For large corporates
Our corporate benchmark is a standard product that cost-effectively exploits our skills in this area (see Benchmarking and best practice identification for more on these). We now have a database of 85+ major corporate sites covered, with the best of these kept constantly refreshed for use as comparators.
The service, is aimed at large groups in any sector. We use standardised metrics though there can be minor variations (for example, a privately-held company will not have investor relations metrics). Clients of the service include many leading global organisations.
Benchmark elements
The benchmark includes universal metrics, which deal with areas such navigation, design, international coverage and use of English, and specific metrics, which cover areas that are common to corporates. These include About us, Serving the media, Corporate social responsibility, Serving jobseekers and Serving other groups (such as teachers and suppliers). We also look at the ‘journeys’ through product and service areas.
The comparators within the benchmark include two sites specified by the client (most often belonging to competitors), plus three drawn from our high-quality database. In addition, we will highlight best practice from outside the comparator group.
The key deliverable is a confidential report, which is structured to include high-level summary material in concise form, followed by detailed recommendations and analysis. The aim is to make the document usable at several different levels. The contents will consist of:
an overview of the strengths and weaknesses of each comparator’s web presence
a table giving scores for each metric
detailed analysis of each metric for the client company including:
bullet-pointed analysis, which may go into considerable detail
detailed recommendations (divided into ‘recommend’ and ‘consider’)
icons used to highlight good practice in the client site, poor practice in the client site and best practice from comparator or any other site.
In addition, we provide an ‘open’ report, which contains lighter information on the comparator companies. We may produce a group version of the confidential report to use in other benchmarks – in this way we build a database of benchmark information that can be accessed by all members of the benchmark ‘club’. It is this sharing that allows us to keep the benchmarking service at a low price. Note that we take exceptional care to ensure that commercially confidential information is not included in the open reports – nor are recommendations.
We recommend that benchmarks should be refreshed regularly to highlight improvements made and expose weaknesses relative to changes in the environment.
Networking group
Bowen Craggs & Co organises and facilitates a corporate website networking club. Events are hosted by members and attract leaders in online communications who share the common goal of improving their corporate websites.
Meetings are held in London, other European cities and, later in 2008, the US. For details, e-mail Dan Drury