Your company’s shareholders expect (and deserve!) clear communication, and your investor relations (IR) website is the best place to disseminate it.
But merely having an IR website isn’t enough. It needs to be a fantastic one.
When developed correctly, an IR website won’t serve only to inform current investors and stakeholders — it will also help you tell your company’s story to new ones, too. It will also increase trust and transparency, foster a culture of accessibility and approachability, and prove your commitment to open communication.
If you need to create (or improve) an IR website for your business, start with these tips.
7 Must-Have IR Website Tips
1. Put Vital Information Front and Center
People visiting your IR website are typically there to learn. Potential and current shareholders alike may be interested in your operational results, historical data, the success of your investments, and other pertinent corporate information.
Your job is to make that information easy to find.
SEC filings, press releases, financial data, stock information and more should be on display and/or simple to access. Transparency and user experience are paramount.
2. Craft a Robust About Us Page
Every business website needs a great About Us page; IR websites are no exception. People go to an IR website to learn about a company. And while that includes financial and operational data, that also includes info about what the company is and what it does.
Include elements such as the company’s history, financial timelines, goals, strategies, key accomplishments to showcase your business and bolster your own investment case.
3. Let Everyone Meet the Team!
Something else to include on your IR page is the crew behind the company.
Stakeholders often want a clear picture of the people making the decisions that impact their investment. A “Meet the Team” page helps put faces to names, increasing your credibility and making your team members more familiar and approachable. The page should include brief bios that outline each person’s education, previous experience and role in the company.
4. Have a Strong Investment Proposition
If someone stumbled upon your IR website knowing nothing about your company, what would you tell them?
A strong investment proposition is vital for attracting stakeholders. Your investment proposition should explain your market opportunity and business model, highlight any competitive advantages and focus on what your company has to offer investors.
5. Highlight ESG Initiatives
Some investors prioritize sustainability, ethical and other considerations alongside financial returns. So naturally, they want to see environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives on a company’s IR site.
Is your company is involved in reducing carbon emissions, building a better future for the next generation, increasing corporate transparency or otherwise effecting change? Highlight these efforts.
6. Remain Compliant
If you’re a publicly traded company or are otherwise bound by SEC rules, you’ll need to ensure your site follows SEC rules and regulations. These include some of the advice above (including making sure you’re posting critical data and releases such as SEC filings and financial disclosures, among other things). They also govern more technical requirements such as file formats and cookie policies.
An important thing to remember: The SEC’s rules about websites aren’t just boxes to be checked off — many of them really do provide a better experience for investors.
7. Keep Basic Website Design Principles in Mind
Your investor relations website is still a website, of course. Thus, the basic “rules” of website design need to be followed. Keep text to a minimum where it makes sense. White space can create points of focus. Images help break up the monotony.
An intuitive design that funnels users right to where you want them to be, strong calls-to-action and a strict adherence to your style guide will make your IR website simple to navigate and pleasing to the eye.
Give Your Investors the Information They Deserve!
An investor relationship website serves to educate and inform existing and potential investors about your company. So don’t leave your IR site to chance!
Whether you just need a few more tips to help you create your own IR website or want someone to handle the entire thing, Mischa Communications is up to the task. Let’s schedule a time to talk.