An Analysis of the Key Factors Affecting the Success of a Re- Launched Destination Marketing Website in the Uk

The Internet has been the major marketing channel for almost all Destination Marketing Organizations (DMO). However, with the rapid development and constant evolution of emerging Internet technologies, it is crucial for DMO to keep up with developments in new technology and make the best use of them for sustained business success and competitive advantages. This requires DMOs to continue innovating and improving their website either through improvement of the existing site (incremental improvement approach) or re-launch of a completely new site (radical change approach). This paper presents a case study of the re-launch of a DMO website in the UK. It evaluates the perceived usability of the new website and identifies the key factors affecting customers’ intention to use the new website. A large-scale online survey was developed to understand a number of issues relating to usability (e.g. aesthetics, effectiveness) and psychological and behavioural indicators (e.g. perceived trustworthiness and intent to use). The survey was distributed to a database of potential customers who had previously requested a brochure and received 206 responses. Both quantitative and qualitative data was analysed to understand users’ perceptions, behaviour and attitudes towards the re-launched website. A Structural Equation Model was developed to identify the factors affecting their intention to use the new website.