And as firms go international and investors, clients and suppliers disperse across the globe, the corporate website would increasingly become more important than its physical office. Web presence is becoming a key not only to providing visibility to the market, but is essential in strengthening the brand value and enhancing the brand equity in the offline world. The design of the physical office involves a considerable investment in time, money and effort and has important repercussions on the overall image of the company projected to the world amongst present and potential employees, clients and investors, and the society at large. A corporate website has a similar role to play, but on a much larger scale. With a reach across the globe and at all times of the day, the website s importance in a world where firms are increasingly becoming global cannot be understated.
Visibility also means, in a way, greater transparency.
Access to information is worldwide, instantaneous, and increasingly available to more and more individuals. Corporates must be ready for the new kind of attention and demand for information. There are many shipping companies in India without a website. Varun Shipping for example, one of the leading shipowners in the country, is still without a website. However, as per certain reports, the company is in the verge of implementing its website.