Website Analysis: Basics

Online Presence & Website Analysis

Given the lack of official industry data and the prevalence of thin-file or unregistered businesses, analyzing a company's web presence has become a cornerstone of modern business verification.

Why Online Presence Matters

For businesses without formal registrations or with limited credit history, digital presence is often the most reliable indicator of legitimacy:

• Provides evidence of actual business operations
• Reveals industry, products/services, and business model
• Shows investment in professional brand presence
• Offers contact information consistency checks

Key Website Analysis Components

Domain Registration

• Domain age: Older domains generally indicate established businesses. Domains registered in the last few weeks are high-risk indicators.
• Domain registrar: Certain registrars are associated with higher fraud rates.
• Domain privacy: WHOIS privacy protection is normal for small businesses but can be a flag when combined with other risk factors.

Email Deliverability

• Can emails be sent to the domain?
• Are email addresses publicly listed on the website?
• Do emails match the domain of the business?

Website Content Analysis

• Does the website describe real products/services?
• Is content substantial and professional, or minimal/placeholder?
• Does the industry claimed on the website match the industry provided in the application?
• Are there product images, pricing, about pages, contact information?

Technical Indicators

• Is the website active and loading properly?
• SSL certificate presence and validity
• Website architecture (template vs. custom build)

Contact Information Consistency

• Does the website show the same business name, address, and phone number as the application?
• Are multiple communication channels available?

Social Media and Review Analysis

Social Media Profiles

• Presence on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X
• Account age and activity frequency
• Follower counts and engagement
• Content quality and consistency

Online Reviews

• Google Business Profile reviews
• Industry-specific review sites (Yelp, Trustpilot, BBB)
• Review volume, recency, and sentiment
• Response to reviews from business

Why It Matters: Established businesses typically have an organic social media presence and customer reviews. Synthetic or fraudulent businesses often lack these digital footprints or have recently created profiles with no genuine engagement.