THE CONTENT ANALYSIS OF BANK WEBSITES FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF EFFECTIVENESS

Abstract

As a result of the high-speed improvements in technology and the diffusion of internet, the world is rapidly transforming into a digital one. The increasing importance of digital presence makes effective digital marketing a necessity for organizations, and it is evident that the website is among the main elements of digital marketing for an organization. In this context, the layout and content of websites are extremely important for banks, which generally operate in a highly competitive and complex market. To identify the attractiveness of bank websites for visitors, the websites of 31 banks are submitted to content analysis. The banks that operate in the Turkish banking sector and that are listed as deposit banks by The Banks Association of Turkey are included in the analysis. In accordance with the literature, the elements of the bank websites are coded according to the cognitive map theory. The cognitive map theory explains the environments that people like to explore with four dimensions, which are coherence, complexity, legibility, and mystery. As a result of the content analysis, the authors aim to prevail the major components and the general layout of bank websites and evaluate their findings from an effectiveness and attractiveness perspective according to the theory