Content Analysis of Online Visual Merchandising for Indian Online Travel Agents

Abstract

The main objective of this chapter is to investigate the effect of online visual merchandising elements and identify the relative importance of the various visual merchandising cues to consumers' visits and booking through online travel agencies. In order to examine the relative importance of the visual merchandising of Indian travel agents, two most popular online travel agents, namely Makemytrip and Yatra, were selected. The data for the content analysis was collected from 100 respondents of each website who have visited each online travel agent namely Makemytrip and Yatra at least once. The respondents were asked to browse and explore the visual merchandising cues of the website and fill in the data at the same time. A detailed content analysis was done for both the online travel agents. For comparing the web portals chi-square has been used. The comparison analysis was performed on basis of various elements in the websites, namely website logo color, website main color, number of filters, bulletin board, comparison tool bar, interaction tool, search bar tools, detail information, custom made service, refund policy indication, number of travel service, ease of payment, image position, etc. A coding sheet was developed and designed to explain the various elements of online visual merchandising for these travel agent's portal in order to perform the content analysis. Findings showed the importance of online visual merchandising cues towards online travel agency websites. It also gave implications for online travel agents on how they can use online visual merchandising to attract and appeal consumers and travelers visiting their web portal. The study also reviews an extensive literature on online visual merchandising and presents a detail understanding of online visual merchandising and its elements and how online visual merchandising can be used differently and attractively in different web portals. The result of a chi-square test shows that there is a significant difference in all the factors of online visual merchandising cues. The chapter also gives implications for online travel agents as to how online visual merchandising can be used especially in online travel portals to attract travelers. The findings of the study provide valuable information for online travel agents for developing successful online portals using various web cues that may attract and draw interest of both the online browsers as well as the customers of web travel agents.