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Exploring Bed & Breakfast Websites

a

Sheryl F. Kline , Alastair M. Morrison & Andrew St. John

Center for the Study of Lodging Operations, Department of Hospitality and Tourism
Management, Purdue University, USA
b

School of Consumer and Family Sciences, Purdue University, USA

Purdue University, USA

Available online: 22 Sep 2008

To cite this article: Sheryl F. Kline, Alastair M. Morrison & Andrew St. John (2004): Exploring Bed & Breakfast Websites,
Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 17:2-3, 253-267
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Exploring Bed & Breakfast Websites:

A Balanced Scorecard Approach

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Sheryl F. Kline
Alastair M. Morrison
Andrew St. John

SUMMARY. This exploratory study was designed to evaluate the Websites of Bed & Breakfast(s)
(B&B) belonging to the Indiana B&B Association (IBBA). Using the Balanced Scorecard (BSC)
approach, four evaluation perspectives were considered: (1) user friendliness, (2) site attractiveness,
(3) marketing effectiveness, and (4) technical aspects. A team of trained evaluators rated a random
sample of 20 IBBA property Websites. The study found that the major strength of the B&B Websites
evaluated was their attractiveness, but improvements were needed in all four categories. The B&B
modified BSC instrument used in this research also showed good inter-rater reliability. [Article copies available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service: 1-800-HAWORTH. E-mail address:
<docdelivery@haworthpress.com> Website: <http://www.HaworthPress.com> 2004 by The Haworth Press,
Inc. All rights reserved.]

KEYWORDS. Balanced Scorecard (BSC), Bed and Breakfasts (B&Bs), Internet marketing,
Website evaluation, Web marketing

INTRODUCTION
A B&B stay is an interactive experience
both for the guest and the owner. It therefore
follows that B&Bs should be marketed in an
engaging and an interactive manner to their
target markets. The Internet and more specifically the Web is one tool that can be used to
achieve the goal of interactive or I-marketing.
In support of I-marketing for B&Bs Countryman (2000) points out that the Internet pro-

vides B&B owners and operators with greater

exposure allowing potential guests to see what
is offered prior to arriving at the property.
However, Lituchy and Rail (2000) argue that
innkeepers could use the Internet more, but
they are not as many B&B owners are not
aware of what to do to enhance their Website
marketing effectiveness. Selz and Schubert
(1998) note that it is unclear as to what makes
a viable, effective B&B Website. Despite this
lack of consensus innkeepers now consider the

Sheryl F. Kline is Assistant Professor and Director, Center for the Study of Lodging Operations, Department of
Hospitality and Tourism Management, Alastair M. Morrison is Distinguished Professor of Hospitality and Tourism
Management and Associate Dean for Learning, School of Consumer and Family Sciences, and Andrew St. John is a
Masters Degree candidate, all at Purdue University.
Address correspondence to Sheryl F. Kline (E-mail: klines@purdue.edu).
[Haworth co-indexing entry note]: Exploring Bed & Breakfast Websites: A Balanced Scorecard Approach. Kline, Sheryl F., Alastair M.
Morrison, and Andrew St. John. Co-published simultaneously in Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing (The Haworth Hospitality Press, an imprint of The Haworth Press, Inc.) Vol. 17, No. 2/3, 2004, pp. 253-267; and: Handbook of Consumer Behavior, Tourism, and the Internet (ed: Juline
E. Mills, and Rob Law) The Haworth Hospitality Press, an imprint of The Haworth Press, Inc., 2004, pp. 253-267. Single or multiple copies of this
article are available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service [1-800-HAWORTH, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (EST). E-mail address:
docdelivery@haworthpress.com].

http://www.haworthpress.com/web/JTTM
2004 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.
Digital Object Identifier: 10.1300/J073v17n02_19

253

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E-CONSUMER BEHAVIOR IN HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM: ADVANCING THE RESEARCH

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Web to be their primary marketing tool (Eimer,

2000). Further research on Website marketing
is needed to assist B&B owners in building
more effective Websites (Countryman, 2000).
In an effort to fill this research gap, the specific objectives of this exploratory research
study are as follows:
1. To develop and test an instrument and
procedure to objectively evaluate B&B
Websites using the modified Balanced
Scorecard (BSC) approach.
2. Based on the BSC assess the relative
strengths and weaknesses of existing
B&B Websites from the marketing, customer, and technical aspects perspectives.
3. To provide a set of recommendations to
assist B&B operators to improve the design and marketing of their Websites.
BED AND BREAKFASTS
IN THE UNITED STATES
Brief History of the B&B Industry
in the U.S.
Traditionally B&Bs were owner-occupied
homes converted into lodging establishments
(PAII, 2003). Most B&Bs may have one to 20
rooms and these small properties typically
serve breakfast which is included in the price of
the room rate. B&Bs also offer historical, architectural, or other uniquely charming or memorable features that make each property distinct.
Different authors have traced the origins of the
development of B&Bs in the U.S. to the 1960s
and 1970s (Buchanan & Espeseth, 1991; Lanier &
Berman, 1993). In 1968, there were only 15 locations offering B&B accommodations and
they were primarily in California (Notarius &
Brewer, 2001). Today one can find B&Bs in
every state in a range of locations from metropolitan to rural areas. According to a 2000
study, B&Bs, country inns, and small hotels
represent 31% of the U.S. lodging industry and
are comprised of small businesses renting
rooms to travelers (Lodging Resources Workshops & Lanier Publishing, 2003). The Professional Association of Innkeepers International (PAII) has identified approximately

18,000 B&Bs in the U.S. (Valhouli, 2002). As

of 2003, 45 states had their own B&B association (BedandBreakfast.com, 2003).
Definition and Distinctions Among B&Bs
Many states and associations attempt to define B&Bs and or differentiate them from hotels. State government licensing divisions each
have specific definitions indicating the differences between B&Bs and hotels. For example,
Indiana defines a B&B as an owner-occupied
residence that provides sleeping accommodations to the public for a fee, has no more than 14
guest rooms, provides breakfast to its guests as
part of the fee, and provides sleeping accommodations for no more than 30 consecutive
days to a particular guest (Rule 410 IAC, Section 1) (Indiana Bed & Breakfast Association,
2003). In contrast, the state of Kansas requires
all licensed B&Bs to have four or more rooms
that can accommodate eight or more guests.
Each guest room must have a private bath
(Kansas Bed and Breakfast Association, 2003).
PAII is the largest association of B&Bs and divides B&Bs into six categories that range from
a homestay of one to three rooms to a B&B hotel with 30-plus rooms located in an historic
structure (PAII, 2003). In another attempt to
categorize this segment of the lodging industry,
Clark (1992) divided the category of B&Bs into
a number of subsets: B&Bs, country inns, homestays, and B&B hotels.
While taking into consideration the customers perspective, another definition of the
B&B segment of the lodging industry can be
loosely formed. A B&B is a lodging property
that offers its guests personal attention and an
architecturally interesting or historic structure.
It is a property where the owner is highly involved with the daily operation and has a great
deal of guest contact (PAII, 2003). The property size and owner interaction is a function of
the definition. Therefore, the larger the property, the more likely it is viewed as a hotel.
Also, the less the owners are involved with the
business, the greater the perception is that this
lodging facility is a hotel and not a B&B.
The involvement of the owners is an integral part of any B&B property. Most B&Bs
are operated by owners who live on the property and consider themselves to be profes-

Section 6: Website Evaluation in Hospitality and Tourism

sional innkeepers (Hotch & Glassman, 1992;

Notarius & Brewer, 2001). The personality
and hospitality of the innkeeper add to the
guests experience, making the innkeepers
presence and personal touch an important part
of the propertys uniqueness.

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WEB MARKETING AND B&Bs

Traditionally, B&B innkeepers used a range
of marketing vehicles to promote and advertise.
They have relied on word-of-mouth, association memberships, and promotion through local
chambers of commerce or convention and visitor bureaus (CVBs) (Clark, 1992). Print advertising has also been a popular marketing tool,
with B&Bs primarily using brochures, newsletters, magazine and phonebook advertisements,
and placement in guidebooks (Hotch & Glassman, 1992; Notarius & Brewer, 2001). By the
close of the 20th century, the Internet had become the new major source of business for
B&Bs in the U.S. In 2000, over 40 percent of
new guests located a B&B online. The other
60% relied upon the more traditional marketing
vehicles (Notarius & Brewer, 2001). The Fifth
Annual Innkeeper Tracking Study: 2001 noted
that 50% of all guests found B&Bs on the
Internet, which was a 12 percentage point increase over 1999 (Schleim & Saint-Amour,
2001). Fewer guests found B&Bs from travel
guides, print media, and CVBs. The total
change in those guest sources declined a total of
seven percent from 1999 to 2001. This trend indicates the rising importance of the Internet as a
source for new and returning guests.
The fact that B&B guests are using the
Internet to view and book their lodging arrangements is only part of a compelling argument for innkeepers to establish and promote
their property online. Web users are likely to
spend more money at their destinations than
non-users (Bonn, Furr, & Susskind, 1998).
Older, mature travelers are also using the
Internet more often. The Travel Industry Association of America (2001) notes that mature
travelers tend to take longer trips (3.9 nights)
compared to 3.4 nights on average for travelers overall. Just over half (52%) stay in a hotel,
motel or B&B, while 43% stay with friends
or relatives. Morrison, Pearce, Moscardo,

255

Nadkarni, and OLeary (1996) found that the

guests of B&Bs tended to be more highly educated and had higher incomes, matching the
characteristics of online users. Both the younger, well-educated and mature markets are important to B&Bs.
The benefits of Web marketing can be
viewed through the unique characteristics of
the innkeeper/owners circumstances. B&B
owner operators are well suited for marketing
in the online environment. Web marketing is
especially appropriate for B&Bs for at least five
reasons: (1) the limited financial resources of
B&Bs coupled with the potentially low cost of
Web marketing; (2) the aforementioned market
profile of online users; (3) the content-rich environment offered by the Web; (4) the uniqueness of each B&B property; and (5) when
compared to branded hotels, these innkeepers
have a limited ability to compete, gain exposure, and lack the marketing expertise and resources (Countryman, 2000).
Marketing on the Web can be easy and relatively inexpensive. Due to their small size and
limited budgets, there is no justification for a
full-scale marketing and sales management
team at a B&B. The Web therefore represents
an affordable and efficient channel for B&Bs
to appeal to target markets on a national and
even international level. An effective Website
may be designed for just under $500 (Morrow,
2001). Kasavana (2002) indicates that with the
Web it is possible to have a 24 hour a day, 7
day a week presence and exposure with minimal risk.
However, although the Web is both very
important and appropriate for marketing B&Bs
very little is known as to how effectively
B&Bs are using the Web. A study of small hotels on the Web, to which B&Bs can be compared, found that they were not marketing
their Websites as effectively as they could
(Morrison, Taylor, Morrison & Morrison, 1999).
The authors suggested that small hotel owners
needed to improve their Web marketing efforts. When selecting a B&B on the Web, potential guests do not know what to expect in
terms of quality giving chain hotels a clear advantage of brand identity as, although not
unique, their high levels of market awareness
and consistency attract guests. Many small
lodging property Websites continue to frus-

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trate Web users who are expecting to book online but are unable to make reservations because of a lack of availability of contact
information via e-mail, fax or telephone. Countryman (2000) also states that potential guests
are often unable to gather sufficient information, via the Website, about a destination prior
to traveling. The need therefore exists to develop a standardized instrument to objectively
measure various marketing aspects of B&B
Websites. This exploratory study attempts to
fill this gap through the use of a modified BSC
approach using a sample of B&B Websites
from Indiana, U.S.
METHODOLOGY
Population and Sample
The Indiana Bed and Breakfast Association
(IBBA) is an association of B&B owners that
adheres to a high level of operating standards,
including an inspection process, and these innkeepers generally employ more sophisticated
marketing practices than other B&Bs. IBBA
members are regularly reviewed and monitored to ensure that properties meet the associations published standards and practices. At
the time of this study, 70 member properties
were listed on the IBBA Website, 54 of which
had links to their own Websites. Using a random number generator within Microsoft Excel
(command Rand()), a random number was
generated for each B&B. The properties were
then sorted from the lowest to highest number,
and the first 20 properties were selected for
evaluation.
Indiana state law regulations limit B&B
properties to renting from one to 14 rooms,
and most of the B&Bs are on the lower end of
this stated limit. In this studys sample, the
number of rooms ranged from two to eleven,
with a mean of 5.1. All the B&Bs in this sample offered breakfast as part of the room rate
which ranged from $43-$175 per night. The
overall average room rate was $92 per night.
The lowest average rate was $71.05 with a
high of $114.60 per night (Table 1).

Modified BSC Instrument

and Measurement Criteria for the Study
Schwartz (1999) identified subjectivity as a
problem in Website evaluation, and suggested
that a larger variety of measures should be
used to reduce it. Due to the subjective nature
of evaluating Websites, the modified BSC approach was used because it balances different
measures of Website effectiveness. Morrison
et al. (1999) adapted the BSC approach from
Kaplan and Norton (1992; 1993) to evaluate
the Websites of small hotels in Scotland. They
analyzed critical success factors (CSFs) from
four perspectives: technical, marketing, internal, and customer. They supported Schwartzs
contention that Website evaluation is subjective in nature and must be performed with a
balanced set of measures.
The researchers in this study used an evaluation approach based on the previous work of
Morrison et al. (1999), Garcia (2002), Ismail
et al. (2002), and Feng et al. (2003), all stemming from the original Kaplan and Norton
(1992; 1993) BSC model. In addition, Countryman (2000), Clark (1992), Hotch and Glassman (1992), and Notarius and Brewer (2001)
recommended evaluation criteria specific to
B&Bs. Using this as the foundation, the modified BSC instrument developed within this
study included four perspectives: quadrant 1
(user friendliness), quadrant 2 (site attractiveness), quadrant 3 (marketing effectiveness),
and quadrant 4 (technical aspects), as detailed
in Table 2.
User Friendliness (Quadrant 1)
User friendliness was evaluated with nine
different yes/no items (Table 2), and one overall question with a four-point Likert scale response. Based on the literature review, these
items were all important aspects of B&B
Website design. A Website that is easy to navigate enables a potential guest to freely click in
and out of pages without causing confusion or
distress. The more user-friendly a Website, the
more a potential guest is likely to continue to
view the B&B information and want to find out
more about the property. When a home button
is clearly available on every page, this makes it
easy to find information without getting con-

Section 6: Website Evaluation in Hospitality and Tourism

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TABLE 1. Demographics of Sample of Indiana B&Bs

B&B Name

Region

1877 House Country Inn B&B

South

Angola's Tulip Tree Inn

North

Apple Inn Museum B&B

Central

Big Locust Farm B&B

Castlebury Inn

# Rooms

Lowest Rate

Highest Rate

$75.00

$125.00

$90.00

$125.00

10

$60.00

$135.00

South

$60.00

$90.00

South

$60.00

$85.00

Commandant's Home B&B

Central

$85.00

$125.00

Gothic Arches B&B

South

$69.00

$119.00

Hilltop Farm B&B

Central

$79.00

$79.00

Historic Loeb House Inn

Central

$85.00

$175.00

Honeymoon Mansion B&B and Wedding Chapel

South

$79.00

$169.00

James Wilkins House

South

$55.00

$65.00

Katie Scarlett B&B*

Central

$43.00

$53.00

Queen Anne B&B

North

$70.00

$110.00

Ruddick-Nugent House

Central

$69.00

$99.00

The Cottage at West Point

South

$75.00

$150.00

The Homespun Country Inn

North

$59.00

$79.00

The Inn at Aberdeen, Ltd.

North

11

$97.00

$154.00

The Old Bridge Inn

South

$65.00

$115.00
$145.00

The Oliver Inn B&B

North

$94.00

The White House on Park Avenue

North

$52.00

$95.00

Total

Mean

5.1

$71.05

$114.60

Mode

*This B&Bs data was removed from the analysis due to problems with the Website on the day of evaluation.

fused and lost. This also prevents the user from

accidentally closing the browser. Of course,
clearly displaying contact information of all
kinds (phone, fax, address, and e-mail) is vitally important to communicate with potential
guests. The use of buttons enables the user to
click from page to page without having to scroll
through multiple pages to find information.
Site Attractiveness (Quadrant 2)
Nine specific aspects of site attractiveness
were evaluated with yes/no responses (Table
2). An overall question with a four-point
Likert scale response was included. If a B&B
Website does not have clear and readable text,
color, hyperlinks, and good quality photographs and images, then Web page space is being misused. A B&B Website should not be a
photocopy of a print brochure, but an interactive display of what is available at the property. Cluttered and unclear pages decrease a

Websites effectiveness. The B&B Website

should entice the users interest, and not turn
them away. If the Website is not attractive,
then a guest will feel that the B&B itself is not
appealing.
Marketing Effectiveness (Quadrant 3)
The researchers identified 18 specific
marketing effectiveness criteria (Table 2) to
evaluate with yes/no responses. An overall
evaluative question with a four-point Likert
scale response was again incorporated. The aspects evaluated were all determined to be important for an interactive B&B Website that
follows sound marketing principles. These include that the B&B Website should define the
uniqueness of the B&B and its surrounding
environs by providing information on the history of the property, as well as information
about the innkeepers, local events, rates, photographs, awards, testimonials, packages, and

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TABLE 2. Modified BSC Quadrant Descriptions

Quadrants

Factors Examined

1. User
friendliness
(9 items)

Ease of navigation:
examples of items:
Site search
Site map
Home button
Navigation tools
Limited scrolling
Contact information:
examples of items:
Direct e-mail contact
Mailing address
Telephone number
Fax number

2. Site
attractiveness
(9)

Visual appeal:
examples of items:
Pictures
Clear and uncluttered pages
Text readability
Background color

3. Marketing
effectiveness
(18)

Product:
examples of items:
House and room pictures
Virtual tour
Information availability:
examples of items:
Rate availability
Target markets addressed
Unique aspects of B&B and innkeepers
Local activities and links to activities

pertext markup language (HTML) check,

browser compatibility, load time, and spell
check components for each Website. NetMechanic uses a five-star rating per aspect per
page (NetMechanic, 2003). Not all the Websites had five or more pages to be evaluated, so
comparisons were based on the average scores
for the pages assessed.
Pilot Testing of the Instrument
In tandem with the first objective of this
study which was to develop and test a Website
evaluation instrument specifically designed
for B&Bs the instrument was pilot tested. An
instrument needs to have validity and reliability in order to be of value to its users. Together
with the literature review of B&B marketing
data and studies, and the Website evaluation
analyses using the modified BSC approach the
authors also visited over 100 B&B Websites
and piloted a previous version of the instrument (St. John et al., 2003). The instrument
was revised based on the feedback from the
first instrument. In particular, quadrant 3 was
totally redesigned and incorporated more
specific marketing effectiveness questions.
Therefore, the current instrument has strong
content validity with respect to B&B operations and Website marketing.
Data Collection

4. Technical
qualities (5)

NetMechanic test:
Link check
HTML check
Browser compatibility
Load time
Spell check

promotions. These factors make the virtual experience of the B&B more tangible for the
user.
Technical Aspects (Quadrant 4)
The use of NetMechanic.com allowed the
researchers to develop an accurate evaluation
of the technical design aspects of each Website.
The NetMechanic service allows up to five
pages to be freely tested per Website. The
NetMechanic system conducts link check, hy-

The researchers invited hospitality and

tourism Masters degree students from a U.S.
Mid-West university to participate in this
study as raters. Nine students were selected to
evaluate the 20 B&B Websites. All of the
evaluators had prior experience in Website
evaluations and each had taken a graduatelevel marketing class with a specific focus on
Website marketing and evaluation. Evaluations were conducted by the students within
the same computer laboratory during the same
time frame.
The evaluators were asked to assess the first
three quadrants in the study (user friendliness,
site attractiveness, and marketing effectiveness) by recording 36 aspects of each of the 20
B&B Websites with a yes (1) if present and a
no (0) if not present. A four-point Likert scale
measure was also employed to rate the three

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Section 6: Website Evaluation in Hospitality and Tourism

259

overall aspects of the quadrants, which was Statistical Analysis

later used to examine the reliability of the
After all of the evaluation data were colmeasures. The evaluators did not rate the
fourth quadrant, as its five attributes were lected, the BSC scores were checked for
evaluated using the services of NetMechanic. inter-rater reliability. The nine evaluators had
com.
used two types of measures on three of the
Prior to doing the site evaluations, they par- quadrants. The fourth quadrant which was
ticipated in a 30-minute training session that rated by NetMechanic.com and therefore was
provided specific instructions on how to use not checked for inter-rater reliability. Since
the modified BSC. The researchers identified the evaluation instrument had two scales, two
and defined each question on the instrument methods were used to check for inter-rater reand showed examples from B&B Websites. liability. For the dichotomous questions on the
The B&B Websites used during the training 1 = yes and 0 = no scale, the Kendalls Coeffiwere not part of the sample. For practice, the cient of Concordance was calculated. Kenevaluators rated two B&Bs, not included in dalls Coefficient of Concordance is used
the sample, using the BSC instrument. During when determining inter-rater reliability with
this training phase, the evaluators were given three or more evaluators and when the data is
an opportunity to ask questions and improve dichotomous and then ranked. Because there
their ability to use the instrument. Through were nine evaluators and dichotomous ranked
this question and answer session definition
data, this statistic was used to determine
and qualities outlined in each evaluation item
inter-rater reliability (Wuensch, 2000). Using
of the instrument were also refined. Prior to
collecting the data, the evaluators were ad- the SAS software program version 8.02, the
of concordance is calculated as
vised that they could not talk or look at any- coefficient
2

ones score cards while collecting the data.

. The chi-square was calculated
W=
J( n 1)
After the training, the evaluators were given
scorecards and a list of the 20 B&B Websites. by using Friedmans chi-square, where n was
They were told that they had an unlimited the number of B&Bs and J equaled the number
amount of time to complete the evaluations. of evaluators. The Cronbach Coefficient of
They were not limited on time to simulate ac- Alpha was used to compare the Likert-scale
tual Web surfing for travel information. All responses for the overall ratings of the three
the evaluators used the same browser (Internet quadrants. This analysis determines how well
Explorer 6.0) to ensure that they were viewing a set of items (or variables) measures a single
the Websites in exactly the same way. Due to a uni-dimensional latent construct (UCLA Acapotential learning curve effect and social re- demic Technology Services, 2003). This was
sponse bias, each evaluator was given the also calculated using the SAS software proB&B Websites list with a randomly assigned gram.
starting point. Therefore, no two evaluators
This BSC evaluation measure used two
were evaluating a particular B&B at the same scales, dichotomous and Likert. The relationtime. This was done to prevent a bias toward ships between these rankings of the B&Bs on
any of the B&B Websites based upon the or- each scale were correlated. The Wilcoxon
der of evaluation.
Signed ranks test for non-parametric statistics
Throughout the Website evaluation pro- was used to determine if there was a statisticess, three proctors were in the computer cally significant difference for each quadrant
laboratory. The proctors ensured that the ranking and on the total BSC ranking. This
evaluators did not communicate with each statistic is used with non-parametric statistics
other, thereby controlling for social re- and is appropriate for determining whether or
sponse bias. The proctors also provided as- not there is a significant association between a
sistance to the evaluators when questions dichotomous variable and a continuous variarose with respect to the B&B Websites or able with independent samples (Wuensch,
measurement criteria.
2002).

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E-CONSUMER BEHAVIOR IN HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM: ADVANCING THE RESEARCH

RESULTS

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Inter-Rater Reliability
The inter-rater reliability tests for the dichotomous and Likert scale data were performed on the evaluations of the nine raters for
quadrants 1, 2, and 3. The Kendalls Coefficient of Concordance was W = 0.6569 with a
chi-square of 106.411. The W is always between zero and one, with zero representing
complete disagreement and one representing
complete agreement. A result in the 0.4 to 0.6
range is considered to indicate a moderate
level of agreement, while a 0.6 to 0.8 statistic
reflects a substantial level of agreement (Landis & Koch, 1977). The result for the interrater reliability of the nine evaluators in this
study showed a substantial level of agreement.
The Cronbachs Coefficient of Alpha for the
four-point Likert scale data was 0.747, an acceptable level of inter-rater reliability (Nunnaly,
1978).
The two scales were compared to see if the
dichotomous ranked data was significantly
different from the Likert scale ranked data.
Using the Wilcoxon Signed ranks test for
non-parametric statistics, each scale was compared for the three quadrants and the total BSC
ranking. There were no significant differences
between the Likert BSC ranks and the dichotomous BSC ranks for all quadrants and the total
ranks. The p-value ranged from 0.317 to 0.930.
The outcomes of this test were not significant
at p < 0.05. Therefore there was no difference
between the dichotomous and ranked data.
Based on these results, it can be inferred that
the two methods of evaluating the B&Bs resulted in the same rankings.
Overall B&B Website Rankings
This research determined which B&B had
the best Website based upon a final ranking
that gave equal weight to the four quadrants of
the BSC. The three quadrants rated by all the
evaluators were summed using the following
method. The rank for quadrant 1 (user friendliness) was comprised of nine aspects and the
nine evaluators rated each B&B on these nine
aspects. A score was also given between one
and four for the Likert-scale question for user

friendliness. The total for quadrant 1 was computed by adding all the evaluators scores. The
B&Bs were then ranked in order from the
highest to lowest total scores for user friendliness (Table 3). The same procedure was repeated for quadrant 2 (site attractiveness) and
quadrant 3 (marketing effectiveness).
NetMechanic gives one to five stars for five
technical aspects. It was necessary to convert the
NetMechanic data into either a four-point Likertscale or a dichotomous scale in order to rank the
B&Bs on quadrant 4. For the Likert scale rankings, the star ratings were converted to a
one-to-four Likert scale. For the dichotomous
scale, the stars were converted to either a one or
zero. Stars three and four equaled one and stars
one and two equaled zero on the dichotomous
scale. After converting the NetMechanic star results, the data were then ranked using the same
method as in the first three quadrants.
The rankings in Table 4 reflect the total
points achieved in each quadrant by 19 of the
B&Bs. The quadrant 1, 2, and 3 rankings reflected the total scores for the dichotomous responses. This study did not find a significant
difference between the rankings on the Likert
and dichotomous scales. Since there were no
significant differences between these ranked
scales, it would be redundant to report the details of the Likert-scale findings. The quadrant
4 rankings were based on the four-point Likert
scale scores from NetMechanic for the technical analysis, which is explained in further detail in Table 4.
Strengths and Weaknesses of the B&B
Websites
The second study objective was to assess the
relative strengths and weaknesses of existing
B&B Websites. To achieve this objective, descriptive statistics were used with the dichotomous scale data to assess the relative strengths
and weaknesses of existing B&B Websites from
the customer (user friendliness and site attractiveness), marketing, and technical perspectives.
The dichotomous data had more aspects for
comparing the B&Bs and therefore it was used
in this analysis. The Likert-scale data had only
one measurement per quadrant for the first three
quadrants.

Section 6: Website Evaluation in Hospitality and Tourism

261

TABLE 3. B&B Balanced Scorecard Rankings

Quad 1
(UF)
Rank

Quad 2
(SA)
Rank

Quad 3
(ME)
Rank

Quad 4
(TA)
Rank

Total
BSC
Rank

Historic Loeb House Inn

James Wilkins House

Inn Name

The Oliver Inn B&B

10

The Inn at Aberdeen, Ltd.

10

Ruddick-Nugent House

17

Commandant's Home B&B

Honeymoon Mansion B&B and Wedding Chapel

11

11

11

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The White House on Park Avenue

17

Gothic Arches B&B

13

11

Queen Anne B&B

16

11

10

The Homespun Country Inn

13

10

The Old Bridge Inn

10

17

12

11

14

16

13

14

18

11

14

1878 House Country Inn B&B

13

16

12

11

15

The Cottage at West Point

15

13

17

10

16

Apple Inn Museum B&B

19

19

13

11

17

Big Locust Farm B&B

16

18

15

16

18

Hilltop Farm B&B

18

17

19

11

18

Angola's Tulip Tree Inn

Castlebury Inn

TABLE 4. Technical Analysis Rating Scale

Technical
Aspect

4 Star Rating

3 Star Rating

2 Star Rating

1 Star Rating

Link Check

0 bad links

1 bad link

2 bad links

More than 2 bad links

Load Time

< or = 13
seconds

< or = 24
seconds

< or = 35
seconds

> 35 seconds

HTML

0 errors

1-6 errors

7-12 errors

Greater than 12 errors

0 problems

1-4 problems

5-8 problems

More than 8 problems

0 misspellings

Up to 5%
misspellings

Up to 10%
misspellings

Greater than 10%

misspellings

Browser
Spell Check

Table 5 shows the means and standard deviations for all of the items measured. Also indicated are the percentages of the total points
earned by the 19 properties for each of the four
quadrants. The results show that the greatest
strength of these B&B Websites was in their attractiveness, earning around 88.5 percent of the
total points available. The B&B Websites received a passing score on the technical aspects,
capturing 74.8 percent of the total points available. The technical features of these Websites

can be improved through better use of HTML

and by lowering load times. In the area of user
friendliness, this sample ranked significantly
lower at 63.7 percent of the total points available, indicating there was considerable scope
for site improvements in this aspect.
The major weakness of the B&B Websites
overall was in marketing effectiveness, securing just 40.2 percent of the total points available. This finding corresponds to that of the
Morrison et al. (1999) analysis of small hotels,

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E-CONSUMER BEHAVIOR IN HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM: ADVANCING THE RESEARCH

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TABLE 5. Evaluation Scores by Quadrant

Quadrant 1: User-Friendliness (UF)
Telephone number clearly available
Mailing address clearly available
E-mail contact clearly available
Limited vertical and horizontal scrolling
Home button available on all pages
Clear and effective navigation tool on each page
Fax number clearly available
Site map or index available
Site content search function available
Total
Percentage of Total (51.6/81)
Quadrant 2: Site Attractiveness (SA)
Text clear and readable
Hyperlinks easy to read
Pages clean and uncluttered
Photos and images are good quality
Effective use of Web page space
Pictures and images reinforce text
Sufficient contrast between background and text
Background effective and appealing
Use of color improves visual appearance
Total
Percentage of Total (71.67/81)
Quadrant 3: Marketing Effectiveness (ME)
House pictures available
Guest room pictures available
Are the rates available?
Text describe uniqueness of the B&B (architect, historical, etc.)
Local activities and events listed on site
Links to activities and area attractions
Are special packages offered?
Hyperlinks to sponsor/advertisements available
Text describe innkeepers or owners
Logo reflected on the Website
Can you make a reservation online?
Special promotions addressed
Special target markets addressed (children, pets, ADA, etc.)
Calendar of events available
Testimonial information available
Virtual tour available
Mission statement available
Awards information available
Total
Percentage of Total (65.05/162)
Quadrant 4: Technical Aspects (TA)
Link check
HTML check
Browser compatibility
Load time speed
Spell check
Total
Percentage of Total (14.95/20)

Mean
8.60
8.10
7.90
6.75
6.40
5.75
3.80
2.35
1.95
51.60

SD
0.75
1.76
1.59
2.54
2.94
2.54
3.75
2.03
0.39
7.48

Percent

63.7%
9.00
9.00
8.67
8.00
8.00
7.89
7.00
7.00
7.00
71.67

2.31
2.45
1.99
2.39
2.41
1.24
2.39
2.42
2.60
15.07
88.5%

8.42
7.79
7.63
6.16
5.26
4.21
4.05
3.32
2.79
2.68
2.68
2.26
2.16
2.05
1.16
1.05
1.00
0.37
65.05

1.12
2.68
2.31
1.83
2.16
2.86
4.02
2.19
2.35
2.06
3.20
2.26
1.50
2.25
2.63
2.82
1.20
0.83
19.55
40.15%

3.58
2.42
3.00
2.47
3.47
14.95

0.51
1.12
0.75
0.96
0.51
2.34
74.75%

Section 6: Website Evaluation in Hospitality and Tourism

which also concluded that the small hotels

were not effectively applying marketing principles within their Websites. Although one
could argue that small hotels in Scotland and
B&Bs in the U.S. are very different populations, they are in fact very similar in size and in
the nature of the innkeepers involvement with
the operations.

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Rankings of Individual B&B Properties

A ranking of the 19 properties was performed. Quadrant 1 resulted in a tie between
the James Wilkins House and Ruddick-Nugent House for the most user-friendly Website. The Hilltop Farm B&B and Apple Inn
Museum B&B placed 18th and 19th with the
lowest scores for user-friendliness. The Historic Loeb House Inn had the top ranking for
quadrant 2, indicating it was the most attractive site. The least attractive site was Hilltop
Farm B&B, ranking 19th on the cumulative
scores from all the evaluators. The top-ranked
Website for quadrant 3 was The Oliver Inn
B&B, making it the most effective in the application of marketing principles. The lowest
scoring property for marketing effectiveness
was again the Hilltop Farm B&B.
The NetMechanic analysis for quadrant 4 resulted in three-way ties for both the most technically-sound Website and the least technicallysound Website. The Historic Loeb House Inn,
The Oliver Inn B&B, and the Honeymoon
Mansion B&B, and Wedding Chapel received
the highest scores, while the Ruddick-Nugent
House, The White House on Park Avenue, and
The Old Bridge Inn had the most technical
problems and lowest scores. The total BSC
rank was computed by summing the quadrant
ranks for each B&B to arrive at a total BSC
rank score (Table 3). The B&B with the lowest
total received the highest ranking and this was
the Historic Loeb House Inn with a score of
11. It ranked first in site attractiveness and
technical aspects, third in marketing effectiveness, and sixth in user friendliness. A screen
capture of the Historic Loeb Houses Website
is shown in Figure 1. The James Wilkins
House (17) and The Oliver Inn B&B (17) tied
for second place, while the Big Locust Farm
B&B (65) and Hilltop Farm B&B (65) tied as
the lowest ranked Websites.

263

Another important observation about these

Website evaluations is the large level of variation in the relative rankings for the four quadrants among most of these B&Bs. For example, while the Ruddick-Nugent House tied for
the top rank on user-friendliness, it also tied as
the poorest performing Website on technical
aspects. The White House on Park Avenue
earned the fourth best rankings for user-friendliness and site attractiveness, but was tied for
last place for the technical aspects. The Oliver
Inn B&B earned the top place for marketing
effectiveness but was tenth-ranked for userfriendliness. This indicated a high level of inconsistency in performance across the four
evaluation quadrants. Once again, it also confirmed the advisability of using a multi-perspective approach such as the one in the BSC.
Table 6 shows more detailed technical characteristics of each B&B Website as well as the
Web addresses. The number of links per site
tested ranged from 9 to 79 with a mean of
32.84. The number of pages per site was not
particularly extensive, ranging from 2 to 34
with a mean of 10.84.
CONCLUSIONS
AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Any B&B innkeeper can evaluate the strengths
and weaknesses of their Website using the instrument developed in this study. Each of the
four quadrants in the instrument supplies a set
of aspects that provide for a user friendly, attractive, effectively marketed Website that is
technically sound. The overall goal of a B&B
Website should be to clearly describe the experience of staying there and convey the special qualities, and characteristics of the property and personality of the innkeepers. In
essence, the Website should reflect the guests
experience at the property, and it gives the innkeeper the opportunity to communicate and
interact directly with potential guests. As recent statistics suggest, a Website is a powerful
tool to generate business for a B&B (Schleim &
Saint-Amour, 2001).
This study concluded that there is room for
improvement in all the four aspects of existing
B&B Websites. Site attractiveness reflects to
the visual aesthetics of a Website. This sample

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E-CONSUMER BEHAVIOR IN HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM: ADVANCING THE RESEARCH

FIGURE 1. Screen Capture of the Homepage of The Historic Loeb House: The Best Overall Website
Packages and accommodations
offered with descriptions, photos,
and rates
Home button on
every page

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User-friendly
drop-down tabs
allow for no
scrolling and
easy navigation

Visually
appealing
color used

Rooms tab
connects to
room photos

Effective marketing
information
Clear photograph
of inn

Clearly available contact information:

Mailing address, telephone and fax numbers

About us tab connects to the inns

history, contact information, maps
and directions, and links to the
IBBA, local weather, local city
history, and area attractions

of B&Bs scored extremely well on site attractiveness, with an overall score of 88.5 percent.
The contrast of text with the use of appealing
color to improve the visual appearance is important to the appeal of a site. Innkeepers can
improve their sites with the use of appealing
backgrounds paired with contrasting text. Another area that can be improved is in ensuring
that the photographs and images are reinforced by adjacent text.
For user friendliness, although several Websites offered a homepage button on every page,
there is considerable scope left to enhance the
users ability to search sites. In particular, there
is a need to incorporate more navigation tools
such as site maps and searches, and to add fax
contact details. Although this may seem to be

an obvious and essential part of a Website, not

all of the B&Bs prominently displayed a telephone number, address, and e-mail contact.
Contact information needs to be displayed
clearly with a working link for the e-mail address. B&Bs scored lower for providing a fax
number, but this may be due to the increased
use of communications through e-mail and
lesser reliance on fax machines. However, if a
B&B has a fax machine on property, the number should be displayed on the Website.
This sample of B&Bs performed very
poorly in the marketing effectiveness of their
Websites. Earlier, the point was made that
B&Bs are well suited for the online environment due to their uniqueness, coupled with the
content-rich nature of the Web. In marketing

Section 6: Website Evaluation in Hospitality and Tourism

265

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TABLE 6. B&B Technical Information

B&B Name
Historic Loeb House Inn
James Wilkins House
The Oliver Inn B&B
The Inn at Aberdeen, Ltd.
Ruddick-Nugent House
Commandant's Home B&B
Honeymoon Mansion B&B
and Wedding Chapel
The White House
on Park Avenue
Gothic Arches B&B
Queen Anne B&B
The Homespun Country Inn
The Old Bridge Inn
Angola's Tulip Tree Inn
Castlebury Inn
1877 House Country Inn B&B
The Cottage at West Point
Apple Inn Museum B&B
Big Locust Farm B&B
Hilltop Farm B&B
Mean

# Links
per Site
23
37
39
64
33
34
38

# Pages
per Site
34
6
15
29
8
11
7

http://www.bnb-on-parkave.com/

47

14

http://www.gothicarches.com/
http://www.queenanneinn.net/
http://www.homespuninn.com/
http://www.oldbridgeinn.com/
http://www.tuliptree.com/
http://www.castleburyinn.com/
http://www.1877house.com/
http://www.cottageatwestpoint.com/
http://www.appleinninc.com/
http://ourworld-top.cs.com/joellindley22/index.htm
http://www.hilltopfarm.com/

36
25
23
32
20
14
23
16
79
32
9
32.84

7
7
5
8
2
4
9
5
22
7
6
10.84

Web Address
http://loebhouseinn.com/
http://www.jameswilkinshousebnb.com/
http://www.oliverinn.com/
http://www.innataberdeen.com/
http://www.ruddick-nugent-house.com/index.shtml
http://www.commhomeb-b.com/
http://www.bbonline.com/in/honeymoon/

principles terminology, a Website provides a

great opportunity to tangibilize the uniqueness
of a B&B for the Web user. However, although most of these Websites included photographs of the property and the guest rooms,
almost all lacked virtual tours. Here the major
purpose of the Website is to reflect the guest
experience and communicate the unique personality of the B&B. To achieve this, the site
must include more than still photographs of
the interior, exterior, and various rooms at the
property. A virtual tour more effectively
tangibilizes the B&B experience, taking the
Website to a higher level of comprehension
for the user.
The Website text must also convey the personality of the B&B. Although most sites had
photographs, fewer provided narrative descriptions highlighting the uniqueness of the
properties. A description of the architecture,
history, special location, or other unique feature of the B&B should complement the photographs and convey the core personality of
the property. This is also true for the innkeepers. Very few Websites had photographs or
descriptions of the innkeepers. The absence of

this information may convey that the owners

are not managing the property or are not onsite. More importantly, however, the Website
must convey the personality of the innkeepers,
their backgrounds, and interests. According to
BedandBreakast.com (2001), B&B innkeepers need to use or express three Ps on their
Websites: professionalism, personality, and
pictures. Under personality, the Web provides
a prime opportunity for innkeepers to introduce themselves to virtual guests and welcome them to their B&Bs. This greeting
should be in text, but it can also be done virtually in the same manner as the virtual tour. For
example, the innkeeper could welcome the
guest and describe the B&B in the virtual tour.
Several techniques can be used to bring the
innkeepers and B&B to life. Virtual tours,
sound or movie clips that feature the innkeepers welcoming their virtual visitors can better
engage visitors online and bring the Website
experience closer to the experience of a real
visit. The addition of sound and video takes
the online experience beyond the static brochure-on-the-Web experience that one finds
on most existing B&B Websites.

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E-CONSUMER BEHAVIOR IN HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM: ADVANCING THE RESEARCH

The main product and service of B&Bs is

the rental of rooms. Although many properties
had the rates on their sites, very few provided
the ability to make online reservations. As indicated in the literature, an increasing proportion of guests are finding B&Bs online. B&Bs
need not create complicated room reservation
HTML code to accomplish this. Some of the
B&Bs in this sample used existing Web-based
reservation services to allow online booking.
The most popular system was through an online reservation product offered by http://
www.netbookings.com. The other method used
by some B&Bs was through their property
management systems and this online system
was provided as part of SuperInn, a product
offered by http://www.sarktech.com/. Of course,
there are other products that make online
booking an option for B&Bs. As more guests
shop on the Web for B&Bs, the trend to offer
online booking will become more important,
and eventually will be a necessity.
Overall, there is much room for improvement in other facets of marketing effectiveness.
Innkeepers need to expand the description of
packages and special promotions, as well providing more links to area attractions. Awards,
guest testimonials, and vision and mission
statements are all opportunities for innkeepers
to make their properties more concrete for Web
users by providing positive evidence and opinions on the qualities of their B&Bs.
For the fourth quadrant, good spelling, links
that work, and quick load time speeds offer the
Web visitor a well functioning Website that
looks and works professionally. A technicallysound Website adds to the visit experience. It
is also a reflection of the innkeepers ability to
maintain the B&B. If the site is well maintained, one can make the assumption that the
B&B is also well maintained, and the opposite
can also be inferred.
Limitations and Needs for Future Research
There are a number of limitations to this research study that must be acknowledged. One
of these is the lack of direct involvement of
B&B innkeepers in the design of the Website
evaluation instrument. In the future, it is suggested that these operators should be consulted

about the specific criteria incorporated in the

B&B Website evaluation instrument. It may
also be desirable to have the sites evaluated by
former guests of B&Bs, who may have greater
insight than trained evaluators on the inherent
qualities of these properties.
Another recognized limitation of the study
was the omission of criteria related to the provision of breakfasts in a B&B. In future, the
instrument needs to be augmented by items relating to breakfast, such as a description of the
meals, menus, and recipes. Additionally, the
availability of specific driving directions to
the B&B needs to be verified in the instrument.
The B&B Websites evaluated in this study
may reflect a sample of typical B&Bs in the
U.S. The results of this study show that there is
much opportunity to improve B&B Websites
particularly in their marketing effectiveness.
However, it may also be argued that the sample of properties was too small and only from
one state, and that the results are not representative of all B&Bs in the U.S. While acknowledging this work as an exploratory study, there
is a great opportunity in the future to increase
the geographical scope of this research, as
well as evaluating a larger pool of B&Bs.
While the inter-rater reliability found in this
study was at an acceptable level, it may have
been possible to increase it. For example, this
might have been accomplished by having two
evaluation sessions, one acting as a pilot and
the second being the evaluation proper. The
researchers could have used the pilot session
to pinpoint where the major variations in scoring were occurring among the evaluators. This
could have then been used as the basis for a
second training session to encourage greater
consistency in evaluator ratings.
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