment.

The two main reasons for this are the power of engagement and the suspension of disbelief.

It would be ideal to regularly conduct field studies and observe users behavior in their natural
environment. However, this is complex and costly. Fortunately, test participants are well able to
overcome a labs artificial nature, pretend to be at home and that the scenario is real. For test
participants to simply attempt the task at hand and display authentic behavior, certain conditions must
be met:

The test tasks need to be realistic and;

Representative users who might actually perform such tasks in the real world must be recruited.

Assuming that both conditions have been met, most usability participants will suspend disbelief and
simply attempt the task at hand.6
 34 Evaluating and Improving Websites - The Tourism Destination Web Watch

6.4 Points of Special Interest with Regard to Laboratory Testing

Nielsen points out that test participants sometimes work harder on tasks in a test session than they
would at home. At home a user would probably give up sooner when encountering difficulties than
during the test.7

Conducting laboratory testing correctly requires expertise. In the ideal situation the site owner and
skilled/experienced facilitator formulate the abovementioned aspects, set up the test and ensure that all
people involved are optimally prepared for their roles in perfect accord.

The above combination of methods of gathering data and accurately recording and analyzing what the
test participants do is essential. It is not sufficient to believe what they say they do, have done or will
do in the future. According to Nielsen, users self-reported data is often removed from the truth, for
people bend the truth to accommodate the test facilitator and in reporting what they remember people
tend to rationalize their behavior.

1 WebAbacus (2002). Swamy (2002). Sterne (2002). Murphy et al (2001). Hofacker & Murphy (2005).

2 http://www.abce.org.uk (Retrieved October 5, 2004).

3 WebAbacus (2002).
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4 Hofacker & Murphy (2005) 227.

5 Murphy et al (2001). Hofacker & Murphy (2005).

6 Kantner. & Rosenbaum (1997). Nielsen (1997, 2001, 2003, 2003a, 2005). Australian Government Information Management
unknown

Office (2004).

7 Nielsen (2005).
 Chapter III

The Destination Web Watch

1 Introduction
The aim of the WTO/IFITT Destination Web Watch scheme is to help DMOs to enhance the quality of
their web activities and systems and to enable them to assess the performance of their websites, in
relation to those of peer DMOs.

The people and organizations involved in the project share their expertise on the quality and
effectiveness of websites in general and of destination websites in particular. At the same time, they
research and develop the methodologies for evaluating the quality and effectiveness of websites, as
described in Chapter II. These types of evaluation are presented as practical and affordable services
which the experts or trained and licensed service providers offer on a commercial basis. The objective
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of this chapter is to introduce these Destination Web Watch services.

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2 Services
unknown

At the time of publication of this report, the Destination Web Watch scheme offers:

Three services in the category best-practice based evaluation and measurement: a website Audit,
a full website Evaluation and a Newsletter Audit;
Online user surveys;
Laboratory testing services.

The services may be used separately to evaluate the quality and effectiveness of web activities or may
complement one another. They address specific issues, as we have seen in Chapter II. DMOs may, for
instance, choose to have the basic quality of their website evaluated by way of an audit, after which
laboratory testing may be carried out to, for example, further optimize navigation and design.

3 Destination Web Watch Audit

3.1 Objectives
The Destination Web Watch Audit has been designed to provide DMOs with a quick and reliable tool
to ascertain the quality of their websites.

The Audit is an excellent benchmarking tool. It not only allows a DMO to compare the performance
of its sites based on criteria which have been set by experts, it also allows comparison of the sites
performance with peer DMO sites.

The Audit is not sector or subject-specific. It is an initial, sound assessment of the minimum standards
a good website, and, therefore, also a destination website, should meet. The Destination Web Watch
Evaluation (see below) is a more in-depth evaluation which also assesses sector-specific critical success
factors.

2005 World Tourism Organization - ISBN 92-844-0917-9

 36 Evaluating and Improving Websites - The Tourism Destination Web Watch

3.2 Method
The Destination Web Watch Audit assesses some 150 quality criteria and critical success factors for
websites in the following six categories:

Accessibility and readability;

Identity and trust;
Customization and interactivity;
Navigation;
Findability and search engine optimization;
Technical performance.

The criteria are based on the current guidelines and recommendations of the World Wide Web
Consortium (W3C) for the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI), on the outcome of surveys into the factors
which determine the trustworthiness and usability of websites, on legal requirements in key travel and
tourism markets, on the behavior of search engine users and on the factors which may influence the
ranking in search engines, and on the insights of people with practical, hands-on experience of making
websites work.

Each criterion is given a standard weighting in a database, representing its relative importance. A
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critical criterion has a higher standard weighting than a less critical one. Each criterion is also given a
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maximum weighted score. This is the importance weighting multiplied by the maximum possible score.
The maximum weighted score defines an ideal.
unknown

Most criteria allow for an objective decision, based on the application of detailed guidelines,
measuring or performance testing. Some criteria require a more subjective decision by the auditor. If
this is the case it will be made clear in the Audit Report. The scores for each criterion are entered into
the database, which generates the weighted score, i.e. the multiplication of the score by its importance
weighting.

3.3 Report and Action Plan

The DMO will have online access to the database to peruse the Destination Web Watch Audit results
of its site. The log-in codes allow access to the scores and comments for the individual criteria and the
total scores per category. The total scores give an insight into the percentage of perfection per
category.

The DMO can compare the quality of its site with the sites of other participating DMOs, by comparing
its score for each category with the average of all sites and with the lowest scoring and the highest
scoring site.

The Audit not only gives the DMO the scores. A written report will provide in-depth advice on key
website issues. For each of the six categories - accessibility and readability, identity and trust,
customization and interactivity, navigation, findability and search engine optimization, and technical
performance the sites main weaknesses will be identified. In addition, the Audit Report will propose
recommendations for correcting weaknesses and contain an action plan for improving the quality of
the site.
 Chapter III : The Destination Web Watch 37

4 Destination Web Watch Evaluation

4.1 Objectives
A Destination Web Watch Evaluation includes:

A Destination Web Watch Audit (as described above) and;

An in-depth strategy based evaluation of services and content.

The Audit assesses the general quality of a site. The in-depth strategy-based Evaluation evaluates the
qualities of the site as a destination marketing site and judges the DMOs performance as an online
marketer.

As each destination is individual in its characteristics and has its own operating objectives and
marketing strategy, the site is evaluated after an in-depth discussion of these factors with the DMO,
enabling the Evaluator to understand these factors fully. The services provided by the website and by
the DMOs other communications with and activities for Internet users are assessed in the context of
this knowledge as are the financial and political confines within which the DMO operates.

The aim is to make the DMO aware of the critical success factors that its site must meet to be an
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effective tool in the total marketing strategy.

unknown

4.2 Method
The Destination Web Watch Audit is based on circa 150 general criteria, irrespective of the objectives,
strategy or operating constraints of the DMO. The Destination Web Watch Evaluation, on the other
hand, will also take as its starting point what the DMO is trying to communicate and its general
marketing strategy. The evaluation of online marketing activities is undertaken in the context of this
knowledge. For this reason, this Evaluation starts with an interview and with the gathering of
knowledge by means of a questionnaire. This enables weighting of criteria to be individualized for the
objectives and strategy of the destination and it allows the Evaluation to focus on the most important
criteria in achieving these objectives.

The in-depth Evaluation of content and services consists of more than 120 criteria. These relate to the
presence, quality and performance of the following services:

Information services;
Contact services;
Relationship services;
Transaction services;
Entertainment services.

The Evaluation involves desk research, testing of technical aspects of the site, and some mystery
shopping in order to assess fulfillment.

4.3 Report and Action Plan

The report addresses issues that are important in the achievement of the objectives of the individual
DMO and highlights areas where information and/or services are well delivered and where
improvements can be made. It provides an insight into the quality and performance of these services,
in the context of the DMOs strategy. The Evaluation includes a written report and action plan with
recommendations for improvements.
 38 Evaluating and Improving Websites - The Tourism Destination Web Watch

The DMO is given online access to the database where the results of both elements comprising the
Destination Web Watch Evaluation (the Destination Web Watch Audit and the in-depth strategy-based
Evaluation) may be viewed.

5 Destination Web Watch Newsletter Audit

5.1 Objectives
A well-crafted and targeted newsletter is the most effective direct marketing approach on the Internet.
More and more DMOs are using newsletters and e-mail to promote customer loyalty and repeat visits.
A properly designed newsletter, which adds value for the customer, is a cost-effective means of driving
traffic to a website and of maintaining an ongoing relationship with visitors. It can also provide
important benefits for destinations.

However, the reputation of a DMO may be damaged unless unsolicited mails (spamming) are avoided
and the complex privacy and data protection regulations are complied with. It is easy to underestimate
the complexity of this issue and the degree to which the application of good practice can improve the
results of a newsletter mailing. A recent study of travel and tourism newsletters on the Internet has
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revealed a wide range of inadequacies and highlights a competitive opportunity for DMOs.

The Destination Web Watch Newsletter Audit has been developed to assist DMOs in making correct
and effective use of electronic newsletters and to avoid basic mistakes.
unknown

5.2 Method
Quality criteria and critical success factors of the Destination Web Watch Newsletter Audit reflect:

Data protection and privacy regulations in the main tourism-generating markets;

Regulations governing the sending of unsolicited e-mails in the USA and Europe;
Good practice of permission-based marketing;
Subscription, confirmation and personal settings management;
Credibility issues of newsletter marketing;
Promotion of trust;
Proven editorial techniques;
Principles of technical performance;
Good practices of newsletter management.

The importance of each criterion is reflected by a weighting. This weighting is applied to the score for
that criterion to give an overall weighted score that can be compared with other similar DMOs.

The Newsletter Audit will help DMOs:

Attract attention in the prolific world of e-mails;

Optimize the sign-up environment and process through your website;
Optimize the sender, subject line and footing of a newsletter;
Choose and present relevant content in text and html newsletters;
Optimize subscriber databases;
Avoid spam filters successfully;
Measure and improve the success of newsletters.
 Chapter III : The Destination Web Watch 39

5.3 Report and Action Plan

In addition to a report that includes an action plan for improving effectiveness of the newsletter, the
DMO will have online access to the database in order to view its individual criteria scores. The DMO
can compare the quality of its newsletter with those of other participating DMOs, by comparing its
score with the average of all newsletters and with the lowest scoring and the highest scoring newsletter.

6 Destination Web Watch Online Surveys

6.1 Objectives
Destination Web Watch Online Surveys will give a DMO an insight into the needs, opinions,
satisfaction and behavior of the users of his websites. The surveys will provide information that is
essential to the formation of a DMOs marketing strategy information not only about users reactions
to the site, but also its impact on their behavior helping to give the DMO a competitive edge in the
new electronic marketplace.
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6.2 Method
A two-phase survey technique is carried out. In Phase 1, people who have visited the destination
unknown

website in question will be asked to complete a questionnaire after a defined period of time using the
site. On completion, the respondent will be asked about his/her willingness to answer a few more
questions at a later date - Phase 2.

After an agreed period (between, say, four and six months), the user will be contacted by e-mail and
asked to complete the Phase 2 questionnaire by clicking on a link which would take them back to their
original questionnaire, to complete a final section. In this way, the data from the supplementary survey
could be cross-analyzed against the original survey data to see, for example, whether those who were
most satisfied with the Website demonstrated a higher level of visits to the destination.

Questions to be included in the Phase 1 questionnaire will include:

Whether they had visited the site previously;

Method by which users found the site;
Their reasons for visiting the site and the type of information they were seeking;
Rating of the relative importance to the user of the various features of the site;
Rating of key features of the site;
Overall user assessment of/satisfaction with the site;
Whether/how the site had been an influence of them;
Intention to visit the destination in the next 12 months;
Profile information e.g. age, country of residence, whether/how often they have visited the
destination previously.

The Phase 2 questionnaire will include:

Whether the respondent visited the destination;

Trip details in terms of:
- When they visited;
- Who they visited with;
 40 Evaluating and Improving Websites - The Tourism Destination Web Watch

- Where they stayed and for how long;

- Type of transport used;
- Activities undertaken/type of accommodation used;
- Likelihood of re-visiting in the future.

In order to maximize response levels, completion of the questionnaires will be incentivized, with
support from the DMO. Also, the online questionnaire should be published in the languages of the
DMOs main target markets. Initially, the questionnaire will be available in English, German, French,
Spanish, Portuguese and Italian. Other languages may be added, on request.

6.3 Report
The service includes implementation of the Destination Web Watch Online Surveys tool for a period
of up to twelve months. The DMO will have access to web-enabled tools to prepare its own analysis
at any time, with help-line support. An annual report will be prepared by the service provider on the
aggregate analysis of all the Online Survey data for each calendar year, showing yearly trends and
enabling the DMO to benchmark its performance at macro level. If the DMO requires analysis or
interpretation of data to be undertaken by the service provider on its behalf, this will be available on a
customized basis.
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7 Destination Web Watch Laboratory Testing

unknown

7.1 Objectives
The main objective of this laboratory test is to analyze the user-friendliness and functional effectiveness
of websites.1 It is based on assessing decision-making processes of consumers when navigating a site,
through observation of their behavior whilst using a site, recording of their comments whilst they do
so, analysis of the way they use the site (through log analysis) and on in-depth interviews. By evaluating
the variables which determine the efficiency of a particular website, including task difficulty, degree of
accessibility of information and dead ends strengths and weaknesses of the website navigation will be
identified.

A second objective of the laboratory test is an in-depth analysis of consumers own evaluations of
websites, such as appearance, navigation and clarity of site, and format of data posted.

7.2 Method
Respondents are recruited from consumer panels. A total of thirty consumers is sufficient to generate
reliable and valid recommendations. Data is collected in four phases:

1. Warm-up task: The warm-up task allows the respondents to practice navigation and talk-aloud
verbalization.

2. Experimental task: The participants are subsequently invited to perform an individual task, with
an average duration of one hour. During navigation or throughout the experimentation, the
respondents are instructed to verbalize out loud everything that comes to mind, such as difficulties
they encounter, aspects of the site that surprise them or simply a description of what they are
doing. This approach is the protocol analysis.
 Chapter III : The Destination Web Watch 41

Tasks include making hotel reservations or booking a vacation. The navigation data is recorded in
AVI format (video and sound sequence) and systematic analysis on these files is performed to
identify participant variables.

3. Questionnaire: This follows the navigation process. Each participant is asked to complete an
online evaluation questionnaire. The answers reflect the respondents attitudes towards the
website, measured on an agree/disagree scale. The respondents basic socio-demographic
information is also collected.

4. Interview: Phase 4 consists of a 10-minute exit interview. The objective of this semi-structured
interview is to clarify the participants general evaluation of the site and to help analyze the
decision-making process. The interview is recorded in MP3 format. Analysis of the MP3 files
allows an insight into the qualitative and quantitative values of the site being assessed. This
includes the strengths and weaknesses of the site expressed by key words, adjectives or phrases
that summarize the users perceptions.

The complete four-phase procedure and the data collection usually take approximately one month. The
end result is a sound assessment of the user-friendliness of the website with regard to its overall
navigation and functional effectiveness.
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8 Research, Analysis and Action Plans

Results of services performed and research undertaken will be entered into central databases for
analysis and benchmarking. The results will be made available through, for example:
unknown

The reports resulting from a Destination Web Watch service that a DMO has purchased. The
individual results will, of course, be communicated only to the DMO in question. The reports will,
however, also show comparisons with the average, highest and lowest figures for the sites of other
DMOs and/or peer group DMOs participating in the scheme. The services will include
recommendations for improving the quality and effectiveness of the web activities as well as
concrete action plans;

Joint benchmarking analysis DMOs will be able to opt-in to exchanging data relating to their
individual web activities with other DMOs, particularly within peer groups;

Customized analysis and interpretation for individual DMOs or a group of DMOs, in accordance
with their specifications;

Aggregate ad-hoc data-mining analysis for academic research or to meet specific DMO needs,
expressed through the Project Research Group or the WTO Business Council.

The Destination Web Watch scheme will contribute to the understanding of the consultants involved,
the academic world and the DMOs of the key factors that influence the success of online marketing
activities.

Continuous exchange of knowledge is an extremely important aspect of the project. It will ensure that
the underlying insights and principles of the Destination Web Watch services remain up-to-date. The
Project and Destination Web Watch management structure consists of development groups and
services providers, but also of a Project Research Group and of a Project Implementation Panel, which
supervises research and development and fulfillment of the services. This management structure
encourages and facilitates the exchange of information and knowledge and the further development of
services for DMOs.
 42 Evaluating and Improving Websites - The Tourism Destination Web Watch

9 Destination Web Watch Site

This chapter is an introduction to the available Destination Web Watch services. It is anticipated that
additional methodologies and services will be added to the ones described in this chapter. The projects
experts intend to widen the scope of services. Furthermore, the current focus is on the quality and
effectiveness of consumer-oriented destination websites and newsletters. In the future it is intended to
develop services for MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) websites, travel trade
websites, media sites and corporate DMO sites.

For up-to-date information on the project, the services, the service providers, the pricing structure and
the possibilities to seek additional advice please go to www.destinationwebwatch.org. This website also
features the results of the WTO Online User Survey, mentioned earlier in this report, and the results of
other research activities.

1 The methodology was developed by Jacques Nantel, Royal Bank of Canada Financial Group Chair of Electronic Commerce.
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unknown
 Recommended Action for DMOs

In recent years, investment by DMOs in websites and other online marketing activities has increased
substantially. It is important that this investment is cost effective and results in a first-rate consumer-
oriented destination website, one that fully contributes to a DMOs objectives.

WTO and IFITT have agreed to jointly encourage and help DMOs to enhance the quality of their web
activities and systems and to enable them to assess the performance of their web activities, in relation
to those of peer DMOs. This report featured recommendations from experts on improving website
quality based upon research and best practice. The people and organizations involved in the
WTO/IFITT project hope to enhance awareness of these critical success factors, as well as of
methodologies to evaluate the quality of websites.

Through Destination Web Watch a series of practical and affordable services is now available for
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DMOs that wish to improve the quality and effectiveness of their websites and e-mail newsletters. These
services include best practice-based evaluations and measurements, online surveys and laboratory
testing.
unknown

Ongoing research and the exchange of knowledge and experiences is an extremely important aspect
of the WTO/IFITT project. This enhances understanding of the key factors that influence the
effectiveness of websites and results in continuously updated Destination Web Watch services that
optimally suits DMO needs.

DMOs that want to avoid expensive mistakes and ensure their websites are performing well should visit
www.destinationwebwatch.org for up-to-date information on the services and the service providers, on
how to obtain additional advice from experienced Internet and e-business consultants, and on relevant
research.

2005 World Tourism Organization - ISBN 92-844-0917-9

Delivered by WTOelibrary to
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