Norwegian companies on par with European peers

By Freja Nilsson

In Webranking by Comprend 2021-2022, Norwegian companies have performed on par with the European average. The companies provide clear navigation structures and include good sustainability strategies but need to improve when it comes to information about financial outlook and targets.

We have ranked the websites of the thirteen largest Norwegian companies to examine how well they meet the expectations of their stakeholders, such as investors, jobseekers, and the media. The average score for the companies is 43.7, showing that they are on par with the European average of 43.6.

Norwegian companies provide clear navigation structures

The Norwegian companies perform very well when it comes to the technical performance of the websites. Their performance in this area is slightly above the European average.

The companies are solid performers in terms of navigation: 85% of the companies' websites are considered easy to navigate, compared to the European average of 74%.

Mowi provide a clear top navigation bar containing all relevant sections using labels that are familiar to stakeholders. When choosing a landing page (such as Investors), a second-level navigation bar shows. When selecting one of the alternatives, a third level menu shows on the left side. Dividing the navigation into different levels makes it easier for the users to find what they are looking for since the navigation bar does not get cluttered with too many pages.

Many companies include sustainability strategies

Norwegian companies also do an excellent job of providing sustainability information on their corporate websites. The companies are especially good at including sustainability strategies (92% of the companies did this) and their codes of conduct (85%). They also explain how the sustainability strategy relates to the overall corporate strategy, which makes it straightforward for the reader that the sustainability work is integrated into all aspects of the company's business.

Equinor have divided their sustainability strategy into two sections: one focuses on governance and risk, and the other on materiality and stakeholders. The summary of the strategy with the option to expand for further information makes it easy for the visitor to get a clear overview of the strategy.

DNB provide an extensive code of conduct section in HTML instead of PDF, which many other companies do. Including the code of conduct in HTML makes it both easier to find and more accessible. The HTML format is more accessible for users reading on smaller screens since it adapts better to screen size than a PDF does.

Information about financial outlook, targets, and risk management is often missing

Like many other countries, Norwegian companies struggle to meet stakeholder expectations regarding the Investor Relations section of their websites. On average, Norwegian companies have received 22%, which is a little bit below the European average of 25%.

It is mainly information about the financial outlook, financial targets and achievements, and risk management that is missing from the Norwegian websites. Only 4% of the companies include information about the financial outlook, even though 95% of Comprend's Capital Market Survey respondents find this information important.

Telenor is the only Norwegian company that include financial outlook in their Investor Relations section. Telenor presents their outlook in a table, making it easy to understand.

Gjensidige include a clear division between different types of targets (sustainability, financial, and operational). The page is divided into sections with a menu where the user can quickly jump between the different parts of the website.

The top performers in Norway

Telenor keep their top placement in Norway for the second year in a row, but it is a close tie between Telenor and Equinor, who is number 2 on the list this year. Telenor are strong performers when it comes to Sustainability, Careers, and About Us information. While many companies struggle to keep up with jobseekers' expectations, Telenor stand out in Norway and Europe. For example, Telenor's careers section includes information about flexible working, something that 80% of the respondents of Comprend's Careers survey 2021 find important.

Equinor have highly detailed Sustainability pages that have received a score high above the European average. Like Telenor, Equinor also have promising Careers and About us pages.

Yara are new to the stand this year and are, like their Norwegian peers, very strong in Sustainability communication and About Us information. Yara also have an informative Financial Reporting section where all necessary information such as financial highlights, transcripts from conferences, and minutes from the AGM are gathered in the same archive.

*Out of 100

See the Webranking results hub or read more abot the Webranking Report.