Organization of corporate web pages: Publics and functions

Abstract

This article reports on two sets of data that were collected to lay the groundwork for developing an empirically based typology of corporate World Wide Web sites. A systematic, random sample of Fortune 500 corporation Web sites was employed. The first wave of data showed that more than 85% of the sample had substantial content that addressed two or more publics. The most frequent combination of publics addressed by Web site content was that of investor/customer/press. The second part of the study examined the prominence organizations gave to audiences and features on the front or “home” page. The findings indicated that many corporate Web pages were designed to be accessible and easily navigated. This part of the study clearly distinguished between primary and secondary publics. In particular, the press emerged as a secondary public in the second wave of data. The results point toward the investor/financial community as the paramount audience for corporate Web sites. The research suggests that both content and organization need to be employed as corporate Web typologies are developed and that practitioners should think about exactly where navigational and interactive features are employed as a site is created. Stuart L. Esrock, Ph.D., is an assistant professor and Greg B. Leichty, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Louisville.