THE INFLUENCE OF INFORMATION CHARACTERISTICS OF ONLINE REVIEWS ON PURCHASE INTENTION: A CASE STUDY IN TRAVELOKA.

• Main Author: Nadira, Nurhainah
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/61166
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

According to Indonesian Journal of Development Planning in 2020 stated, the hotel industry is experiencing great pressure as seen in the high decline in tourists with the number of cancellations and a decrease in hotel reservations. In response to this problem, hotels must find ways to maintain their business, such as by increasing customer purchase intention. Traveloka, as the number one booking hotel online accommodation in Indonesia, provides hotel online review platforms so previous customers can share their experiences and other customers can get the information and recommendation through the platform. Online review is the highest source of information used by people to search for the information for hotel industries. Previous studies found there are several factors, such as Information Quality, Information Credibility, Information Usefulness, that can affect purchase intention. By studying the information characteristics inside the online review platform as one of eWOM forms, it is expected the hotel industry is able to examine the the information characteristics from Traveloka review platform that significantly affect customers purchase intention, so they can implement it for their marketing strategies using online review. This study aims to investigate factors that affect purchase intention by using Information Acceptance Model. The study is using quantitative method and conducting online questionnaires obtained by 245 respondents who ever read Traveloka review platform, ever booked hotel online on Traveloka, and are 18-35 years old. SmartPLS is used to analyse the data and confirms that Information Credibility, Attitude toward Information, Information Usefulness, and Information Adoption are determinant factors of eWOM that can affect purchase intention. The findings of this study did not find Needs of Information and Information Quality are determinant factors of Purchase Intention. This research also gives practical recommendations for the hotel industry to maximize eWOM strategy to increase their sales based on the findings.