Despite their potential, some investor relations websites in the UK are still not hitting the mark.
When done right, an IR website is the source of straightforward answers to investor questions. This includes the latest earnings releases and regulatory filings, highlights from executive speeches and even information for current and prospective employees.
In this blog, I’m excited to share six of the top best practices for optimizing an IR website. For more than two decades, our clients have trusted us to design, develop and host their sites and today, I’m excited to share some of our learnings.
A strong website starts with the basics. I cannot stress this enough!
According to IR Magazine’s recent research report, nearly 80% of IROs believe IR sites are effective tools for engaging institutional investors. Still, fewer IROs (62%) find them equally effective for retail investors.
These statistics indicate room for improvement. So what can UK companies do to enhance their websites?
In the UK, regulatory compliance is paramount. Companies must ensure IR websites host all required disclosures, such as financial statements, annual reports and regulatory filings while adhering to guidelines set by regulatory bodies such as the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to maintain transparency and trust.
Here’s a list of foundational elements to include on an IR site:
The layout and accessibility of an IR website significantly impacts how users perceive it.
A clean and simple design ensures that users can easily access essential documents, such as quarterly earnings and investor decks. The primary purpose of an IR website is to act as a comprehensive document library, focusing on providing easy access to financial information and avoiding unnecessary elements.
Often, investors and other stakeholders first interact with a company through its IR website. A well-structured site clearly conveys the company’s mission and future direction. It should provide all critical information, ensuring users can easily find what they need.
By designing a simple, organized and user-friendly IR website, UK companies can make a positive first impression and effectively communicate their financial health and strategic vision.
Ensuring accessible content on an IR website means providing an equitable experience for all users, particularly those with disabilities.
By adhering to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), the foundation for accessibility can be built. However, building true equity requires implementing technology that gives users more control over their experience, empowering them to access information confidently.
For example: During earnings events, your IR technology should allow users to manage playback speed for both live and on-demand content. It should include a text-based Q&A feature and make scripts and materials available as transcripts. Additionally, users should have the option to pause and resume content and enable picture-in-picture features for video.
By integrating these features, you ensure that all users can access the company information and resources they need, creating a more inclusive and engaging experience.
Listening to investor feedback can greatly enhance the effectiveness of IR websites. Investors are the primary audience, and their insights can provide valuable guidance on how to improve sites.
Actively seek out and consider investor feedback. Conduct surveys, hold focus groups or engage with investors through social media and other communications channels. Listen to their suggestions and concerns and use this information to make targeted improvements.
Some practical ways to incorporate investor feedback might include:
This approach not only enhances the user experience but also builds trust and strengthens your relationship with your investors.
Aggregating, automating and customizing dynamic content on an IR website can significantly reduce manual work, ensure data accuracy and keep investors informed. By leveraging automation, it becomes easier for investors to find and access essential information.
For example: By providing all key disclosures in a table with a new column for each quarter, investors can easily find relevant documents over a time series. Adding plugins for SEC filings and press release publications allows these updates to happen automatically on an IR website.
Making information easy to find and update is crucial. Investors want information at their fingertips – it’s important to offer subscriptions to news alerts, SEC filings and other corporate developments or changes.
While some published information may be proprietary (i.e. sell-side research reports), much of it is publicly available and can be effectively aggregated through a third-party platform. This allows you to combine public content with customized content, such as investor presentations or management bios.
While covering the basics is essential, IR websites can also serve as a platform for deeper engagement and storytelling. Incorporating multimedia elements such as videos, blogs, podcasts and social media can significantly enhance a site's appeal.
Videos and IR blogs are also excellent tools for engaging investors. Blogging, in particular, allows companies to communicate positive news throughout the year, rather than waiting for the annual report. This continuous communication keeps stakeholders informed.
Regularly measuring performance and user behavior is necessary for maintaining effectiveness. Use analytics to understand how visitors interact with content, which sections they frequent and what materials they download. This data provides valuable insights that help refine the user experience.
For example: If a particular section receives most of the traffic, consider adding more detailed information or related content to enhance its value. On the other hand, if some sections are underused, reconsider their content or visibility to ensure they meet investor needs.
Regular performance monitoring helps adapt to changing investor preferences and ensures an IR website remains a valuable resource. Continuously updating and optimizing based on user behavior helps keep sites relevant, engaging and user-friendly, ultimately supporting a broader investor relations strategy.
Thanks for reading!
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