Top UK firms have poor Websites

LONDON: Britain's leading companies are "woefully inadequate" at

providing corporate information on their Websites, according to a study released

on Monday.

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 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 presence," 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.

(C) Reuters Limited.