Connecting with your On-The-Go investors: Great Mobile Examples

Take a lesson from your peers, and get mobile optimized.

We’ve been writing a lot lately about why it’s so important to have a mobile-friendly website in order to better communicate with your on-the-go investors. You’ve learned the basics of what mobile-friendly means for public companies. We explained how giant companies like Google are changing the way their mobile searches work with ‘Mobilegeddon’.

This week, we’re looking at specific website examples from Canadian public companies who have made mobile optimization a top priority. In Section Three of our interactive eBook, Connecting with Your On-The-Go Investors, we pull together examples of great mobile websites from companies of all sizes and all industries.

 

Here’s what you can expect from Section Three: Examples of mobile-friendly websites.

Analyze the mobile readiness of your peers! Below, in this week’s blog, we break down one great example of a mobile-friendly website from our friends at Teck Resources. Section Three of the eBook, however, offers many more examples from great companies as well as an explanation of why mobile optimization should be on your investor relations strategy agenda. You can also read testimonials from IR executives at Teck Resources and others about why mobile was an asset for their investor strategy. The eBook’s collaboration with CIRI BC ensures that each example takes into consideration the needs of Canadian public companies. Navigate to the eBook now for the full experience, or continue reading for one example.

 

Why we love Teck Resources’s mobile website

Many assume that only companies in the technology sector can benefit from having a cutting-edge website. However, Teck is a great example of a natural resources company with a website built for this day and age. Here are some specific reasons why we love them on mobile:

Great Mobile Examples 1

The Design Isn’t Compromised

Teck’s mobile design is just as stunning as their desktop website. Sliding banners with high quality photos capture the attention of on-the-go investors and the mobile design keeps consistent with the same typography and colours as the desktop experience.

 

Great Mobile Examples 2

Company News and Performance Features

Teck’s mobile homepage includes pullouts from the latest company news and investor performance figures with an option to navigate to the full page to learn more. Pulling out performance statistics on the homepage makes it easy for on-the-go investors to quickly get the bite-sized information.

Great Mobile Examples 3

Wealth of Information

Teck’s mobile website provides on-the-go investors with all the information they need, from the latest news release to the importance of CSR and sustainability measures. Oftentimes, a public company’s desktop website offers the full breadth of information, while the mobile website lacks a majority of website sections. Teck’s mobile website, however, uses an intuitive navigation and clean design to display all the information needed in an organized way.

 

Great Mobile Examples 4

Focus on Sustainability

Teck’s mobile website features a section called ‘Our Approach to Sustainability’ with visual icons to help mobile users grasp their environmental plan. At the bottom of the mobile homepage, on-the-go investors can easily find the 2015 Sustainability Report, as well as the latest annual report.

 

Great Mobile Examples 5

Teck is only one example of the many Canadian companies who are helping their on-the-go investors find the information they need with their mobile websites. To see all the examples and learn more strategies, make sure to navigate to Section Three of the eBook: Connecting With Your On-The-Go Investors.

Connecting With Your On-The-Go Investors – The “Mobilegeddon” Update

On April 21 2015, businesses everywhere were watching Google search rankings intently.

It was on this day that Google released an algorithmic update that revolved around mobile-friendly websites. This essentially meant that websites optimized for mobile received a boost in their mobile search results, whereas those that were not mobile-friendly dropped in their overall search rankings.

Hence, the term ‘Mobilegeddon’.

‘Mobilegeddon’ has emerged in various forms since April 21 2015. In May of 2016, ‘Mobilegeddon’ 2.0 was released; this update further increased the rankings of companies with mobile-friendly, optimized websites. Those who invested the necessary time and effort into making their sites mobile-friendly benefited from this update, whereas the businesses that did not follow the mobile-optimized trend were further dropped from the pack.

That’s exactly why we paid closed attention to ‘Mobilegeddon’ in Section 2 of Connecting With Your On-The-Go Investors. Since these updates are so important to public companies, we deemed it as an integral part of our collaborative resource with CIRI.

Here’s what you can expect from Section Two: The ‘Mobilegeddon’ Update.

Although you now know what ‘Mobilegeddon’ is, Section Two will take you through why it was released.

As Google collected web traffic and search data, they realized that more and more traffic was coming from mobile devices, primarily smart phones. To fuel a positive user experience on their network, Google announced the ‘Mobilegeddon’ change. This announcement was made in February of 2015, giving companies just three months to prepare.

Google’s primary focus was to “work towards delivering high quality search results that are optimized” for mobile devices. As traffic to their network was increasing on mobile, the goal of this change was to create seamless user experiences online.

What happened after The ‘Mobilegeddon’ Update?

So, this begs the question – what happened after April 21 2015? What did Google look like on April 22nd?

Content marketing company, BrightEdge, has tracked over 20,000 URLs since the update. They found that there was a 21% decrease in non mobile-friendly URLs on the first 3 pages of search results.

Similarly, a search by s360 showed that mobile friendly websites have received 32% more organic mobile traffic than non-mobile friendly websites.

Could you imagine receiving 32% more traffic to your website, simply because you made the decision to optimize your website for mobile?

What does it mean for my public company?

connecting with your on-the-go investors mobilegeddon

68% of investors look at investor related content throughout the day on their mobile device, which means that nearly three quarters of traffic to your website could be coming from mobile. If your website isn’t mobile-friendly, not only will it be slammed by ‘Mobilegeddon’, your user experience will start to decline from the very moment that a potential investor visits your website.

‘Mobilegeddon’ had a significant impact on the websites of public companies, many of which are still feeling such impact on their search rankings. In an effort to help public companies with their website’s user experience, we made sure to include Section Two: The ‘Mobilegeddon’ Update in Connecting With Your On-The-Go Investors.

With Section Two: The ‘Mobilegeddon’ Update reviewing what you need to know about Google’s change in April of 2015, we’ll follow-up next week with an overview of Section Three: Examples of Mobile-Friendly Websites.

 

Connecting With Your On-The-Go Investors: The Basics

Are you reading this blog on your smart phone right now?

With the number of global mobile phone users expected to pass the five billion mark by 2019, there’s a good chance you’re browsing through our site on your iPhone, Android, Windows or Pixel phone.

And, when it comes to using your mobile device for work, 83% of institutional investors rely on their smart phone when it comes to decision making.

That’s exactly why we released “Connecting With Your On-The-Go Investors”, in collaboration with CIRI. It’s your resource on mobile optimization – what it means, how it impacts SEO for your business, and how it is being embraced by users across Canada. It is meant to serve a go-to reference as you review your company’s IR digital and outreach strategy for 2017.

So, what’s in “Connecting With Your On-The-Go Investors”?

The resource is divided into five sections, with each serving a unique purpose in the process of understanding the impact of mobile on your business. Over the next five weeks, we’ll highlight each of these sections, diving deeper into what you can expect from the resource that is available now.

With that said, here’s what you can expect from Section One: The Basics.

What does “The Basics” of being mobile friendly actually mean?

In very simple terms, being ‘mobile-friendly’ means that a website renders well on your smart phone, regardless of the device.

For example, you know the pain of checking a website on mobile that isn’t optimized for your smartphone. Whether you’re filling out a contact form, or simply information-gathering, the experience can be less-than-stellar.

connecting with your on-the-go investors

But if that was the extent of it, we’d stop right there.

In “The Basics”, we outline everything Google assesses when it comes to the mobile-readiness of your website. This includes:

  • Website structure
  • Page loading speeds
  • Content relevance
  • Meta-descriptions and title tags
  • And more…

How can I tell if my website is mobile friendly, and what should I do for my business?

There are so many ways to test the mobile-readiness of your website; in Section One: The Basics, we’ll take you through the benefits of responsive design, and why we believe it’s the strongest option for your business.

Responsive design is an approach to web design that is aimed at developing sites to provide an optimal viewing experience, both on desktop and on mobile. It makes for easy reading and navigation with a minimum of resizing, panning, and scrolling. It’s also the strongest option for your business when it comes to SEO and placement on sites like Google, which is integral to IR and decision making versus competitors. So, if your website isn’t ready for smart phone users, it’s important that you take responsive design into consideration as you plan for your IR strategy in 2017.

Throughout this collaborative resource, “Connecting With Your On-The-Go Investors”, we’ll take you through the importance of building a website that caters to your business persona, and leave you with tips you can implement now to build a stronger brand presence online.

With Section One: The Basics setting the stage for what is to come, we’ll follow-up next week with an overview of Section Two: The ‘Mobilegeddon’ Update.

 

7 Ways To Test The Mobile-Readiness Of Your Website

We’ve talked about how important it is to have a mobile friendly website, but how do you know if your website is truly mobile-ready?

It’s a loaded question, and one we’re here to answer. Although your website might appear to look fine on mobile, it might not be truly optimized. And since 48% of consumers start mobile research with a search engine (with this stat growing month over month), it’s important that your company focuses on mobile fast.

That’s why we’re here to show you how you can find out if your website is ready for mobile.

So let’s get started. Here’s are 7 ways you can test the mobile-readiness of your website

Mobile-Readiness of Your Website 1

1. Open your website in a browser.

Yes, this test requires a desktop computer.

For this test, open your company’s website in a browser. This method is often referred to as a “three second test”, and here’s why:

With your mouse, grab the right side of your browser window and drag it all the way to the left until you can’t shrink it any further.

Is content cut off? Or can you scroll and view content without an issue? Do you have to maximize the page to view content again?

If content fits within your screen and you can scroll properly, this is a great sign.

 

Mobile-Readiness of Your Website 2

2. Test your website’s mobile load speed.

Click on this link and enter your company’s URL in the text box.

We love this offering from Google; they’ve developed a website that tests your URL to see if it’s mobile friendly, or if it’s not quite responsive.

 

Mobile-Readiness of Your Website 3

3. Open your website in your mobile browser and begin to test forms.

Since a contact form is the most important part of your website (after all, how are prospective clients supposed to contact you without it?) it’s important to ensure that forms are responsive on mobile.

Open your “Contact” page and view the form through your smartphone. Is it responding properly? Can you fill information easily?

 

4. Check your site speed.

Another great tool from Google is the Site Speed Test.

To get started, click here and, just like the mobile-readiness test, enter your company’s website URL.

This tool is truly great. In addition to speed scores, it will give you detailed information on what you should fix and the things you’ve done correctly. It will also give you a speed test for mobile and desktop.

 

Mobile-Readiness of Your Website 5

5. Review your content placement.

Even if your website is optimized for mobile structurally, it’s important that your content reflects your mobile focus.

By this, we mean that your content hierarchy should reflect how you want your web visitors to interact with your website. This can be referred to as the beginning of a “Buyer’s Journey”.

Ask yourself:

  • Are the most important Call-to-Actions the first thing investors see on mobile?
  • Is all text easy to read?
  • Are all Call-to-Action buttons easy to click? Do you understand exactly where the button will lead you?

When reviewing your website, make sure that your content is placed in a way that makes sense for visitors.

 

Mobile-Readiness of Your Website 6

6. Send this to your developer or agency…

mobiReady has a great (and extensive) test around everything JavaScript, CSS, HTML and more.

It’s easy to use, and we recommend working with your development team or agency to go through this process.

 

Mobile-Readiness of Your Website 7

7. Get our Mobile Optimization Guide.

If these first tips helped you, consider downloading our Mobile Optimization Guide here. This guide is extensive, and is a great resource for your team to use as you are going through the process of reviewing your website.

Since 83% of investors rely on mobile when it comes to work, it’s more important than ever to test the mobile-readiness of your website. Ask yourself – would you want a potential client experience frustration while interacting on your website? Can you afford to have a potential client leave your website because of a slow load time? We are assuming that the answer is resoundingly “no”.

 

5 Websites We’re Loving Right Now

It’s one thing to know what your website should look like – responsive on mobile, focused on content that appeals to your target persona, with simple navigation, to name just a few points – but what about seeing these sites in action?

If you’ve read this blog, you know when it’s time to build and launch a new website. And when the time comes and your Executive Team has approved the budget you need to make sweeping changes happen, it’s time to start the process.

As you’re embarking on this process of developing a new website for your company, it’s equally as important to check out real companies who have made the change.

And that’s why we went on a search to find those companies to share with you.

Below are 5 public company and investor relations websites we love.

websites we love shopify

1. Shopify

There are many reasons why we love Shopify’s Investor Relations website, and these are the highlights:

  • Easy to read and easy to view “Letter from Tobi”. Tobi is the CEO and Founder of Shopify, providing a personal and unique touch to the site.
  • The homepage of the IR site makes it clear to readers why they should choose Shopify; this section includes coverage about their large and growing company, the vast ecosystem and more.
  • Shopify features a blog that is filled with great content, posted weekly.

 

websites we love bc tech

2. BC Tech Association

The BC Tech Association offers a remarkable mobile experience, which is a real favourite of ours here at Blender. As a mobile-first website, we love these features:

  • Mobile navigation is easy to use, with simple functionality
  • We love the events calendar that has full mobile navigation and functionality, easily located on the home page
  • Social media channels and icons are easily labeled on the home page.

 

websites we love teck

3. Teck Resources

Not only is Teck Resources a CIRI BC Member, they’re also Canada’s largest diversified resource company – which means that their website needs to reflect their size and scale. The great news is that it absolutely does.

Here’s why we love Teck’s website:

  • It’s visual-focused, making the website engaging to visitors.
  • The annual report is front and centre on the website’s slider, making it accessible to investors.
  • The home page features an interactive map, which allows visitors to view current Teck projects.

 

websites we love cnw

4. CNW Group

CNW Group has a clear focus of mobile with both their website and the Investor Relations section of their site. While we like this website on desktop, we really love how it displays on mobile.

Here are the highlights:

  • Brand colours and images are enhanced on the mobile site.
  • News releases and financials are front and centre on mobile and desktop.
  • The language toggle from English to French is easy to navigate.

 

websites we love ubc

5. University of British Columbia

We saved one of our favourites for last. We’re using the University of British Columbia as a fifth and final example because they’re a CIRI BC Member (the second we’ve highlighted on our list), and one that has a beautiful website that navigates well on both mobile and desktop.

Here’s why we love UBC’s website:

  • The website features easy-tap image galleries that also have pop-up images
  • Messages are enhanced through faculty and students by using a visual content slider
  • There is a clear “Student” icon that is on the mobile navigation, which makes it easy for specific searches.

 

As you’re developing your website for mobile and desktop, be sure to not only discover the tips and tricks you need to know, but also make reference to companies who are leading the way in website development. It’s important to not only admire the best, but learn from the best, applying your favourite design and feature elements to your project along the way.

 

7 Reasons Why Public Companies Can’t Afford to Miss Out on Mobile

When companies the size of Apple make announcements, the whole world listens. And, in fact, the whole world changes. Remember when the initial reaction to the iPad was resoundingly negative? (It was even referred to as the “big yawn”, courtesy of Business Insider). Fast-forward six years, and Apple has sold over 282 million of the tablet devices, all the while making way for competitors like Samsung to create their own version of the iPad.

The same can be said for Google. When Google released the first round of, what was quickly referred to as “Mobilegeddon”, the whole world knew they needed to listen. And when the second round of “Mobilegeddon” was released this past year, it was another reminder that Google truly sets the rules of anything and everything to do with how people will find and access your company’s website.

What is “Mobilegeddon”?

On April 21 2015, Google released a mobile-friendly ranking algorithm that impacted businesses around the world. Ultimately Google decided that, if your website was not mobile-friendly, your search ranking would be negatively impacted. This means that if your business and a fellow public company competitor both had stellar websites, but yours was mobile-friendly and theirs wasn’t, your company would show up higher in mobile Google searches.

Make sense?

In this algorithm, there are no degrees of mobile-friendliness. You either are, or you aren’t.

Why does this matter?

Simply put, not having a mobile-friendly website for your public company could break your business online. We hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it’s true. Read why below.

So here’s why public companies can’t afford to miss out on mobile…

public companies can't afford to miss out on mobile 1

1. You’re putting the future of your company’s online presence at risk.

Without a mobile-friendly website, your company will suffer in Google search rankings. As both Apple and Google have well demonstrated in the last six years, it’s time to pay attention to the big players in the game for your business to truly take advantage of your online strategy.

(As a side note, we have a handy checklist to determine if your website is mobile-friendly. Give it a spin here.)

public companies can't afford to miss out on mobile 2

2. Mobile use has skyrocketed.

It’s true.

Mobile now represents 65% of digital media time, which means that the desktop is now a secondary touch point.

Now, that’s not to say that your business can forget about desktop, but if a potential 65% of your target audience is on mobile, wouldn’t you want to speak to them?

public companies can't afford to miss out on mobile 3

3. Investor interaction is all about mobile.

If you caught yourself thinking, “yeah, yeah – but those 65% are all Millennials or even teenagers,” from our last statistic, think again.

68% of investors view investor-related content each and every day through their mobile device.

Your target audience.

public companies can't afford to miss out on mobile 4

4. Emails are primarily read on mobile devices.

Do you catch yourself skimming through an email on mobile, only to click off into link-land to other websites and platforms?

That’s because over 67% of email is opened on a smartphone device. That’s well over half of each and every email that is sent and received every single day.

So, if your company is sending newsletters or issuing press releases, it’s important to ensure these are mobile optimized, too. And if you’re driving traffic back to your site, having a website that is mobile-friendly is key.

Since 67% of email is opened on smartphone devices, more email read on phones will translate to more mobile page views, making your user experience integral to your online strategy.

public companies can't afford to miss out on mobile 5

5. Website design instills trust.

According to a Stanford study, 75% of us admit to making judgments about a company’s credibility based on the design of their website.

So, can you imagine a potential investor arriving on your website through their smartphone, only to find that they can’t engage or interact with your content because it’s not mobile-friendly?

public companies can't afford to miss out on mobile 6

6. Speedy sites make for happy visitors.

Imagine if your website took forever to load? Fingers crossed this isn’t the case for your company (and if it is, click here).

Content that’s above the fold (the first content you see when you land on a site) on mobile should load in under one second. You can take a speed test here.

Speedy sites make for happy visitors, which means that these visitors are more likely to stay on your site and make their way to more pages on your website.

public companies can't afford to miss out on mobile 77. Responsive websites will set your business for the future.

One of the greatest benefits of responsive web design is that the site is designed to look good on any screen size, not designed specifically for a certain monitor or device. What does this mean? In the future, as new devices are released, your responsively designed website will still be set up for success.

 

Having a mobile website for your public company is no longer simply a nice feature; rather, it is a necessity and literally impacts the growth of your business online. As more and more investors are visiting your website to learn about your company, you truly can’t afford to miss out on the mobile experience.

5 Great CSR Pages That You Need To Check Out

If, after reading about why it’s so important to highlight CSR on your website here, you’re not convinced that Corporate Social Responsibility is the right fit for your business, perhaps this will sway your opinion:

The Reputation Institute, a private consulting firm, invited over 40,000 consumers across 15 markets to participate in a study in an effort to rank the world’s most reputable companies. The study not only found broke ground in terms of discovering purchasing habits, it also found that willingness to buy is driven 60% by consumer perception of the company, with the actual products or services impacting only 40%.

Can you imagine?

The better the reputation, the greater chance of consumer purchasing. Which means that, instead of focusing primarily on your company’s product or services, it’s time to pay close attention to your reputation. Corporate Social Responsibility leads the way in developing and enhancing reputation, making it more important than ever to tell your story online.

We’ve developed some impressive CSR pages over our years working in Investor Relations, so we’ve done our fair share of research into great CSR pages that our clients have drawn inspiration from.

Which is why we’re sharing them with you now.

If your business is focused on enhancing the reputation of your company, and driving revenue while you’re at it, below are 5 great CSR pages that you need to check out now.

 

1. eBay

great csr pages ebay

Why we love it: It’s transparent.

With eBay’s CSR page, all information is transparent – which means that the end consumer is not left feeling confused or unsure of eBay’s CSR goals, impact and practices.

eBay clearly displays their CSR focus through their website; the website is easy to navigate, and it is mobile-friendly – two important features of any CSR page.

2. B2Gold

great csr pages b2

Why we love it: It’s interactive.

This is the only bias on the list because, well, we made it.

We love B2Gold’s CSR page because it’s interactive. B2Gold.com features an interactive map with their holdings around the world, which gives visitors to the site an opportunity to navigate through a Global map and learn about production, development and exploration sites. It’s truly a leader within the industry.

3. Whistler Blackcomb

great csr pages whistler

Why we love it: It’s mobile-friendly.

This is a must for any CSR site, and Whistler Blackcomb does it well.

Not only is the site easy to navigate and straight-forward in terms of the information featured, it’s also mobile-friendly, meaning that it is responsive on every platform we’ve tried here in the Blender office. This makes for a seamless experience for the end user.

4. Microsoft

great csr pages msn

Why we love it: We’re swooning over the design…

Microsoft’s creative and design teams are heroes in our books. This CSR site is clean, mobile-friendly, easy to navigate and transparent, all-in-one.

When landing on Microsoft’s CSR homepage, the focus of this company is clear – Human Rights and Environmental Sustainability. There is no lack of clarity, and the minimalist creative is simply stunning.

5. Mastercard

great csr pages mcard

Why we love it: It combines various mediums.

From video to photos, news stories to social media, Mastercard isn’t afraid to combine various mediums on their CSR site.

After just two scrolls on the homepage, visitors can consume a video on global financial inclusion, which is a focus of the company’s CSR goals and objectives.

We love seeing companies incorporate various mediums on their CSR site, and Mastercard is doing it right.

 

Don’t be boring.

If we can emphasize one key takeaway, it’s this.

CSR is meant to be fun. It’s meant to showcase the strengths of your business, while enhancing your reputation in the marketplace.

When designing and developing your CSR site or pages, remember to keep them interactive, mobile-friendly, and informative.

And, when testing, ask yourself this question: would I want to scroll through this site? Would I be interested in consuming this content? If the answer is “yes”, then give yourself a high-five. You could make our next “great” list.

 

How Blender Helped B2Gold Tell Their CSR Story Online

So, you’ve decided that telling your CSR story online is a must for your business. You’ve started to discuss next steps in recent leadership meetings, and you’re responding rapidly to questions posed from your Executive Team. Your budget is starting to come together to bring your story to your website, but you’re just not sure what the end result will look like.

It’s a question (and sometimes, a concern) that we hear often, so rest assured – you’re in good company. While you might have a great idea and vision of how you want to tell your story, what it will look and feel like is often a mystery.

That’s why we’re here. And that’s also why we’re sharing one of our favourite examples of a company that’s doing great things in telling their CSR story online: B2Gold.

About B2Gold

B2Gold is a Vancouver based gold producer with a strong portfolio of development and exploration assets. They are one of the fastest-growing intermediate gold producers in the world and, since its inception in 2007, have evolved into an international gold mining company.

The Challenge

When B2Gold came to Blender, their website wasn’t mobile or tablet friendly – and quite frankly, it was difficult to navigate. The breadth of information, including their CSR story, was deep within their website, and sometimes non-existent.

That’s why we’re here…

csr story online homepage

Knowing that B2Gold wanted to tell their story in such a way that displayed their global presence of their products in a highly visual, easy-to-consume way, we were ready to take on the challenge.

Working closely with the client, we collaborated to revise the sitemap and information architecture so we could, first and foremost, develop the framework. It was important to demonstrate B2Gold’s strengths of their assets, including their CSR work, and it was even more important to outline how the site would perform before determining what it would look like.

The Result – Their CSR Story Online

The result of this work was a truly interactive and detailed project map that rivaled the very best in the industry (spoiler bias: we think the map we created for B2Gold is the very best). This map accomplished their overall goal, which was to accurately display the global presence of their business and projects from Asia-Pacific to South America.

csr story online map

To experience the interactive map for yourself, click here.

The CSR portion of B2Gold’s website was also a priority; with active work in responsible mining, social responsibility, occupational health and safety, environment and biodiversity, it was important to tell the entire story in an easy-to-consume, responsive way.

B2Gold’s CSR site focused around image-based storytelling on mobile, desktop and tablet-responsive pages, making it easy for prospective investors to view and digest.

So, what should you look for when selecting your agency?

When you’ve decided that telling your CSR story online effectively is a must for your business, there are three things you need to look for when selecting your partner agency.

  1. Find an agency that works within Investor Relations

If you’re crossing your fingers and hoping that any agency will work, we hate to break the bad news to you – but they probably won’t. Working in IR is a whole new ball game, so you need to find an agency that has a positive track record within investor relations. Be sure to request case studies from clients who are in your industry.

  1. Ask the question: what happens when you’re finished my project?

One red flag of a potential agency partner is one that leaves when the project is complete.

What happens if you find bugs a few months later? What happens if a broken link is found just a few days after the contract is complete?

Look for an agency who will be with you every step of the way – not one that leaves you when your website has launched.

  1. Request to see examples of CSR sections they’ve developed and launched.

We’ve talked about the importance of CSR for your business, and while you might have a storytelling concept that you love, it’s important to receive feedback from the agency who will build your CSR online presence.

What works? What doesn’t? What will differentiate you from competition? What’s your favourite CSR section that your team has built?

Ask these questions from a potential agency so you can truly understand their grasp of the industry and the importance of telling your CSR story online.

Conclusion

We loved working with B2Gold here at Blender, and we couldn’t have been more proud of the final result. As you’re starting your CSR storytelling journey, and while you’re identifying potential agency partners, keep this blog bookmarked – we’re sure it will provide inspiration as you move forward.

CSR story online - ebook

5 Best Practices for CSR On Your Website

We’ve talked about how important corporate social responsibility (CSR) is for your company, and even various elements that should be included when you’re telling your story online, but, when you’ve made the decision to move forward with CSR storytelling (high five, by the way), what are the best practices for CSR pages on your website?

Thankfully, we’ve done the work for you.

Most companies are practicing a form of corporate social responsibility with the overall goal of contributing to their community. The storytelling aspect, however, has changed over the last decade; companies have felt increased pressure to “dress up” CSR and that they need to be delivering every single aspect of every single initiative on their website.

We’re here to tell you that you don’t. We believe that CSR activities should be expressed online in a way that focuses on the fundamental goal of aligning your company’s community projects and initiatives with its business purpose and values, making your CSR endeavours easy to consume online – not difficult to understand.

So, how can your company do it?

We’ve pulled together five of the best CSR websites online now, while providing best practices that will help you stand apart from your competition.

5 Best Practices for CSR On Your Website

1. Ensure that it’s mobile-friendly. Example: Cisco

We love Cisco’s mobile, tablet and desktop-friendly CSR website. It’s easy to navigate, it’s responsive, and it’s worked well on every device we’ve tested.

It’s important to have a mobile-friendly website for investors. 83% of mobile users say that a seamless experience across all devices is very important to their browsing habits, and it’s even more important when a potential investor is arriving to your website.

teck best practices for csr

2. Include a dedicated blog. Example: Microsoft Green Blog

When you’re putting together your CSR section or dedicated website, consider the power of a blog.

Microsoft Green is committed minimizing their environmental impact, so they’re working with partners around the world to focus on a sustainable, low-carbon future for our planet. On their website, Microsoft writes frequently about related topics such as Earth Day, press releases, and company events.

A dedicated CSR blog allows you to focus on internal and external activities as a business, giving you the ability to showcase authenticity and differentiate yourselves from competitors.

best practice csr - microsoft

3. Keep your CSR reports visible. Example: IBM

It’s important to have CSR report downloads from both current and past years in a visible, easy-to-navigate place on your website. This makes the research experience simple for visitors, including investors, and decreases the possibility of high bounce rates.

IBM does it right. The company has two clear navigational drop-downs on their homepage, with one being “Our Reports”. It’s easily found, providing a strong browsing experience.

IBM

4. Pull out the “big wins”. Example: Disney

We love how Disney pulls the “big wins” and displays it on the Philanthropy section of their website.

Disney isn’t afraid to display the massive 23.1 million books donated figure on their homepage, or 333.3 million in giving throughout 2015. Instead of including every single aspect on their site, Disney pulls only the statistics that matter most and have the most impact.

For your business, highlight the big wins; pull 2-3 key statistics that you’re proud of, instead of paragraph upon paragraph from your latest community event. With read rates and time on site lower than ever, you must attract visitors quickly.

disney

5. Make your purpose clear. Example: Google Green

When a visitor lands on your CSR site, there should be no question what the focus and goals of your programs are. Included in this should be your history, business, and overall economic impact of your CSR endeavours.

Google Green knocks this out of the park with their website. When landing on Google.ca/Green, a visitor knows that Google is committed to supporting resource efficiency and renewable power.

Google Best Practices for CSR

Conclusion

From building mobile-friendly sites to celebrating big wins, it’s important to have a CSR section or website that is focused on delivering the key information to the end user – whether it’s the investor or the customer. Too often, we see companies make the mistake of having the CSR site serve the purpose of Executive or Leadership groups, without taking user experience into consideration. With these 5 best practices for CSR on your website, your business will be equipped with the tools you need to break apart from the competition in Corporate Social Responsibility.

 

Why It’s Important to Highlight CSR On Your Website

If a tree falls in a forest and nobody’s around to hear it, does it make a sound?

It’s an age-old question, with an answer that has long been unknown (kind of like the chicken and the egg – and really, what did come first?), but one thing we know for certain – differing opinions make for great conversation, and it couldn’t be more true when it comes to CSR.

At Blender, we’re believers that your website should act as your best employee; your spokesperson, your sales person, and above all, a reflection of who you are as a business. For businesses actively engaged in CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) your website is the single best channel to extend the communication of your efforts.

So, if you’re actively engaged in CSR, but you’re not communicating your involvement, is it really happening?

It’s important to highlight CSR on your website. Here’s why.

It breaks you apart from your competition.

Every business should be performing some sort of regular competitor analysis, especially companies working in Investor Relations, and CSR is a great way to break apart from your competition.

Coca-Cola and Pepsi are great examples of using CSR to differentiate themselves from competition. While both perform CSR in a similar way (these companies aim for sustainability in water usage), they’re taking hold of CSR communication on investor websites, knowing the impact it has on not only consumers, but investors alike.

CSR on your website 1

It increases sentiment of your business online.

Much like competitor reporting, most companies are also focused on sentiment about their business online. Positive sentiment can lead to an upward trend in revenue, while negative sentiment can lead to a downward trend in revenue (as these Korean tech firms experienced, for example).

Ask any Communications Manager and they’ll agree that positive brand stories should be in their arsenal to mitigate potential neutral or negative quarters. These positive stories are also excellent to release throughout the calendar year as your business goes through natural ebbs and flows.

Using CSR to increase the sentiment of your business online can not only impact the success of your business offline, but it can also impact the online sentiment of your brand with investors and consumers.

CSR On your website 2

It attracts talent (making your HR Department your BFF).

Picture this. You and your competitor have a job opening for the exact same position. You’ve posted within the same week, and you’re going after the same group of candidates. It’s down to a few potential candidates, and you have your eye on one target that you feel would fit so well within your company culture.

Now, picture yourself on the other end of the table. This candidate is deciding between yourself and your competitor, and they’re ranking the pros and cons of both companies – until they realize that you have a strong CSR program, and actively give back within the community. Your company encourages employees to volunteer, and has a number of partner non-profit organizations that you donate to each and every year.

Which company do you think this candidate would choose? The company that understands the importance of contributing to the community, or the company that doesn’t?

It’s a choose-your-own-adventure type of story, with your business coming out on top.

CSR On your website 3

It contributes to cost-savings (encouraging consumers to think the same) and acts as a natural PR story

One of the easiest places for a company to start engaging in CSR is to use it as a way to save on costs and overall expenditures. Whether it’s using less energy or using less packaging, these savings add up quickly.

A great example is General Mills. They’re on a path to reduce cost and energy savings, as they’ve installed energy monitoring meters on several pieces of equipment at its HQ. In doing so, the company saved $600,000.

General Mills went far and wide with PR for this strategy, focusing first on their website. It was included in all CSR material, and was quickly picked-up by publications around North America.

So, not only did this move increase sentiment of their business, it also contributed to cost-savings. It was a natural story for their PR team as well, circling back to an arsenal of content, if and when you need to mitigate neutral or negative sentiment online.

Conclusion

If you’re actively engaging in CSR and not highlighting your endeavours on your website, take note – the pros far outweigh the cons (really, are there cons?)

From differentiating your business from competition to engaging potential talent, the importance of highlighting CSR on your website is real. And, truly, it’s so easy.

To get started, just click here. We’d love to show you how we’ve helped businesses in your industry.