4 Critical Elements of an Effective IR Website
Any company looking to attract market attention today shouldn’t underestimate the importance of a sophisticated corporate website with a high quality investor relations section.
Potential investors interested in learning more about your firm will likely visit your website before anything else, so put your best foot forward by making your IR website appealing and its pages informative and easy to navigate.
Over the years, we’ve seen some great IR websites — as well as a few missteps. Here are several best practices to keep in mind when developing a top-notch IR site.
Make It Easy
Before potential investors read the information on your website, they’ll need to navigate to the appropriate section — and they will balk at the thought of wading through a disorganized corporate website to find that key information.
So, first and foremost, make your IR section easy to find. This part is simple; just make sure to include a visible “investors” or “investor relations” tab or menu link on the home page. Otherwise, you could leave potential investors frustrated and — even worse — with a negative impression of your company. Additionally, the website’s design should be aesthetically pleasing and professional.
Tell Your Story
A good IR website requires several key ingredients, but one of the most important is a clear company description or “about us” page. This overview provides you the opportunity to capture investors’ attention and tell a compelling story about your business.
However, that doesn’t mean it needs to be long. Keep the story simple while incorporating key elements of your company: your sector (whether that’s diagnostics, biopharmaceuticals, medical devices, etc.), your focus, what your products do, the diseases your products diagnose or treat, etc. If possible, consider adding a two-minute video to your “about” section. Video is a very effective way to deliver your message to your audience — and is often faster and easier for them to consume.
In this section, also describe your company’s vision or strategy, as well as its size, age, and developmental stage. You might include photos and brief bios for top executives as well. You could also augment your IR section with a brief FAQ with five or so questions. Just make sure to update it as your story evolves.
Overall, your goal here is to get people to (quickly) understand your company and investment proposition and compel them to want to learn more.
Post Key Data
When investors look at your website, they are looking for important information about your business and its performance and activities. Your IR section should include all press releases and SEC filings from at least the last 12 months, as well as financial data covering your most recent quarter and the previous two years. Website visitors also should be able to effortlessly find an updated copy of your company’s investor presentation.
Make sure to keep this information up to date. Falling behind on posting key releases and filings looks amateurish and tells investors that someone’s not paying attention — not an image you want to convey to the market.
Also post information about recent and upcoming events, such as quarterly earnings calls and executive appearances at investor conferences. Be sure to include links to audio or video recordings from those events, if available.
Finally, make contact information easy to locate, so potential investors know exactly who they can contact if they have questions or want more information.
Mind the Technology
Beyond the information you need to include on the website, the technology behind the site should be functional and up to date. For example, make sure your website is mobile-friendly. It’s estimated that nearly three quarters of internet users will access the web solely via their smartphones by 2025 — so it’s critical your site works well and looks clear and appealing in that context.
To keep investors engaged and your company on their radar, give them the opportunity on your website to sign up for email notifications, so they stay apprised of your news and events.
If your company isn’t equipped to build or maintain these technical elements, consider hiring a reliable consulting firm to handle your website, including keeping it up to date. Most of the healthcare companies we work with use outside web consultants.
A good corporate website should be a pillar of your marketing and IR efforts and not an afterthought. Westwicke’s experienced professionals can guide you in developing and executing an effective investor relations program, including a polished corporate website. To learn how we can help, please contact us.
Mike Cavanaugh is a Managing Director on Westwicke’s life sciences, healthcare services, and healthcare technology teams. He has extensive experience in investor relations and messaging. He has a BA in economics from Trinity College and an MBA in finance from Vanderbilt University.
Great content! Super high-quality! Keep it up! 🙂