IR WEB SITE BEST PRACTICES WEBINAR April 30, 2009

Manage your disclosure faster, easier and with less compliance risk.

Presenter: Catherine Crofton, VP Sales & MarketingModerator: Sheryl Joyce, Director, Marketing Communications

Q4 Web Systems – Introduction

Software to help public companies manage online disclosure Faster, easier & with less compliance

risk

Solutions for the corporate/investor web site Experience provides insights into

challenges that issuers face

Catherine Crofton VP Sales & Marketing

Methodology

CICA Corporate Reporting Awards experience

Annually audit 50+ sites Selected from Fortune 500, ROB 1000 – all sectors

Input from: IR Leaders Third-party surveys Webinars, conferences & industry sources Regulatory guidelines

Importance of IR Web Site:

75% of portfolio managers use weekly if not daily

47% of investment professionals rate as very or extremely important

45% of US portfolio managers say their perceptions are substantially impacted by a company’s corporate site

Daily32%

Weekly 43%

Monthly14%

Yearly8%

Never3%

Source: Rivel Research

BARRIER #1:Information not geared to various investor audiences

User Motivations Introduction

Who, what, why, how? Market position. Investment proposition. Should I recommend/invest with you?

Assurance What’s new? Why does it matter? Did I make the right decision/recommendation? What’s next?

Reference Where can I find it? Access data quickly and easily To stay informed and source new information

Entry Points for all Users

http://www.nexeninc.com/

Example of a fairly standard best practice approach to a home page with investor content integrated.

Multiple entry points to Investor section & content– directly from the home page.

Intro to company in centre panel provides content to the new user (should link to more) because that’s the route they’re going to take.

Latest news, reports, results, stock quotes all available off the home page for all users.

Longer-term user will likely go straight to IR section.

BARRIER #2:Key information not easily accessible

Difficult to Access Key Content Navigational structure is not standard or consistent

Home/investor index lack quick entry points to key content

No navigational aids - ‘You are here’

Lack of quick links to bring information forward

Information location is not intuitive

No helpful aids to sort/search information

Homepage

Tag cloud is a helpful aid to

search information. It automatically

updates page with prioritization of most frequently

accessed content for next visit.

http://www.shell.com/

Boxes in middle provide quick

links to bring key information

forward.

Homepage Integration of Investor Content

http://www.potashcorp.com/

Clean, uncluttered home page.

New Investor:Pull down – Why

invest?

Long-term investor:Quick entry and exit –

What’s new? (RSS prompt right from here).

Mobile access –easy way for all investors to stay

informed.

Pull downs provide

immediate access to

key content.

Recent investor:News

Latest financialsUpcoming events.

Flash panel highlights upcoming events/key messages.

IR Index Page

Comprehensive sub-navigation gets

all users into content quickly.

Plain language URL– easy to

maintain bookmark

Latest news releases.

Immediate access to ‘Why Invest?’

Centre panel keeps investors updated on new IR information and upcoming events/presentations – great for long-term user.

Ability to print or email page, sign up for

RSS feeds.

Stock price information.

Quick Links & pull down for frequently

accessed information.

Explanations for things like icons & quick

troubleshooting for file access problems

demonstrate intent to make easy for users.

http://www.potashcorp.com/investor_relations/

IR Index Page

http://www.sun.com/aboutsun/investor/resources.jsp

Comprehensive sub-navigation provides

entry into great supporting info re:

investment proposition.

Tabbed pages allows users to choose info of

interest right off the index page

– defaults to News ‘At a

Glance’.

Great use of feature boxes to highlight priority

content.

Executive perspectives help

you ‘know’ the people. Also has

Customer stories & product reviews.

IR Index Page

http://www.sun.com/aboutsun/investor/resources.jsp

Lower part of Sun’s investor

index “Highlights” provides quick entry into all

other frequently accessed content.

News Releases

http://www.cadburyinvestors.com/cadbury_ir/press_releases/?pr=1&yearall=&categories=fin_corp&image.x=11&image.y=7

Great feature to enable user to look up press

releases by year, subject & keyword.

News

http://www.potashcorp.com/investor_relations/news_and_events/news/news_releases

Segments news in one area. Offers

ability to search right off tab to go into

Library where you can search all

segments at once by year. Can sign up for RSS on any of them

or all news.

Quarterly Results

http://www.nexeninc.com/Investors/President_Update/Update1.asp

Great summary of information for Q3 results – a picture and quotation from the CEO, financial highlights followed by key bullets and

then the entire document, with

links to all relevant info/formats at the top of the page.

Quarterly Reports

http://h30261.www3.hp.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=71087&p=irol-reportsOther2008

Great annual view with archives immediately

available.

Segments quarterly information under “item”.

BARRIER #3:Content does not convey or summarize a compelling investment proposition

Why Invest? – Requirements Company background

Market data

Unique strengths & why they’re important

Mission

Strategic objectives

Leadership

Past performance

Define Your Story

http://www.potashcorp.com/microsite/annual_report/2008/our_story/

“More per acre” encapsulates vision statement. The problem and the need are intertwined

throughout all of the Company’s communications. It directly

connects to their vision statement.

Vision Statement: “Play a key role in the global food solution while building long-term value for all our stakeholders.”

Uses interactive online annual report to aid in

defining their story.

Why Invest?

http://www.potashcorp.com/investor_relations/why_invest/six_keys/

Potash provides top level information on the global

market opportunity for their product ‘potash ‘and how their company is poised to

capitalize on this.

Embedded links pop out charts and graphs to illustrate problem &

opportunity.

Why Invest? Why Invest linked to in-depth information on all aspects of their business including global trends & statistics that really illustrate their market opportunity & investment proposition.

See “Global Development” pull down for details.

http://www.potashcorp.com/investor_relations/industry_overview/2008/our_business/global_development/

Pull down: have downloadable ‘Business

Overview’. This entire section on Global

Development plays as a slide show. Have also included a glossary of

terms.

Why Invest?

http://www.potashcorp.com/investor_relations/why_invest/six_keys/

Intertwine the six keys to understanding their business in repurposed sections from their online report – use some flash but mostly static pages with embedded links, lots of charts providing market data. And they repeat this story –

‘Helping Produce More Per Acre’.

Company

http://www.potashcorp.com/investor_relations/company_profile/#strategy

History includes a pull down for each

year with performance overview and

stories on achievements in

ESR.

The Strategy is also highlighted on

this page.

“About Us” – Answers question of “Who we are. What we do. Where we’re going. How we’re going to get there.

Addresses leadership and accountability.

UK survey by Real World indicates that 91% of investors said they wanted more background on a company and its

competitors.

Markets Information

The “Markets Information” section provides extensive information on the

markets as well as the ability to sign up for

email alerts and RSS feeds for changes in market conditions.

http://www.potashcorp.com/investor_relations/markets_information/market_analysis_reports/

Management Views

This page adds value as it provides insights related to management expertise such as: impact of climate change, safety, customer relations, workplace skills,

competitive landscape, risk management.

Available as MP3 with transcripts.

http://www.potashcorp.com/investor_relations/management_views/interviews/

BARRIER #4:Key content is missing, in wrong format or just not engaging

Common Mistakes

Content is missing

Too much information in PDF format

Overuse of dark background with knockout type

Long monotonous scrolls

Amateur photography

Little/no use of multi-media

Snapshot Info/Relational Links

http://www.danisco.com/cms/connect/corporate/about%20danisco/danisco%20in%20brief/danisco_in_brief_en.htm

Often we see Fast Facts in the right rail along with Quick Links as

a way of highlighting key information from the centre panel. Most companies underutilize this.

They use the right rail for relational links – as a way of bringing information forward & moving users deeper into the

site.

Danisco uses the centre panel to provide

fast facts on their company.

Imagery Provides Visual Break

http://www.potashcorp.com/microsite/annual_report/2008/our_story/

= $12

+

+

+

Smaller companies have indicated they

typically don’t have big budgets for visuals.

To illustrate how inexpensive, we found the same images on

istock for $12.

Without imagery, this page wouldn’t be nearly

as inviting. Images prompt a user to dig

further.

Beyond the PDF – Communicating Board Skills

http://www.nexeninc.com/Governance/Board/Board_Bios.asp

Nexen does a great job on this page - spell out areas of expertise and puts

this information in a matrix. The matrix describes how the expertise of

their directors combine to help execute the company’s strategy and

ensure appropriate oversight.

Many companies normally include Board and officer bios, but usually

only include a reverse chronology of the positions they’ve held with no

emphasis on expertise.

Beyond the PDF

http://www.nexeninc.com/Governance/Board/AreasofExpertise.asp http://www.nexeninc.com/Governance/Board/performance_evaluations.asp

Detailed shot of Nexen matrix below. It provides the combined skills of their directors. They also

provide their process for evaluating the performance of their board.

Scorecards Provide Quick Snapshot

http://www.potashcorp.com/governance/goals_performance/

Details performance against annual governance goals and targets. Allows

user to call up performance records for previous three

years.

The use of score cards is a growing trend. It is useful for showing investors how

they measure their performance against goals

and then update their progress.

Beyond the PDF – Communicates Transparency

http://www.petro-canada.ca/en/corpgov/895.aspx

This section summarizes information pertaining to each Board member. The

notes link to an explanation of terms.

One area not covered in this chart is compensation – which is covered in detail

in a different section. Would be even better if

they included it all in one spot.

Offering Multiple Formats

http://www.shell.com/home/content/responsible_energy/sustainability_reports/dir_shell_sustainability_reports.html

Information is provided in a variety of formats – a

complete PDF report, a summary report, an online version and a print version.

BARRIER #5:Lack of methods/tools to aid relationship/brand building

Communicating Accessibility

http://www.investor.bayer.com/en/funktionsnavigation/kontakt/ir-team/

A lot of companies miss the opportunity to make it easy for investors to call and ask questions. Instead

of providing a contact name and their information they use a generic address such as info@investors.

Making IRO’s (and their teams) easily accessible gives a

company credibility. In

addition to providing full

contact information, Bayer even puts a face to the person – a very good way of engaging current

and potential investors.

Communicating Accessibility

https://www.petro-canada.ca/en/corpgov/763.aspx

Ability to contact the Board varies by company, from anonymous email forms (Petro Canada) to mail

/email specific titles such as Chair, Audit Committee, Ombudsmen (Potash & GE

– which also provides a phone number) to providing a specific contact name, as

Nexen has done.

http://www.potashcorp.com/about_potashcorp/management_and_bod/contact_board/

http://www.nexeninc.com/Governance/Contact_Information.asp

Communicating AccessibilityCoca-Cola details exactly how mail is handled and

indicates that the majority of information actually makes it to the board.

http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/investors/contact_board.html

Customization – 'My Page' Aviva has a “design your own information” page – very simple

to set up; you just check off items you want or choose a

profile from a pull down menu.

http://www.aviva.com/index.asp?pageid=3

Customization – Investor Briefcase

http://ir.healthstream.com/briefcase.cfm

The term “Investor Briefcase” means many different things – here it offers ‘wish list’ functionality that let’s you

choose items as you move through the site and view them in a summary area.

Frequently Sought Information – Investor Briefcase

http://www.cameco.com/investors/briefcase/

Cameco also uses an “Investor Briefcase” which allows users to consolidate the most sought after

information.

Staying in Touch – Newsletters

http://www.stockholders-newsletter-q1-09.bayer.com/en/homepage.aspx

Companies of all sizes offer regular newsletters to provide greater insight into operations etc. This helps

keep investors up-to-date and engaged.

Staying in Touch – Segmented Email Alerts

http://www.aviva.com/index.asp?pageid=933&tools=alerts

We surmise that approximately 90% of companies offer email alerts. More and more are now using segmented email alerts. Aviva maximizes this tool through the various types of information they allow users to download on the right-hand panel – i.e. news, earnings releases, presentation, reports.

Staying in Touch – Segmented RSS Feeds

http://www.ge.com/news/newsfeeds/index.html

RSS feeds are one of the best aids to address the SEC’s new disclosure guidance under Reg FD. Unlike email, which can be blocked in spam filters, RSS feeds can distribute timely information to your users as soon

as that information becomes available.

Leading companies such as GE

are now offering

segmented RSS feeds – which again, allow users to

select information of their choice.

Social Media IntegrationHere we look at a web site that integrates ‘sharing’ through social media, one way of gaining a greater exposure online.

http://www.agnico-eagle.com/English/GrowthProjects/Strategy/default.aspx

Conclusion – Ask Yourself These Questions

Am I addressing all user motivations?

Am I getting people into key content quickly?

Am I connecting the dots on our investment proposition?

Am I engaging my users?

Do I have tactics/tools to aid relationship building?

IR WEB SITE BEST PRACTICES

Manage your disclosure faster, easier and with less compliance risk.

www.q4websystems.com