Finnish corporate websites lead the way in stakeholder communications

By Chris Henson 

We've ranked the corporate websites of Finland's 50 largest companies and the results show another impressive year for Finnish communications. Their sites continue to offer the best service to the capital market in Europe, with investor content in notably rich supply.

When comparing the results of the 20 largest companies in 14 of the European countries included in the ranking, Finland achieves first place again this year with an average score of 60.9 (out of 100). Scores have decreased across the continent since last year due to more expectant stakeholders and updated criteria to consider modern accessibility standards, and Finland's average is down as part of this. Finnish websites remain comfortably at the front of the pack, though, more than 10 points above than the European average.

Taking into account all 50 ranked Finnish companies, the average score is a little lower, 53.7, so there's still room for improvement to provide stakeholders with the best possible supply of relevant content. Finnish websites stand out for their investor content, as companies capitalise on this key communication channel with their capital market audiences. There's work to be done on their homepages, though, to provide visitors with an excellent first impression to their sites and direct them to all the great content within.

Investor content that sets the benchmark for the rest of Europe

The level of detail Finnish companies supply in their Investor Relations is streets ahead of European peers. 54% of the most important information is available on average, compared with just 27% from Europe's largest companies. Drilling down to the largest 20 companies of the countries included in the ranking, and Finnish companies are again clear of the pack. This shows that communication teams in Finland are well aware of the importance of this channel for the capital market.

Top 3 countries for IR information on the corporate website:

• Finland - 63%
• Italy - 43%
• Germany - 39%

Finnish companies make a great case for investment

A good amount of the content of Finland's Investors sections is shaped around the investment story, meaning there's several pages of material available on why to invest in each company. This is a great asset for the websites, as a solid investment story is a valuable tool in presenting stakeholders with tangible benefits for backing the organisation. 84% of Finnish companies include this, compared to just 33% of their European counterparts.

Energy company Fortum's 'Why invest' page is a nice example of an investment story done well. They present a list of reasons why Fortum is an attractive investment, which extends to their sustainability offering, thereby covering the ethical angle too.

Finnish homepages need to showcase their content better

Finnish companies may excel for the range of important information they include on their sites, but their homepages aren't working hard enough to direct visitors towards this content. The homepages include on average 54% of the content most relevant to visitors, which is down from 67% last year and sees Finnish sites outperformed by the European average too. For example, only 14% of the 50 ranked companies present any upcoming events from the financial calendar on their homepage. While many events will have been cancelled this year, virtual events are just as important to inform stakeholders about.

The sustainability paradox

Finnish websites are among the most well-stocked in Europe for information on sustainability work, and yet less than half of their homepages make any reference to these efforts. All stakeholder groups want to see how companies approach sustainability, so it's important to reference at least one example of your work front and centre on the corporate website.

Only one Finnish coempany achieves a full score for their homepage this year, and that is trading sector pioneer Kesko. The different blocks of the page address different visitor groups, with plenty of relevant content linked throughout. The financial calendar is clearly displayed as part of the investors' block, for example. Not only do Kesko state they are 'the most sustainable grocery trade company in the world', but they also include their energy consumption reduction target directly on the page so that it's easy to see how they're taking action.

The Finnish winners and the biggest climber

The summit of this year's Finnish podium has a familiar feel, with Wärtsilä retaining the top spot for the 4th consecutive year. Their website remains a point of reference for the effort put into delivering a best-in-class service to their stakeholders. Kesko and Valmet round off the podium in that order, having switched places from last year, with both companies also continuing to display an impressive level of communication. The Best Climber award goes to Terveystalo, who have increased their score by 6 points, representing good progress in a year when most companies lost marks.

“A robust, cutting-edge online presence is a key success factor for efficient brand building and stakeholder engagement. This esteemed acknowledgement shows that our long-term development is paying off”, states Atte Palomäki, Executive Vice President, Communications, Branding & Marketing for Wärtsilä.

“We aim to serve all our website visitors in the best possible way, and strive to improve the user experience continuously. Online behaviours and needs change fast and we must keep up with these demands”, continues Johan Bäckman, Manager for External online channels at Wärtsilä.

See the full Finland results