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This comparative study examined the Internet and Web technologies used on the Fortune 500 and Inc. 500 corporate Web sites. Data were collected from two randomly selected sample groups: 216 Fortune 500 corporate sites and 206 Inc. 500 corporate sites. The findings indicated that both the Fortune 500 and Inc. 500 corporate Web sites used html, JavaScript, css, asp, VBScript, gif pictures, jpg pictures, and email more frequently than other technologies for their home pages, public and investor relations, information search, B2C, B2B, career, and contact-us sites. Xml and aspx were identified on just a few sites. Both groups demonstrated the efficient and effective use of their selected Web programming technologies, graphics, and multimedia. The significant differences between the two groups indicate that the Fortune 500 tend to accept advanced and emerging technologies, whereas the Inc. 500 prefer to use mature and easy-to-use technologies.
As Internet and Web technologies have advanced from delivering static informational pages to enabling dynamic, interactive Web applications and services such as B2B/B2C/C2C e-commerce, CRM, and ERP, doing business on the Internet becomes a competitive advantage. More and more large U.S. corporations not only tie their basic information technology (IT) infrastructure into the Internet, but also move their core business functions to a Web-centric model (CIO Insight, 2003; Downes, 2000; Lake, 2000; Olsen, 2003; Perry, 2000; Ricadela, 2004). According to CIO Insight's recent report, 42% of the companies reported significant revenue increases due to e-business, 59% of the companies reported significant cost savings by having implemented e-business strategies, and 60% of the companies closely track the value of their e-business efforts (CIO Insight, 2003).
Having witnessed the benefits of the Internet, small American companies are also investing more in IT to achieve a competitive advantage (Taft, 2002; U.S. Small Business Administration, 2000, 2003). Now almost every U.S. company, large or small, has a Web site for communicating and sharing information, promoting products and services, or doing business online (Olsen, 2003; Perry, 2000; Taft, 2003). While the static informational Web sites are simply created with html, building dynamic, interactive Web applications and services required advanced Web technologies and languages (Imparato, 2002; McCarthy, 2002; Taft, 2002). The literature review (e.g., Imparato, 2002; Knorr, 2003; McCarthy, 2002; Taft, 2002, 2003; World Wide...