Research — Project community impact of Website on ESG Goals

5 min readFeb 26, 2023

Accountability of environmental, social, and governance

This is a case study of a website re-design taking into consideration the community impact of Website on ESG Goals. Answers 5 critical questions.

QUESTION:
Leading this website renewal and refresh, what/how would the primary focus (within ESG) be displayed on the website?
1. How would this website refresh reflect our deep values for diversity and inclusion? What demographics would this impact

RESPONSE:

Since the primary focus of company XYZ is to

transition to net zero emissions, support their community through diversity & inclusion, they want to be held accountable, this can be displayed on a dedicated landing page that outlines the steps the company has taken to meet it’s ESG goals.

The public’s heightened expectations for companies have dovetailed with the growing interest of investors in environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors, which include diversity and inclusion (D&I).

The pursuit of diversity isn’t just about doing the right thing. A diverse workforce can drive better outcomes that can actually enhance business growth and brand reputation. So by creating dedicated landing pages that helps explain companys’ XYZ ESG goals, it will better show that considerable effort has been put in place to reflect its deep values for diversity and inclusion. The demographics that this would influence are millennials and women.

ESG framework | Sustainability & ESG Reporting Strategy

QUESTION:
2. What would the ESG portion of the layout look like on the main home page?

RESPONSE:

Since ESG initiatives reveal a company’s position on many important issues, Company XYZ investors and potential investors will want to know more about your ESG goals and see if it aligns with theirs.

Thus, the ESG portion of the layout can have clickable tabs that try to communicate the company’s ESG efforts through -

Tell a story:

Research should be done to gain a deeper understanding of trends and nuances related to ESG. This way, XYZ company can be better prepared to predict what it’s potential investors might be looking for. When this information has been gathered, a story should be told in a compelling way and make it accessible through the website.

QUESTION:
3. In detail, how would the new website layout increase engagement among the communities visiting the website.

RESPONSE:

To increase engagement among communities visiting it’s website, Company XYZ has to consider highly effective ways to showcase ESG on it’s site.

When it comes to being more proactive and sophisticated about ESG communications, the website plays an integral role in engaging the investment community.

It is important to present your ESG initiatives at the heart of your website, to show that they are also at the heart of your company.

It is important to have a dedicated section to show investors your commitment to ESG, whether that is a robust ESG section or a simple page with bold calls to action, this surely will increase engagement.

A company’s ESG page is the investor’s first impression and a lot of care must be taken to get it up to be engaging as possible and to reduce the bounce rate.

QUESTION:
4. How would the website refresh reflect our values for governance and transparency in the work that we do?

RESPONSE:

According to IR Magazine’s 2017 Global IR Practice: ESG Communications, governance is a highly discussed topic amongst investors.

Most times, websites often have either too much content to show on ESG or not enough. Sometimes less is more, so it will be impactful to incorporate best practices by including a separate drop down menu for ESG, clear and engaging sections, bold graphics and images, as well as banners with clear messaging on Company XYZ values for governance and transparency.

QUESTION:
5. In detail please describe why this should be a focus and why the local communities would also get behind this project? (Overall we want to hear what would make this successful in the eyes of the local community)

RESPONSE:

While reporting metrics is important, and these metrics reveal where a company is in terms of pure numbers, they do not necessarily reveal the full story of a company’s values, what programs it has in place and what efforts it has made. An inspiring narrative can bridge this gap. It is critical to build a narrative around ESG efforts that links specifically to the corporate purpose, aligns the leadership team and inspires the workforce.

With today’s short attention span of web visitors, investors often will not take the time to look through all of your pages. If you are short on ESG content, it is smart to show the visitors/investors robust calls to action and give them the opportunity to learn more on your corporate site.

Communicating ESG on Company XYZ site can take a variety of approaches. However, no matter how you present your ESG choices and relate them to the health of your business, the key is building an online presence that makes a lasting impression. After all, it is all about keeping stakeholders consistently updated in a meaningful and impactful way.

This was a private research done in August, 2021 by Onuzurike Chukwuagozie and also a part of Mindsumo Challenge. It has been laying idle since then on my PC, but I believe you might find it resourceful. I refuse to remain silent! No one should!!

Does this work make me a researcher? Hell Yeah…hahaha

So, if you have any research work, hit me up: onuzurikechukwuagozie@gmail.com