Gender differences in user perception of usability and performance of online travel agency websites

Abstract

The success of online travel business largely depends on the usability of online travel agency websites, and, hence, the need to rigorously evaluate such websites. Gender-a key variable that explains a website's usage behavior (i.e., acceptance) and gratification from Internet use (i.e., purpose)-may influence the usability requirements of the design of online travel agency websites. This empirical study examines the usability of existing online travel agency websites in terms of gender, focusing on both user perception and performance. The findings show that women have more usability needs than men. The two gender groups have different expectations of different usability features as well. We argue that these findings can improve the understanding of gender differences in user behavior in terms of usability. Developers can thus increase the quality of experience of travel agency websites by improving the websites' flexibility and user satisfaction.