Are you busy preparing for your upcoming listing or initial public offering (IPO)? Don’t forget to set up your website.
For now, it doesn’t have to be complicated, with all the bells and whistles. A simple website or landing page can work wonders at this stage. Your initial website will create a buzz about your company and generate excitement for your business.
A well-crafted pre-IPO website will attract investors and make a strong impression, particularly when it's professionally done. It will lay the foundation of your online presence before launching your full site.
Benefits of a pre-IPO website
Do you need a pre-IPO website at this point? If you consider these advantages, you’ll gain from this brilliant move. Ready for a head start?
A pre-IPO website will show off your brand and draw interest from investors early on. Visually, this site will convey what your company is all about. It will display your logo and brand colours as well as the core message you want to get out.
Technically, this site that bears your company’s domain name will also be your business address to the online world. Your website will enable investors to find your company on the world wide web and give you something to promote from get-go.
Your pre-IPO website will help authenticate your business to investors. Your company’s credibility will be established as your online presence begins, even with a just a few web pages or a modest landing page. It will serve as a teaser to catch investors’ attention even before your full site goes live.
Your pre-IPO website will give you leverage on search engine optimisation (SEO). It will trigger the indexing process as Google picks it up early on. By the time your site has expanded to its full capacity, you’ll be ranking well in searches.
How good is that? Not bad at all.
Click on the image below for a great example of a pre-IPO website, Iceni Gold’s website.
Iceni Gold's one-page site has started the company's online presence while its IPO is in the works.
Basic elements of a pre-IPO website
Your pre-IPO website doesn’t need much at the onset. It can be a website with a couple of pages or a landing page with key company information and contact details. These elements are some of the basics you shouldn’t miss.
1. Banner image
A captivating banner image on your pre-IPO website will be your investors’ initial glimpse of your company. First impressions will be made here, as it will be prominently located at the top of your site, extending full width.
Invest in a relevant high-quality image to make the most of this attention-grabbing banner. Just be sure your image doesn’t have a huge file size that will hamper your page speed. Investors will likely leave your site if it fails to load in seconds.
2. Company logo
Positioning your logo on your pre-IPO website will distinctly identify your business to investors. This will be useful in connecting your company with stakeholders, even if your site has minimal pages or is a no-frills landing page for the time being. It would be a good idea to use your brand colours in the site design to align with your logo to start your company branding journey.
3. Value proposition
Why should investors do business with you? A value proposition on your pre-IPO website will briefly state who you are, what you do and what makes you different from peers. It’s usually placed over your banner image in just a few phrases that are easy to read. Or perhaps have a separate page to give a bit more details about your business.
4. Board and management bio
While you're introducing your company, why not present your leadership team as well? Investors will be keen to know the driving force of your organisation, so acquainting them about your board and management is a plus factor on your maiden site.
5. Contact details
Your pre-IPO website should have your contact details, like your email address, so investors can reach you with ease. If your social media accounts are ready, include links to your LinkedIn, Twitter or Facebook pages so that stakeholders can follow your company too.
6. Email subscription
Speaking of connecting with investors, you can also maximise your pre-IPO website to build your email subscribers list. An email sign-up form on your site will establish your audience as you gain interest from your investor community.
Basically, you can start sending informational content to get stakeholders excited as you move toward your IPO. Encourage your early subscribers to spread the news about your progress and link your website in your emails, so more investors can visit your site.
Summing it up
Your pre-IPO website will help verify your business to investors and fit out your online presence, even with just a simple site or landing page. It will serve as a springboard for your business as it promotes your brand, builds your credibility and boosts your SEO capacity.
Start with essential elements, like your banner image, company logo, value proposition, board and management bio, contact details and email subscription on your pre-IPO site. And you’re on your way to creating a full-fledged company website as your business grows with your investor base.
Leave all the work to professionals
If you’d rather focus on your IPO matters, consider engaging a web development team and leave your website up to experts, like IRM.
You’ll get all the features you like on your site, without having to worry about technically designing it yourself. Your pre-IPO website will be created as part of your full site design project. Ready to be scaled up as your IPO progresses and your business expands.
You don’t have a logo or branding guide? No problem, let IRM’s Graphic Designers create you a logo you can be proud of as well as a full branding suite, such as branding colours, business cards, PowerPoint presentations, etc.
IRM has been developing investor websites for ASX listed companies since 2002. You can count on our years of experience to equip your site and investor communications.
Let’s discuss your website requirements on +61 2 8705 5444 or clientrelations@irmau.com to start your online journey. Contact us today!
Online Investor Engagement Specialists
