(This blog post is part of a series discussing 10 Success Factors for Online Investor Relations. Read the previous related post — “How to engage with investors using your website” — here.)
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.
Start with the analytics and SEO results of your website. Check how you are going by those principles.
Then refine your messages and images as needed. Or upgrade your navigation and style to keep up.
You can also compare your site with peers by the same measures. Think about what runs well with them and perhaps adopt what you can to stay in the game.
Then measure again to find out how you’ve improved over time.
Don't know where to start? How about these 3 practical ideas for measuring your website’s effectiveness:
1. Use Google Analytics on your site
Google Analytics is a free service that can monitor every click on your website. It provides comprehensive real-time online analysis on several aspects. Like your onsite content, user experience and device functionality.
With this tool, you’ll be able to determine what’s working and what's not. Where your traffic is coming from and the keywords used to search your site. Allowing you to focus on areas needing modification. Helping ensure your website speaks to your audience.
2. Count and measure engagement
How many email subscribers do you now have? How about inquiries or calls from your site’s contact details?
Are followers in your social media accounts increasing? Getting more likes, shares or retweets?
Log all these counts over time and analyse the trends. Observe what gets the most engagement from your audience and stay with it. Or make adjustments as necessary.
3. Measure against Success Factors
IRM has identified 10 Success Factors that define key areas in which online communications strategy needs to perform well. These elements include attracting and appealing to your audience through your website.
Score yourself against these best practices. Then reassess and re-score periodically for continuous improvement.
The long and short of it
If your website looks impressive, showing off sleek functionality -- bravo! But if you’re not measuring its effectiveness, how would you know it’s catching on with your audience?
Google Analytics is one of the best methods of evaluating your site. Measuring engagement with your audience and examining some Success Factors are also helpful tips to consider.
Over to you
IRM can assist with a full website review to help ensure that your investor site is effective.
We’ve been helping ASX-listed companies with their online investor relations strategies since 2002. You can catch our list of clients here. Or browse through our website through this link.
Would you rather chat with one of our account managers? We’d be happy to take your call on +61 2 8705 5444. You can also email us at clientrelations@irmau.com.
Online Investor Engagement Specialists
