Effect of Inbound Marketing Factors on Marketing Performance: The Case of Restaurant and Catering Industry in Rasht with an Emphasis on Restaurants with Gilaki Names

The present study explores the effect of inbound marketing factors on marketing performance. The statistical population was composed of all customers of six restaurants with Gilaki names in Rasht, which are active in cyberspace. A total of 400 individuals were selected by convenience sampling. The standard scales included visibility management, active listening, community building, word-of-mouth (WOM) intention, and purchase intention. Data were analyzed by structural equations modeling in AMOS (ver. 24) software package. The coefficient of determination for the dependent variables showed that active listening, community building, visibility management and WOM intention could account for 49 percent of the variance of customer purchase intention. Also, active listening, community building, and visibility management captured 28 percent of the variance of customer WOM intention. Therefore, it can be concluded that the active presence of restaurants in cyberspace is directly related to customer WOM and purchase intention and attention to inbound marketing tools will play a key role in the viability of their business.