While companies are rushing to create a presence online, many have done so with little foresight. And it shows. In this report, PR NEWS will look at five corporate Web sites that are all missing the mark in two key ways: the companies aren't being branded and the use of the Internet as a communications medium is lost on these folks.
Our reviews are based on a recent study by the Public Affairs Group, which identified in its "Communications Effectiveness of Corporate Web Sites" study as needing improvement.
California Federal Bank
This site is one of the least effective we've come across. There's a lot more that this bank could do, aside from dishing up a run-down of its ATM locations. We're criticizing the site because, as PAG mentioned, it only has two links - contact info. and a location finder.
Our suggestions:
- Provide company background and history; and
- Offer investing tips & guidance.
Flagstar Bank
Web content planners had the foresight to provide links to Edgar for SEC filings and links to Yahoo for stock quotes, but this site could be a lot more effective as a communications medium.
Its graphics were limited and there simply wasn't any personality conveyed. We did, however, like the particulars offered about its personal banking saving accounts services, with descriptions detailing its Christmas club, vacation club, homeowners bridal registry and minor savings plans.
This site has the potential to be a far better communications forum.
Our suggestions:
- Archive press releases online; and
- Set up an online media area.
Charter One Financial Inc.
We're not bank bashing but here's another look at how bland a site can seem when you rely on the hunt-and-peck method.
We agree with PAG's comment that while [this site] is "very service-oriented, the only corporate information this site offers is a brief, two-paragraph company profile, some recent news releases, an investor slide presentation and a summary of the 1996 annual report."
Our suggestions:
- Take advantage of the Internet's benefits:
- The ability to use and magnify interactivity; and
- The chance to keep your constituent audiences up-to-date with how your company is growing and competing.
Tips for banks: To see what other banks are doing online, we did a Net search and hit on dozens of courses you can bank on to help you become a communications pioneer. For instance, we checked out the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond's Web site, http://www.rich.frb.org, and looked at what it's doing. Features include info. about interest and foreign exchange rates; facts about treasury securities; and a glossary of terms (definitions such as zero coupons and nonmarketable securities).
Black and Decker
If your online tactic is to draw them in with contests, then Black and Decker has the motherlode. But from a communications perspective, this site lacks what would make it valuable to constituents (the press, the investment community) who aren't consumers.
This site is so laden with product info. that it seems like this company's forgotten all the online attributes - press releases, no-nonsense content, community relations ventures - that should be there. We can't drill it in enough: a Web site has to have more value than plugging products.
Our suggestions:
- Speak to both the media and business professionals (it's not enough to just cater to the home handyman); and
- Propel your company beyond its catalog-house image by providing content that hooks visitors whether they're buyers or not.
Tips for product-oriented companies: Take a look at http://www.kodak.com: There's a statement from company CEO George M.C. Fisher and his recent presentations as well as his current priorities. Want more examples of Kodak's recent online wisdom? Its Hong Kong 1997 area and its Mars Connection feature - they were both savvy moves that position the company as an information provider.
Mirage Resorts
Once someone visits this site for travel recommendations, what's going to lure them back? PAG noted that the site has links to six of its hotels, but it also noted that there wasn't any corporate info. included. We echo that finding and offer some additional perspective:
There are hundreds of reporters and editors who go online first thing in the morning to delve into local, regional, national and international news about businesses. So, whether your company is seen as a communications expert or just a dabbler in this realm amounts to a lot.
Our suggestions:
- Provide some corporate background or, at the least, announce that company news is on its way: a Web site - like your communications programs - should be a work in progress; and
- Think global, not just local.
Tips for travel resorts: Look at some headline features at http://www.hyatt.com and you'll see how the info. you provide can make you an invaluable resource. Some recent teasers? "Takeoffs Mean Tradeoffs for Today's Business Travelers"; "Hyatt Signs Deal to Franchise New Hotel in Wichita, Kansas"; and "Take a Virtual Tour of Park Hyatt Toyko."
PAG's $325 report is available by calling 202/466-8209.