When was your last health check? That is, for your website?

Yes, you read it right. Your website needs health checks. Much like how people need check-ups from their doctor. Just to ensure everything’s in tip-top shape.

After your website goes live, don’t expect it to work perfectly for always. In truth, websites break down when unattended. Often they become outdated, take longer to load and incur other technical problems.

Your annual report is an extension of your brand. More than a legal requirement, it’s a unique communication tool that connects with investors and stakeholders.

Beyond mere facts and figures, your annual report is an excellent opportunity to create a lasting impression through your company’s story. Enabling your business to stand out from the crowd.

Show not just tell! Show investors how your company is an attractive long-term investment through a great website. Especially as you gear up for your initial public offering (IPO).

As you prepare to be listed, providing facts and figures about your business is important. Presenting a strong company story through your website is essential to your IPO’s success.

Investors make progress on their journey from strangers to shareholders/advocates based on news they find on online touchpoints of their choosing. Regardless of where they find you online, you’ll be trying to get them to your investor website.

Because your investor website is the king of touchpoints that you control. It’s 100% under your control. It's the place where you have the best chance of influencing investors to like and trust you. So you need to give it your very best shot!

Finally! Your new website is about to go live.

After organising its design and content, your site is now ready to be launched into the big wide world. Well done! Thank you too for entrusting your website development to our IRM team.

But before we hit the go-live button, a final run-through is needed to give your site the best start possible. It’s much like how pilots double-check controls before taking off.

The new ASX website launched on 12 October presents issues for many companies who use it to show announcements from their own websites or publish links in their emails.

These companies need to fix potentially hundreds of incorrect links, and possibly get permission from ASX.

These issues apply to you if...

On Monday, October 12, ASX launched their new website, www2.asx.com.au.

Unfortunately for the first day it did not display ASX Announcements. There was a message on the home page which said...

"ASX announcements are currently not displaying on the ASX website. All company announcements are available to view via brokers and news agencies."

This year has been filled with uncertainty for many organisations, especially when it comes to AGMs. Companies with a reporting deadline of December 31 bore the brunt of the COVID-induced uncertainty earlier this year, during the off-peak AGM season in April and May. But, many companies adapted, successfully taking the virtual “leap” into unknown territory.

Out of the 4500 meetings Computershare has already conducted across the globe this year, over 1300 have been fully virtual. At the same time in 2019, the number of virtual meetings was only in the low hundreds.

A better user experience. That’s what an interactive website offers your audience, such as investors and clients.

When your site is interactive, it engages users as they go through information displayed on your web pages. It’s just more enjoyable to use. So, it receives more traffic and gains all the benefits that come with it.

How is this best achieved?

If your company's heading for an initial public offering (IPO), you can’t do without a website to support your listing. Launching an IPO without a site is like going into battle without arsenal. You’ve got to be equipped even before entering the market.

Going for an IPO means you are now expected to communicate with investors, including analysts and financial journalists. The first point of contact for these stakeholders searching for information about your company of course would be  your investor website - the front door to your house!

Want to position your company above peers? Then your website shouldn’t look like everyone else's.

You'd want a site that's unique to your company, designed with your requirements. Enabling you to reinforce your brand as its blueprint is specific your business.

A customised web site that supports your current and future goals is ideal. Created with a foundation that’s built to handle modifications as your organisation expands.

Your annual report is not only an ASX requirement but is actually an online touchpoint touchpoint for your investor communications.

Really? It's a printed document, isn't it? A simple PDF printed document.

You need to think about how it's mainly consumed. Yes, online! The Internet is our preferred medium of communication these days and more and more investors are viewing this document from their mobile devices.

Can you guess one of the most frequently visited pages on your investor website?

It’s the share prices and charts page.

Website visit statistics from hundreds of companies show that this page is among the top 5 frequently visited pages.

Yes, investors want to see your company’s share price. They enjoy a chart showing your recent performance too.

Ensuring continued investor engagement in the midst of challenges in our current environment. That's quite an undertaking for ASX-listed companies this year.

Even annual general meetings (AGMs) are taking on new forms. Thankfully, regulators have adapted more options for businesses to fulfill requirements in the present setup.

So, how you going with your once-a-year meeting?

Attracting good candidates can be a challenging and costly task in highly competitive job markets. Recognising this, more and more companies have been investing in their own function-rich careers centres.

Check out how diversified mining and exploration company IGO (ASX:IGO) gets the most out of its website's candidate-rich Careers section.

You’ve just produced a video interview of your CEO presenting your company’s latest updates. It’s one you’re incredibly proud of!

So, you managed to upload it directly on your website. Of course! It’s the fastest way to convey your business highlights to investors, right?

Or so you thought.

Ever wonder what investors want online? Particularly in this time when your message needs to be even more clear on the Web?

Investors are not just looking for your company’s financial information.

They want details on your business and your investment proposition. They want to know the latest happenings through your company news.

Let’s be honest.

You look at your website and you know it can do better.

It looks old and out of date. It’s slow and unresponsive. It doesn’t represent your growing business at all. And it would give investors the wrong impression, wouldn’t it?

A good quality website is an integral component of your business. It should exude professionalism and credibility for your brand as well as generating confidence that assures investors you mean business and you’re there to stay.

With all kinds of website designs in the market, it’s important to pick one that will best serve your needs. A website design that’s created uniquely for your company. Presenting your business in its best light, while looking professional and modern. Enticing investors and leaving a lasting impression on them.

That feeling of achievement when you finally upgrade your website.

You're frustrated with your website because it's hard to manage. You want to announce your new business venture or post your CEO’s video interview but how? You can’t even update the pages because the system requires a web developer for simple amends.

It’s definitely time for change!