Whether you’re preparing for your IPO or have recently entered the markets, you’ll soon learn there is a long list of regulations and processes that public companies must implement.

One item on that “To Do” list is an Investor Relations (IR) Website.

Separate from a typical consumer-facing corporate website, an IR website is a designated hub for housing specific, easily accessible financial information for your investors, analysts, and the general public.

SEC guidelines emphasize the importance of making financial information readily accessible online to promote transparency and ease of analysis. A well-made IR website does this. Beyond aligning with these SEC guidelines, there are a multitude of benefits to having an IR website—especially one that is polished, easy to navigate, and professionally designed.

Read on to explore five ways a high-quality investor relations website elevates your public company’s profile:

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1. Build trust through compliant and transparent communication
The number one reason you need an IR website is because it is part of your new compliance requirements as a public company. Additionally, this provides an excellent opportunity to build trust with investors by leveraging your pride intransparency and ensuring your site is easy to navigate for visitors.

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2. Help investors (current and prospective) track your company’s performance
One of the main details investors inquire about is your company’s growth strategy. An IR website is the perfect place to showcase your roadmap towards growth and the achievements you’re hitting along the way.

Proudly present your milestones as you accomplish them and explain the key performance indicators that investors should pay attention to, all in one place. This allows them to stay updated on your progress while being incentivized to continue their investment with your business.

3. Cultivate a strong brand image
A company’s brand image is strengthened by every touch point an investor or consumer comes across. Investing in a well-made and polished IR website puts your company’s best foot forward and demonstrates attention to detail. Build an even stronger brand by including your company’s mission statement, values, and strategy for continued growth on your IR website.

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4. Provide a comprehensive and educational resource hub
It can be helpful to think of your IR website as one central, comprehensive hub where all financial information and educational resources are easily accessible to the public. This way you can direct anyone here that expresses interest in learning about your company, knowing that they’ll find everything they need in one place.

This also makes it easy when you need to reference previous reports or documents to measure your company’s progress. Add in a section for things like media coverage and press releases to give a complete picture of your organization to anyone visiting your site.

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5. Track engagement to see what investors care the most about
Finally, a lesser obvious but still significant benefit to having an IR website is the ability to analyze users’ behavior. With an experienced web design team, your site’s backend analytics can provide valuable information on which pages investors spend the most time on and where they usually leave (or “bounce”). Monitoring this behavior can help your company optimize your IR strategy and provide the best experience possible to potential investors.

In summary, an IR website should not be overlooked as another item on your public company’s checklist but rather an asset to be leveraged for creating a stronger connection with your audience. Our experienced team of investor relations and web design professionals can help you ensure your site is sleek, easy to navigate, and compliant with regulations.

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Here at Gateway, our Branding & Creative department is fully integrated with the Investor Relations and Public Relations teams, so you aren’t dealing with a data provider or a web design company operating in silo, you are partnering with a comprehensive financial communications team who understands how to communicate your brand and equity story in the most compelling way possible.

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