How to improve your corporate website for capital market stakeholders

The role of a corporate website

The primary use of corporate websites remains rooted in information gathering and investor relations, with a particular focus on financial analysis and accessing investor materials.

Examples of how respondents said they use corporate websites in their daily work include:

Despite the critical role a corporate website plays, the survey indicates only moderate satisfaction with current content, suggesting significant room for improvement in how companies present and manage their digital content. Over 35% of the respondents said corporate websites only meet their expectations to a moderate extent.

One respondent outlined the strengths and challenges of corporate websites from their perspective.

Most valued content

The survey highlighted which two website sections are most valued by capital market professionals: financial information and business strategy. These sections are not merely about presenting data; they are central to cultivating trust and ensuring stakeholders understand the company's current performance and future trajectory.

Financial information

Information such as key performance indicators, financial results by business area and forward-looking financial outlooks are still particularly valued by financial audiences, with a strong preference for this information being presented in interactive formats.

Over 43% of respondents prefer to view financial figures on corporate websites using interactive graphs or tools. Interactive formats, such as dynamic charts, graphs and simulators, can improve the effectiveness of how information is communicated. Benefits include enhanced engagement, customisation, real-time data visualisation, accessibility and clarity.

Business strategy and market position

In the landscape of digital corporate communications, the ability of a website to clearly and accessibly present a company's strategy, market position and competitive advantage is paramount. This stems from the need to satisfy immediate stakeholder enquiries while also building long-term trust and engagement. Stakeholders, particularly those involved in investment and analysis, rely heavily on this information to make informed decisions.

This response underlines the need for companies to not just state goals but also demonstrate feasible approaches and real capabilities to achieve these objectives. It is not enough for a company to have ambitions; it must also show that it has the structure, resources and processes to realise these ambitions.

Detailing competitive advantages is important because it differentiates the company from its competitors in a tangible way. Stakeholders particularly value this information as it provides insight into the company’s unique strengths and market opportunities. However, as one survey respondent suggests, this is "often a weak point, focused on wishes more than on facts." This critique points to a common shortfall where companies might communicate aspirational advantages without backing them up with solid evidence or demonstrating how these advantages are sustained and leveraged.

Recommendations

To help companies align corporate websites with stakeholder expectations, the survey respondents offered the following actionable recommendations:

1.  Regular content updates

Ensure that content, especially critical business and financial information, is regularly updated and accurately reflects the current state of the company.

2. Improved navigation and accessibility

Information should be easy to find and well-organised, minimising the need for stakeholders to search through multiple pages or deal with complex navigation.

3. Simplification of language

Avoid jargon and overly technical language to make information accessible and easy to understand.

4. Enhancing trust and credibility

Trust emerges as a central theme among the responses, with corporate websites and annual reports seen as the most trustworthy sources of information compared to social media or company-written articles in independent media. However, there remains a degree of scepticism regarding potential biases. To address this, companies are encouraged to provide clear disclosures and independent verifications of data where possible. They should also offer straightforward, unbiased reporting that focuses on facts rather than promotional content.

What's next?

To improve your corporate website and align it with the latest stakeholder expectations, you can order the Webranking report. This detailed report offers comprehensive benchmarking against peers, tailored recommendations for enhancing your website, and strategic insights based on current market trends.

Contact us if you would like to learn more about how the Webranking report can help your company.