Designing a new website can seem like a daunting task on its own, but throw in the need for a new website during an IPO and it can seem downright impossible. At Q4, we?ve helped many companies through their IPO process, and we know how important your IR website is to telling your story and value proposition.
Nutanix, who recently IPO?ed in the fall of 2016, implemented some great best practices that can help if you?re thinking about going public.
Nutanix highlights their IPO on the homepage banner.
Let?s start with compliance.
Regulations stipulate that an IR website needs a corporate governance section that hosts your code of business conduct and ethics, corporate governance guidelines, and bylaws, among others. Your board of directors, management team, and committee composition also needs to take up space on this section of your site.
Nutanix? corporate governance section is clear, visually engaging, and compliant. The management teams are clearly differentiated, and each member has a photograph and biography. Personal social media accounts are linked to each member?s profile: an important thought leadership tactic that makes it easy for the audience to know more about their take on your sector.
For any listed company, effectively showcasing your leadership and the guidelines and bylaws that govern your business are essential pieces of information that allow investors to get to know you.
Nutanix leverages its management team’s influence on social media.
How to tell your story.
The content, design, and navigation of your site all help to tell your story. If you?re about to IPO or have recently listed, information such as quarterly reports, analyst coverage list, or a solid stock chart — all of which tell the story of your performance — are not readily available. But on your website you can speak to your achievements, your products, and your brand, all of which detail who you are as a company. Nutanix tells their story with these three tactics:
Events
Show investors you have a plan to get to know them by featuring upcoming events on your site. Arguably, there is nothing more important than advocating for your brand in person to make a real impression on the investor community, and establish a contact base. If your first earnings? date is scheduled, make sure to list it to give analysts a heads up! While an events section should do the trick, Nutanix takes it a step further and highlights their events on their homepage for easy access.
Fast facts
Nutanix does a great job summarizing key facts about the company. This feature is sure to grab your investors? attention, and ensure they remember the facts that you deem most valuable. Stick to significant number figures and interesting facts – and you?re set. Consider adding your employee count to detail the size of your company. Have you recently acquired any companies? Depict your corporate history and highlight how far you?ve come over the years. Investors will want to know where their stakes lie – make sure you tell them if you operate in various parts of the world. Combine your information with a smart and appealing design, and your investors will be quoting your company facts!
Nutanix uses an appealing design to depict their Fast Facts on the homepage.
News
Have you had any worthy events recently? There is no better way to understand the company?s trajectory, and its history than through your corporate legacy, or exciting upcoming events. Some companies choose to feature IR-worthy news items on their homepage. Make sure to highlight news regarding product releases or upgrades; acquisitions; or news regarding changes in your management team.
We also recommend adding the following items to your IR site to round out and polish your corporate story:
Financial forecast (strategy)
You may not want to include your financial forecast on your site from the get go, but having it included on your IR site helps shareholders know how they will be impacted if they invest in you!
Social feeds
Showcase what is driving your business! Social media is designed to give followers quick and timely insight into your happenings. Leverage these channels to provide your investors supplementary information about your brand and product line.
Compliance and a solid corporate message is?recommended to companies?that are mapping out their IR website for the first time.?Every story is unique – show investors why they should invest in you, and highlight the content that best depicts your corporate story.
The post Ready to IPO? A how to on corporate story telling: Nutanix appeared first on Q4 Blog.
