Methodology

How the 75 featured sites are assessed

We do not choose the companies we examine – they are defined by market capitalisation from the FT Global 500 – and as a result there is a fair bit of turnover among them¹. This year several banks have dropped out; they have made room for some interesting newcomers, including our first Indian and Mexican companies.

Bowen Craggs has developed a methodology to benchmark corporate websites in great detail. The FT Bowen Craggs Index uses the same methodology, but at a lighter level.

The metrics are divided into two groups: overall and specific.

Within the overall metrics, Construction covers navigation and coherence, Message looks at the visual and content messages the site transmits, while Contact covers both ease of making contact and appropriate use of FAQs.

Specific metrics concentrate on how well the site serves each of five distinct groups: society, investors, the media, job seekers and customers (See Leaders by metric).

Each metric is sub-divided and the same questions asked of each site. We do not, however, use a checklist approach: our analysts are all experts on the corporate web and are trained to ask first what should be provided, and only then to judge how well it is provided. ‘Appropriate ‘is the key word. A new review takes 10 hours on average and is carefully documented. We look at the entire presence, covering non-English content where it is important to do so. Chinese-, Japanese- and Russian-speaking associates are used to check relevant areas.

¹ Companies featured last year that no longer fit the criteria: Altria, Canon, EnCana, Honda, ING, Mizuho Financial. Royal Bank of Canada, Sumitomo Mitsui, The Royal Bank of Scotland, UBS, Wachovia, Wells Fargo.

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