How To Choose an IR Website Provider in 2024

In today's environment of deepfakes and fake news, your investor relations website is a critical tool for building trust and establishing transparency.

It's the online hub where potential investors, analysts and the media form their first impressions of your company. However, crafting a high-performing IR website that aligns with your goals and takes control of your narrative can be a complex task - especially without the right technical expertise.

We see it time and time again. When companies self-host their IR website, these sites lack robust features that investors and other stakeholders expect. This is where partnering with an established provider becomes a game-changer!

In this post, we share a comprehensive, eight-step checklist that will assist you in making a well-informed decision.

Evaluating IR Website Providers: A Checklist

By following these steps, you can secure a true partner who follows the latest best practices and provides exceptional service - not just another vendor.

✅ Accessibility and Compliance

• Does the platform adhere to accessibility standards, making it usable by individuals with disabilities?
  
  
• Is the platform built and managed with regulatory compliance at the forefront?

Pain point: Non-compliant websites expose your company to potential lawsuits and reputational damage.

✅ Single, Consolidated Solution

• Can the provider manage your IR website, press release distribution, regulatory filings, earnings calls and investor days as a one-stop solution?
  
  
• Do they offer automatic updates to your IR website?

Pain point: Dealing with many vendors for IR tasks is not effective and can lead to mistakes. Using one solution, such as Notified's, makes things easier and keeps your story the same everywhere.

✅ Engagement and Branding

• Can you tailor the website to reflect your company’s branding, messaging and visual identity?
  
  
• Does the platform offer features to promote user engagement, such as clear navigation and interactive content?

Pain point: Outdated and poorly branded websites fail to capture investor attention and hinder communication.

✅ Customer Support

• Does the provider offer dedicated IR website support with experienced professionals?
  
  
• Does the support staff have a deep understanding of investor relations communications and best practices?
  
  
• Does the provider offer 24/7/365 support?

Pain point: Poor customer service can leave you frustrated and with unresolved issues.

✅ Functionality and Features

• Does the provider support microsites to showcase investor days and highlight ESG initiatives?
  
  
• Do you have access to a comprehensive set of features such as financial data integration, SEC filing access, news updates and events calendar?
  
  
• Does the platform support responsive design for optimal user experience across devices?

Pain point: Self-hosted solutions may lack essential features compared to a robust IR website platform (such as Notified’s).

✅ Security

• Does the platform offer enterprise-level security and multi-factor authentication (MFA) for a layered approach to keeping your communications safe?
  
  
• Does the provider prioritize data security including encryption, secure file upload and robust protections against cyber threats?
  
  
• Is the platform compliant with relevant data protection and privacy regulations (e.g., GDPR, CCPA)?

Pain point: Security breaches can expose sensitive investor data and lead to legal trouble. A secure platform safeguards your information and ensures regulatory compliance.

✅ Scalability

• Do they offer appropriate language support, features and functionality for your global audience?
  
  
• Can the platform accommodate your company’s growth and increasing traffic without compromising performance?

Pain point: A non-scalable platform limits your reach to global investors and can crash under increased traffic as your company grows.

✅ Analytics and Reporting

• Is the provider able to identify prospects visiting you IR website so you can conduct more relevant outreach?
  
  
• Can they identify potential activists to help you with risk management?
  
  
• Does the platform provide robust analytics tools to track user engagement, traffic patterns, and content performance?
  
  
• Are there reporting capabilities that allow you to generate insights for stakeholders?

Pain point: Without insights into who visits your IR website and what content they engage with; you miss opportunities to tailor outreach and potentially target the wrong investors. Unawareness of potential activist interest or negative user behavior can leave you unprepared to address potential issues.

By following our checklist, you can choose the right provider that helps you tell your best investment story!

Partner with Notified for Your IR Website

Why should you trust Notified with your IR site?

We go beyond basic webhosting by offering a comprehensive solution that addresses your specific pain points and supports your long-term IR goals.

Here's how we can help:

• Accessibility Expertise: Ensuring your website complies with accessibility standards is crucial for inclusivity and avoiding legal risks. With Notified, you can trust that your website will meet these standards, making it accessible to all users.
  
  
• Enhanced Engagement: Our platform is designed to keep stakeholders engaged. Clear navigation, interactive features and a focus on user experience ensure that visitors to your IR website can easily find and interact with the information they need.
  
  
• Branding and Messaging Alignment: Your IR website is an extension of your brand. We work closely with you to design a website that reflects your brand identity and reinforces your corporate story, ensuring consistency across all platforms.
  
  
• 24/7 Support by IR Professionals: You’ll have a dedicated website service manager who you’ll know by name and access to 24/7 support for assistance after hours and on weekends. Our service team is provided with ongoing training and certification and is always up to date with the latest investor relations and IR website best practices.
  
  
• Streamlined Workflow and Security: Managing an IR website can be complex, but with Notified, it's streamlined. Our platform simplifies website management and prioritizes data security with robust features, allowing you to focus on what matters most—communicating effectively with your stakeholders.

Want to see our platform for yourself? Contact us today to learn more!