SME website implementation factors in the hospitality industry: Groundwork for a digital marketing roadmap

The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the literature on how quality factors impact website implementation for small and medium-sized hospitality enterprises (SMEs). Its objective is to define and explain the relevance of these factors and synthesize them in the context of a digital space roadmap for Dubai’s Vision 2020, as well as to identify potential routes to assist SME practitioners in implementation.

Analyses literature on website implementation in the hospitality industry in relation to relevant themes, drawing from a range of journals and relevant industry sources. A link to trends for the future is established to illustrate the groundwork for website implementation factors and the digital roadmap. Practitioner input on the review is presented to augment the findings.

The relevant aspects of SME website implementation and associated challenges are defined. Various quality-related factors such as website access, content, function and design should not be ignored by practitioners. It is suggested that these factors retain their relevance in the context of current trends, such as social, local and mobile communications. There is a need for academia and government bodies to provide comprehensive guidance to industry executives.

Executives in the SME domain need to ensure that they take into consideration the factors pertaining to effective website implementation presented in the study, as they will likely positively influence their ability to extend their digital strategy into the future.

This manuscript provides a practically oriented and engaging overview of SME website implementation factors for a wide audience and links them to newly emerging digital marketing concepts, thus attempting to fill a gap in the literature.