Finding Company Web Sites

Guessing The Name Of A Company Web Site

With the growth in eCommerce, the presence of companies on the Web has risen dramatically in the last few years. Most companies now have their own Web site, from which you can learn about their products and services. To find a company Web site, it is often simply a case of 'guessing' its address, e.g. if you wanted to know the Web site for British Airways, try typing 'www.britishairways.co.uk' in your browser, and the chances are you will get their site.

Be warned that this does not always work. Try to look for 'Boots' the chemist at 'www.boots.com' and you will get a completely different company. Try 'www.boots.co.uk' and then you will get Boots the chemist.

Guessing the names of Web sites is quick but it does not always work.

Using A Search Engine To Find A Company Web Site

• Excite is particularly good at finding company Web sites.
• Google is also very good at this.
• Yahoo will help you find company sites and give you stock information if it is available.

Finding Information On Company Web Sites

Company Web sites tend to be large, with many pages. These days it is common for large Web sites to offer some kind of keyword 'search' facility, or at least some kind of 'site map'. When you arrive at a Web site home page, look for the 'search' option (it will be a button somewhere, usually with a box next to it for typing your query). It is often much easier to find what you are looking for by searching than by trying to follow links.

Type in 'www.waterstones.co.uk' to get the Waterstones Online Web site. Look in the top left corner of their home page and you will see their 'quick search' option. Type in 'agatha christie' and you will get a list of books by that author which you can buy.

Company Press Releases

Many large companies issue their own press releases and this can be a good way of finding out information about the company's activities. Go to 'www.bt.com': there is no obvious 'search' option, but by guessing, click on 'go to...'. This will get you to a page with a 'search' option. Click on the 'Titles and Description' radio button and type 'press release' in the box marked 'Search the Index'. Click on 'Find Now' and you will be able to see BT's latest press releases.

Other Ways To Research Companies On The Web

Government Sites

The UK Government has a number of very good Web sites giving information about companies.

• Companies House is good place to go to find out whether or not a company exists and is solvent; you can also search for Disqualified Directors (searches are live and must take place between Monday and Friday, 7am to 10pm UK Time).
• The Department of Trade and Industry Web site is an excellent site for information on business practices, law, government business policies, and new legislation affecting companies being proposed.

Finding Out About Public Companies

If the company you are looking for is publicly held (traded on a stock exchange) you can generally find out more information about it. Such companies will have to report certain financial information to the Securities and Exchange Commission. At their site you will be able to search the EDGAR Database but be sure to read the Important Information About EDGAR first.

To find out about stocks and trading, use

• Yahoo Ticker Symbol Lookup

Sites Maintained By Individuals

When people find useful Web sites, they often collect them together and publish them on their own Web sites. When this has been done well, these sites become well known, acting as miniature 'knowledge hubs' or 'portals'. For business research, Sheila Webber's site "Business Information Sources on the Internet" at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, is one such site.

Go to:

• Company Directories for an excellent list of links to directories of companies and services.
• Company Profiles and Financial Information for links to sites which allow you to research company financial reports, including government files on companies.
• Keeping up-to-date with new Web sites for links to sites which tell you about new Web sites and resources.

Independent And Public Views On Companies

Sometimes you will want to find out what other people think of a particular company.

• Deja News allows you to search news groups to see what people are saying about companies and their products.
• To see public discussions on stock reports, see Motley Fool UK and Interactive Investor International.

Think of the name of a company.

Try and guess the name of its Web site.

Try and find it using these search engines:

• Excite
• Google

Try and find it using these company directories:

• Companies House
• ComFind

• Yahoo Ticker Symbol Lookup