Delivering your annual report online

That was quick. One minute it seemed the world was contemplating the great global double-dip. Next minute, Facebook and LinkedIn are being tipped for IPO, and the analysts are talking up 2011 as the year of the stock comeback.

Either way, you’re soon going to be reporting to investors on what’s going on. And how you deliver results, going forward, is something we believe you probably need to be paying attention to now.

This issue:

Delivering your annual report or shareholder review online

In future issues:

Hanging out with those who are opting out
Is once a year enough these days?
One-way communication – or a dialogue?
The rise & rise of social media. You can run, but you cannot hide
Starting the dialogue: Investor blogs and their cousins
What makes a good shareholder review?
Is your IR website good enough?
Yes, but is it an Investor Brand?
Pitched just right: checking the tone

The great delivery debate

Currently, there are three key ways to deliver your online Annual Review and/or Annual Report: PDF download; page-turn JPG; and full HTML. But a quick look at this graph of changes in the online presentation of annual reports by FTSE 100 companies over the last few years shows one best-practice decision is emerging internationally.

The full online HTML annual report is rapidly becoming the de facto standard internationally. So much so, in fact, that it’s safe to say a tipping point is being reached in the Northern Hemisphere.

While Australasian companies aren’t there yet, the inevitability of this trend means it does need your attention, and probably sooner than you would prefer.

	Pros	Cons
	Simple to produce Cost effective Most viewers have Acrobat Reader	Requires download, involving download time, and probably a printer for user-friendly readability Speed dependent on internet connection Static Not searchable Not designed to be read on screen: usually a vertical format being viewed on a horizontal screen resolution sub-optimal to reduce total file sizes column layout format requires scrolling up and down, particularly if enlarged for readability
	More interactive than pdf Simulates linear reading habits Higher image quality than pdf Searchable Accessible pricing	Reformats a print layout for delivery on-screen Type usually too small to read and requires constant enlargement and reduction for viewing and navigation
	Best-practice solution More engaging, human approach Designed for the medium Can incorporate video, audio and animation Proven greater user understanding Can differentiate information across target audiences more effectively Enables more direct feedback opportunities Users can more easily plan their own route through the information Easily searchable Upfront investment in a Reporting website can result in cost-effective updates in subsequent years’ issues	Significant additional cost to do well Requires more production time than a pdf or page-turn JPG Optimally, requires copy to be written or edited for web reading Need to consider level of integration with corporate website

Incidentally, our own view is that whilst producing an online HTML report and/or review is absolutely the way forward, you should also have a PDF version available for download on your IR website (preferably indexed so that visitors can select the parts of the report that really interest them).

Time’s up.

Mike Tisdall
Investor Communications specialist and Managing Director – Insight Communications

Next Issue: More on HTML Annual Reports – the new best practice

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