A study of bilingual websites as a marketing communication tool in tourism industry: The case study of cafes in Phitsanulok, Thailand

Abstract

Website is currently one of the most effective tools to advertise and communicate to the customers beyond geographical area as well as to expand businesses. Bilingual websites become necessity for businesses to utilize it as a marketing channel, e.g. to increase the sales. The purpose of this research was to explore the impacts of bilingual websitesas a marketing communication tool in tourism industry.  It is a qualitative study where an in-depth interview  and observation wereused in this research with 12 café owners who are currently using bilingual websites and are operating in the downtown of Phitsanulok province. The result revealed that bilingual website is an effective marketing communication tool to boost café businesses. The entrepreneur has to be aware and realize the prime benefits of using bilingual website as it is one of the crucial elements of successful business presence, resulting in having more customers, generating more trust, and income.