The number of companies that maintain a corporate website tailored for mobile use has tripled since the beginning of the year, as investors increasingly browse for IR content on the go.
A report by digital IR and corporate communications firm Investis finds that companies are refining their online presence, largely for better viewing on mobile phones and other portable devices.
It also examines how many companies maintain dedicated mobile sites, designed solely for consumption on smartphones, or responsive sites, which are able to adapt for viewing on any device, including laptops and tablets.
Twenty-three percent of the study sample – composed of more than 340 companies from leading global indices – has introduced a responsive or dedicated mobile site, compared to 8 percent in the fourth quarter of 2012. In addition, 16 percent has now released a corporate app, which can often be consulted without an internet connection.
A previous Investis report from April found that 17 percent of views from mobile devices to corporate websites concerned IR content.
The growth of mobile use by investors could well impact the job of IROs. ‘If anything, their role – or at least skill set and understanding of the technology – will need to increase,’ says Marcus Fergusson, head of social media and marketing at Investis. ‘Mobile is simply another way by which IROs can communicate with their investors.’
‘They will, however, need to adapt how they communicate and even what they communicate to suit both a different medium and a different way of consuming information,’ he adds. ‘People use smartphones and tablets differently to how they use desktops and laptops.’
The more recent study was included as part of Investis’ latest IQ Corporate Website Ranking. UK energy company EnQuest was named the best performing firm in terms of its online mobile content, with Nestlé, Go-Ahead Group and UBS all rated highly for their overall online performance.
