The impact of the university website on its position in the world rankings

In the context of the intensified globalization and competition in education, the interest of researchers in the image-making of universities and other educational organizations has increased. This interest is now closely related to the development of the world university rankings (Shanghai, THE, QS, Webometrics and other rankings) which are tools of competition between universities. The website is considered by international and Russian researchers as one of the structural elements of the image of the university as well as a tool for its development. The research discusses the available methodology for creating two rankings of university websites, presents the quality characteristics of Russian universities’ websites displayed in the Russian and world rankings. The websites of universities that are included in the national and major international ranking are listed. The rating indicators and results can be used as guidelines for managing the university website in this regard. In conclusion, the author systematizes the recommendations of international researchers for designing the university website.