Analyzing websites in terms of digital marketing: A research on five-star hotel businesses in Istanbul

This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of digital marketing services offered in the corporate websites of five-star hotel businesses operating in Istanbul (Türkiye). In this study, the websites of 130 fivestar hotel businesses in Istanbul, Türkiye, are analysed using content analysis, a qualitative research method.The digital marketing performance of these hotels is evaluated based on nine dimensions and 63 criteria. The results show that the websites of these hotel businesses are “poor” in terms of being mobile-friendly; “inadequate” in terms of sales promotion, different language options and online promotion; “fairly adequate” in terms of communication information, public relations and social media links; “good” in terms of direct sales; and “excellent” in terms of the services provided. Overall, this study concludes that the websites of the five-star accommodation businesses operating in the destination of Istanbul show “poor” digital marketing performance.