Here is another bit of technology that Europeans do well: corporate websites.

FT Digital Business is on Wednesday publishing a new index of corporate websites, evaluating these on how well they serve various groups such as customers, investors, members of the press, jobseekers and society in general.

The big surprise is that European companies dominate the rankings, with eight out of the top ten slots. Siemens, Royal Dutch Shell and BP are in the lead. Only two US companies – IBM and General Electric - make the fist ten.

David Bowen, who’s consultancy Bowen Craggs created the index says US companies may have been the first to have corporate websites but have been “resting on their laurels” for too long.

In contrast, Mr Bowen says many European companies have had a serious revamp of their websites in the last two or three years. One company – which he prefers us not to name – found it was spending £30m a year on hundreds of websites around the world which were not coherently planned or measurable for return on investment. Shocked, it undertook a big overhaul and now has an exemplary web presence.

What is also interesting about the list is that controversial companies like Siemens and BP seem to have the best websites. Perhaps they hope a polished website will distract from tarnished reputations?

US companies can take some comfort, however, from the fact that Asian corporate websites are even worse. They don’t even make the top 20. Toyota Motor scrapes in at number 28.

March 28th, 2007 in Internet | Permalink