U.S. IR Websites Are Missing the Mark — Here’s What Needs to Change

The Evolving Role of the IR Website

Traditionally, IR websites have been seen as compliance platforms: a place to post filings and earnings PDFs. But that’s no longer enough. Our research confirms that today’s investors, whether institutional or retail, are looking for more than numbers. They’re looking for understanding, for context and confidence.

At a minimum, an effective IR website should do three things:

1. Regulation - Host regulatory content: This will include filings, governance materials, and compliance disclosures
2. Reporting - Support the earnings cycle: Give timely updates, webcast replays, and transcripts
3. Reputation - Articulate the company’s story: Display a clear strategy, investment case, growth vision, and ESG priorities

It’s this third element, telling the story, that remains the most underdeveloped across U.S.-listed companies.

Where the Gaps Are

IDX’s benchmarking of the top 200 companies by market cap on NYSE and NASDAQ revealed some recurring shortfalls:

1. Investment cases are often missing.
2. Strategy pages are vague or absent.
3. Capital allocation is mentioned in earnings calls but rarely explained clearly on the site.
4. ESG and innovation narratives are frequently templated and lack substance.

These aren’t minor oversights for companies. They represent missed opportunities to shape perception, build trust, and guide investor understanding.

Why It Matters

An IR website is often the first stop for investors seeking to understand a company beyond the quarterly results. In today’s environment, where capital is more selective and narratives compete for attention, there are three strategic assets: clarity, context, and credibility.

Failing to tell your story doesn’t create a vacuum. It invites others, such as analysts, media, and forums, to fill in the gaps. That often leaves readers with partial or inaccurate interpretations.

Strategic IR communications are not “nice to have.” They are a valuation lever.

A Strategic Imperative

IR teams increasingly find themselves at the intersection of capital markets, corporate strategy, and digital communication. Yet many are still working with outdated tools or inherited platforms, which often are provided free at IPO by exchanges. These have limited flexibility to evolve beyond basic compliance.

The challenge ahead is not technical, but strategic: How do we elevate the IR website into a true instrument of influence?

The answer lies in designing with intention. Companies need to align content, structure, and storytelling around what matters most to investors today and tomorrow.

How IDX Can Help

At IDX, our role is to bring data, insight, and execution to that challenge. But more broadly, our message to the industry is clear: It's time to expect more from digital IR. That’s because investors already do. 

If you want to know how your IR website stacks up, or how to improve it, we’d love to talk.

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