A review of FTSE350 websites reveals that regardless of the size of the company, the top 20 are scoring a whopping 60 per cent higher in the analysis compared to the laggards in the bottom 20. Leading the way at the top are corporates such as Barratt Developments and Land Securities Group in the FTSE100, and Go-Ahead Group and Tullow Oil in the FTSE250. This latest digital research, from stakeholder communications company Black Sun, finds major improvements overall in corporate websites, particularly in areas such as sustainability content, website responsiveness and video experiences. However, there are still some major shortfalls within FTSE corporate websites, and a growing digital divide between the ‘best' and the ‘worst’.

 

The report, entitled What Makes an Effective Corporate Website?, shows that overall, there is a better focus on user experience and providing easier access to content, with compelling findings such as:

• 84% of the FTSE100 is now using video throughout their website, and
• 50% of the FTSE100 is enabling content sharing to social

 

But the ability to tell a complete story through the corporate website was questioned. Diving a bit deeper, the research reveals that:

• Surprisingly, 30% do not say what they do as a business on their home page
• Only 30% communicate a clear investment proposition
• A mere 20% share their overall strategic objectives, business model and KPIs

 

As the corporate website continues to evolve as one of the most powerful communications channels for an organisation, providing complete and consistent information to both investors and the wider stakeholder community is essential. This is the third year that Black Sun has compiled the FTSE350 research on trends in content, assessing the corporate story of the organisation and trends in user experience, which looks at how content is consumed. The research also provides an in-depth analysis of varying experiences of each of the key stakeholders - investors, sustainability, careers and media.

 

Richard Dixon, Chief Digital Officer at Black Sun commented, ‘Though we have seen great progress in the last few years in the development of the overall user experience, aided by new technology, we are still surprised at the number of companies who don’t ensure that all of the content on their website is up to date, consistent and telling a compelling story of ‘what makes their organisation different. This year’s research shows the growing divide between the top performers and the ‘laggards’ who are missing the opportunity of using their website effectively. We hope that this research will inspire companies to review their site and ensure that they are communicating effectively with all of their different stakeholders'

Request a copy of the research here.