With the increase of internet purchasing recent years, various
marketing tactics have been applied onto the shopping webpages. An online hotel
booking website, the Booking.com influence consumers’ decision by utilizing
different persuasive techniques.
Dickinger and Mazanec (2008) found that consumers are most
likely to take recommendations of friend and online reviews as criteria for
online hotel booking. These online reviews serve as a tool for word-of-mouth. Consumers
evaluate a hotel usually based upon reviews. Those positive feed-backs from
customers can potentially affect consumers’ perception and preference of the
hotels. It has been proved that a higher costumer rating significantly increases
the online sales of hotels (Öğüt & Onur Taş, 2012).
Specifically, consumers have a high level of perceptual trust to the positively
framed set of reviews which focused on interpersonal services (Sparks &
Browning, 2001). Pratkanis (2007) suggests that a trustworthy sources are
effective in persuasion. Feed-backs from experienced customers consist both pros
and cons of the hotels increase the source credibility. Moreover, the review
scores even breakdown into several aspects which make those reviews more
preferable. The comprehensive review system maybe one of the major reason why Booking.com
is so popular.
Scarcity is another persuasive technique used within the webpage
of Booking.com. The ‘limited number’ tactic drive us to pursuit the goods or
services. People usually perceive a product in shortage has better quality and
value (Cialdini, 2001). The effect of scarcity is stronger under certain
situation. Worchel et al. (1975) demonstrated that competition enhance the pursuit
of limited resources. In Booking.com, the constant pop out notifying messages drag
you into a competition with ‘other consumers’ automatically. As soon as you
have chosen a room, the words ‘you just got the best price!’ will appear right
under the ‘Book now’ button. Under the competitive situation, with the use of colloquial
language styles can urge the consumer to book the hotel. Breuer (2006) proposed
that language styles can influence the way we perceive the texts.
The marketing techniques of Booking.com affect consumers’
decision making from the outset and continue through the whole booking process.
Breuer, I (2006). Insight Outcomes English Year 12.
Australia: Insight Publications. p31.
Cialdini, R. B. (2001). Influence:
Science and practice. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Öğüt, H., & Onur Taş, B. K. (2012). The influence of
internet customer reviews on the online sales and prices in hotel industry. The
Service Industries Journal, 32(2), 197-214.
Pratkanis, A. R. (2007). Social influence analysis: An index
of tactics. The science of social
influence: Advances and future progress, 17-82.
Worchel, S., Lee, J., & Adewole, A.
(1975). Effects of supply and demand on ratings of object value. Journal of
Personality and Social Psychology, 32(5), 906.
Very well put together, keep an eye on the writing.
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