Online marketing communication tools used by guest houses in Pretoria, South Africa

Abstract

The purpose of the research was to determine which online marketing communication tools are available and are most frequently used by guest houses in Pretoria. There are a large number of guest houses operating in South Africa and the hospitality industry is information intensive. Innovative marketing communication becomes a necessity to survive and grow in an uncertain business climate. A quantitative research method was followed. Primary data were collected by means of a survey approach during personal interviews with the guest house owners/managers. Specific corpographic details of guest houses and the most frequently used online marketing communication tools were canvassed. The four most frequently used online marketing communication tools are guest house websites, branded e-mail, search engine optimisation and social networking. The findings suggest that guest houses have to invest more time and money in implementing specific online marketing communication tools, such as social networking and the use of search engine optimisation. The results confirmed the importance of electronic tools in an organisation's marketing strategy, specifically for small businesses such as guest houses. This research can assist guest house owners and managers in their decision-making on the use of online marketing communication tools as part of their marketing strategy.