Top British firms have poor websites, says study

London: Britain’s leading companies are “woefully inadequate” at providing corporate information on their Web sites, according to a study.

It said half the companies listed on the London stock market’s main barometer, the FTSE 100 blue-chip share index, did not give their share price on their websites or put it where it was hard for shareholders to find.

A quarter of these companies did not explain the nature of their business on their home page and others hid financial information behind a “barrage” of product information, said the report, carried out for Web strategy and design firm Interactive Bureau.

“This report shows that after more than five years of hectic web development in the UK many of our leading companies still have woefully inadequate Web presences,” said Rodney Tyler, a director of Interactive Bureau.

Tyler said a company’s home page was often the first impression a potential employee, shareholder or client received but many companies treated their audience of shareholders “appallingly,” making it hard for them to find information.

Barclays Plc was scolded for displaying its share price several clicks away from its home page while retailer Marks and Spencer Plc was criticized for a hard-to-find search facility.

Six Continents Plc, the world’s second-largest hotels group, was singled out for praise in the survey, which said it displayed simple and functional design with all the necessary links displayed in the right place.

Supermarket chain Tesco Plc was criticized for hiding its financial details behind a “barrage of product information.”

A spokesman for Tesco said the site was designed to be a tool which would appeal to its millions of customers.

He said the company was always open to feedback about its site but that the sort of corporate information referred to in the study was only one click away from the home page.

The sites were ranked on criteria covering home page links, contact details and corporate information, overall design, navigation and technical performance.

— Reuters