Two of the most respected names in hospitality-related eBusiness and eMarketing strategy and intelligence announced today the upcoming release of a new strategic report for the hospitality vertical. The RUSH Report, a hospitality intelligence report on user satisfaction and website performance, provides the industry with an in-depth analysis of key aspects of website performance and user satisfaction. The report is based on feedback from over 72,000 actual website visitors to hotel brand websites.
Now for the first time hotel brand executives, hotel general managers and directors/managers of eCommerce, Sales and Marketing, and Revenue can evaluate website performance and online usability, compared against an industry average, and where necessary make website adjustments in order to convert lookers into bookers. The RUSH Report provides the data to justify and rationalize enhancements to the website be it a brand or single-property website. In the rapidly changing online distribution marketplace, this quarterly report fills a void in competitive industry-wide intelligence.

To be released March 1, 2004, the report, issued annually with quarterly updates will set a new standard for evaluating and measuring website performance and user satisfaction in the hospitality industry according to Max Starkov, Chief eBusiness Strategist at Hospitality eBusiness Strategies in New York City. “Hospitality website owners will have access to aggregated data never before available. This report provides for the first time a detailed comprehensive picture of both the leisure and business traveler’s online experience and their satisfaction or dissatisfaction with crucial aspects of the hotel’s websites”, said Mr. Starkov.

The RUSH Report data is based on actual feedback from everyday users of hotel branded websites, and is continually updated with an ever increasing number of website users. The data includes a unique ratings system, a detailed analysis of user satisfaction and website performance, and an analysis of how key website dimensions, including navigation, content, interactivity, motivation and adoption, contribute to the user’s overall level of satisfaction.

Many industry surveys show that a majority of business travelers are willing to book directly on the hotel website. To illustrate the RUSH Report’s value, Mr. Starkov revealed though that a majority of hotel websites fail to adequately address the needs of the business traveler.  According to Starkov, “The RUSH Report is an eye-opener. Many of us think that the business traveler is covered. Yet the results show that most hotel websites do not handle this lucrative market very well and deserve no more than a D grade”.

“The RUSH Report will be an invaluable resource for the hospitality industry,” said Jerry Tarasofsky, CEO of iPerceptions. “This unique analysis of our data by hospitality industry veteran Max Starkov and the experts at HeBS, the leader in eBusiness strategic thinking in hospitality, is going to provide a benchmark that every website owner in this sector can use to evaluate their own site’s performance and ROI. It marks a turning point for analytics in the hospitality industry,” said Mr. Tarasofsky.
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