Want to attract and retain investors through your website?

It’s key to understand why they do what they do - or do not do.

Investors take a journey as they think about your company.

They move from stranger to advocate, through a series of stages. Using touchpoints of their choosing.

Your website has great design. Rich content. Smooth navigation.

Awesome!

But is it effective?                       

Is it reaching your intended target audience? And are they engaging in it?

A way to find out is to measure your site. To see how it stacks up against current web standards and across peers.

Investors want the news. Now.

It’s how they progress through their investor journey. They move from stranger to advocate, based on decisions triggered mainly by your company news.

That’s why you need to send investors your news wherever they are online. Whether it’s through your website, email, social media or news distribution channels.

Just do it straightaway. For better engagement with them.

It’s not just about making it look pretty.

There’s definitely more to it than that.

Your IR website is the most crucial resource for your investor networks. Both for those that currently own shares and for others that are considering buying.

They rely on your site far more than you might think. Using it to get news, financials and information. In real time.

How would you like to have a strong investor confidence in your company?

Or an increased support for your strategy as well as your management and board?

Sounds nice, right?

Wouldn’t you want to have more significant feedback from investors? Insights that can be useful in running your company?

These are just some great perks of engaging with your investors.

It’s become urgent!

As more people use smartphones over desktop computers, NOW is the time to have a mobile-friendly website.

Especially if you still haven’t converted your site since Google’s Mobilegeddon. (You can run this Google test to check if your site is mobile friendly.)

Optimising your website for mobile devices isn’t just a trend. It’s not a nice-to-have feature but a need-to-have capability.

“Not secure.”

Seen that message next to a web address? (Hopefully, not on your website.)

Google displays that label on sites that don’t use SSL certificates (or Secure Sockets Layer certificates).

This digital certificate delivers secure, encrypted communications between your website and any browser used by your audience.

Straight from the horse’s mouth.

Nothing beats information directly from your company.

Communication with shareholders is vital to the success and growth of your organisation. It’s not just to meet an obligation under the ASX-listing rules.

2018 is emerging as one of the most adventurous years in web design.

Just look around the Internet! See how vibrant colours and bold typefaces are stealing the web limelight.

If you’re launching a new website or considering a revamp of your existing one, have a think through these present trends. These pointers are not just a matter of visual gratification. They’re sure to provide smooth functionality as well.

(This blog post is part of a series discussing 10 Success Factors for Online Investor Relations. Read the previous related post — “How to create a mobile-friendly website for investors” — here.)

How big is your industry?

How will you generate profit?

What makes your company a better investment compared to your competitors?

(This blog post is part of a series discussing 10 Success Factors for Online Investor Relations. Read the previous related post — “How to Have Quality Website Content for Investors” — here.)

Ever opened a website on your smartphone and all you saw were jumbled words?

Maybe the images were not aligned, and everything just looked distorted.

That’s what happens when a site isn’t mobile-friendly.

From not having a clue about your company to becoming one of your committed long-term shareholders who tells others about you.

That’s how an ideal investor journey looks like when making investment decisions regarding your company.

But it’s not such an easy process. There are several stages investors move through in their journey. Stages where they learn and make evaluations as they progress along the way.

(This blog post is part of a series discussing 10 Success Factors for Online Investor Relations. Read the previous related post — “How to Improve Your Website Navigation for Investors” — here.)

Here’s the truth.

Your website is nothing without quality content.

You can have awesome images, great videos and a responsive design. But if your investor audience can’t find the info they want from your website, what’s the point?

It’s all about engaging your investor audience with valuable content. You probably already know this or have heard it a few times before.

That’s why you’ve made your debut into social media, just like other socially savvy businesses. You’ve started your company’s Twitter account or LinkedIn page. Maybe even Facebook page and YouTube channel.

Your website gives information about your company, like your products and services, corporate news and contact details, right?

But what if your site can upgrade to an effective investor relations tool too? One that would provide you a whole online investor presence.

Your online investor presence would focus on stakeholders and attract them to your website. This would then encourage them to move to the next steps. To potentially become a committed shareholder.

(This blog post is part of a series discussing 10 Success Factors for Online Investor Relations. Read the previous related post — “How to Appeal to Investors through Your Website” — here.)

Hard to imagine life without handy GPS navigation devices. Don’t you agree?

Google Maps. Car GPS screens. They’re just some tools that make things easier when you’re getting around a new place. They save time. And enable you to reach your destination as quickly as possible.

Social media is making an impact on Australian investment decisions.

Information ASX-listed companies relay through social media can “unintentionally influence” investor decisions, according to a recent study by Victoria University’s Dr. Maria Prokofieva.

In fact, more Australian businesses are now tapping into social media, Dr. Prokofieva noted in an ABC News article. Companies are catching the attention of stakeholders through this digital space. And as investors are engaged, companies are able to direct them to making positive investment decisions.

Investors today are more connected and more tech-savvy. They expect you to communicate more company updates regularly. And without delay.

Thankfully, there are many online tools now to meet that need. In fact, with the right tools, communicating with investors can be such a breeze. Here are 3 quick ways to connect with them.

(This blog post was inspired by insights Peita Diamantidis shared at “Amplify Your News: Using Digital Media to Grow Your Investor Following,” a recent IR event presented by IRM and Computershare.)

Digital media can help you engage with your investor community and advance your business. Particularly if you’re an ASX-listed small cap company. This means of communication will provide you a unique opportunity for personal connection with your investor audience.

(This blog post is part of a series discussing 10 Success Factors for Online Investor Relations. Read the previous post — “How to Attract Investors to Your Website” — here.)

When was the last time you bought a mobile phone or laptop? Remember going through a decision-making process before buying it?

Like most consumers, you didn’t immediately buy the first thing you saw, right? You must’ve Googled the product several times to study its features. Compared it to peers. Or maybe checked reviews. What were others saying about it?