For Clients and Friends of Potomac Communications Group, Inc.
Making Your Web Site Valuable for Reporters
hances are your organization’s Web site isn’t delivering what journalists need. That’s the finding of two recent studies by the Nielsen Norman Group and Vocus, Inc., as well as an informal survey conducted by PCG.
The Nielsen Norman study asked 20 journalists to perform basic tasks on the Web sites of major corporations, like BMW, Phillip Morris and Wal-Mart. About 40 percent of the time, the journalists were unable to find the information they needed.
“Journalists don’t have time to wade through complex navigation trees to sift factual wheat from marketing chaff,” the study’s author concluded. Journalists mainly need “fast access to facts and figures, as well as a simple way to contact a live person in the PR department.”
The study identified five major reasons why journalists use corporate Web sites:
1. Find a PR contact.
2. Check basic facts about the company.
3. Discover the company’s own position on events or policies.
4. Check financial information.
5. Download images to use as illustrations in a story.
Reporters’ Pet Peeves
The biggest complaint of journalists is that it’s hard to find a commun-ications contact with a name, e-mail and phone number. Many Web sites list a generic phone number for a communications department – which reporters compare to leaving a message on a voice mail system for customer service. Chances of getting a return call are nil.
Other pet peeves that reporters told PCG include:
- Using Java, Flash, video and audio effects in situations where they do not add real value.
- Lack of a simplified explanation of what the company or association does and the role it plays in its industry, particularly if it’s a technical or scientific organization.
- Burying valuable information behind too many links and organizing it in a manner that is not readily accessible.
- Finding little or no financial information on a company’s Web site.
- Lack of a fairly detailed company history – which surprises journalists since this is often a key component of press kits.
- Burying the pressroom hot link inside another link, rather than having quick access directly from the home page.
- Inability to find positions on current policy issues.
- Lack of clear, credible information on company or association initiatives. One healthcare writer said HMOs kept telling her that a new development was the wave of the future – but it was not mentioned on any of their Web sites.
- Blocking off valuable information on trade association sites “for members only.” One journalist said she spent several minutes trying to find a policy position, only to hit a “members only” block.
Two Visits to a Web Site
Reporters say that when they are working on a story, they usually visit a Web site twice. The first time is to learn about the company, its industry, its products or services, and its senior management. This is background material for an interview. They may come back to the site a second time to fact-check information and fill in details they did not gather during the interview.
PCG’s new media service provider, Vocus, Inc., found similar results in a study of 1,000 print reporters, and it made two recommendations:
- Use your online newsroom as a clearinghouse for information. The minute you have news, post it on your site and e-mail it to journalists. This will demonstrate that checking your Web site regularly can provide valuable, timely information. Create a process to make sure your news will be posted immediately.
- Provide a backlog of articles written about your company or association, either in full text form or a summary with a link to the article. Include audio and video coverage as well as printed clips, if possible.
The National Fenestration Rating Council’s Web site includes a press room developed and maintained by PCG that offers reporters everything from window industry statistics to cell phone numbers for NFRC’s media contact. The site is simple, straightforward and informative – all elements that reporters want.
Even Web sites not geared to a press audience can have a secondary role supporting media relations. PCG designed BorrowSmart.org, a site sponsored by the National Home Equity Mortgage Association, primarily to educate consumers about home equity borrowing. While offering clear, simple explanations of a complex financial issue and important tips for borrowers, the site also can be a valuable tool for reporters covering consumer and financial services beats.
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