Web Site Public Relations: How Corporations Build and Maintain R ...

The Internet is a global network of computer networks that supports many types of communication, such as e-mail, file transfers, instant messaging, and the World Wide Web. Tim Berners-Lee, the creator of the World Wide Web, puts it very simply when he explains that at its core the Internet is made up of computers and cables that connect them (Berners-Lee, 2002). The World Wide Web is one of many communication protocols that run on the Internet. It is a way of making information available on the Internet in the form of interlinked texts, images, sounds, video clips, and so forth (Berners-Lee, 2002).

Of all the forms of communication supported on the Internet, this project focuses on Web sites, and more specifically, on corporate public relations Web sites. The next section clarifies the focus of this research.

Project Focus

The focus of this research is limited to U.S. business corporations’ Web sites, which are studied from a public relations perspective. To some extent, the terms “public relations Web site” and “relationshipbuilding Web site” are intrinsically redundant, because it can be argued that all Web sites contribute to building some kind of relationship with one public or another. Most, if not all, Web sites can be assumed to play somewhat of a public relations role, whether intended or not. This redundancy notwithstanding, the two terms are used throughout this study to emphasize the focus on planned, strategic efforts undertaken by organizations to create Web site experiences that build and maintain relationships with various publics. When examining Web sites, this research focuses on how the various elements of Web site content and design create an online experience conducive to initiating and maintaining relationships with site visitors.