Annual report: Chances are the words themselves conjure up images of glossy pages filled with charts, graphs, and huge amounts of text that may or may not be relevant to your interests. If you’re like most people, you might skim the typical annual report, looking for the highlights and ignoring the rest.
This has become even more prevalent now that the majority of companies — more than 90 percent — have shifted to online annual reports rather than printed copies. Most electronic reports are searchable, meaning that its easier than ever before to find just the information that you need or want. And while some companies still believe “electronic” annual report is synonymous with “PDF version of printed document,” most are taking advantage of the online medium and creating reports that are more interesting than the typical static report.
Still, while many companies have adopted the use of infographics and cleaner design, and maybe even added some multimedia elements, very few annual reports can be considered truly interactive. However, to stand out, you need to include more interactivity.
Why Interactive Matters
Annual reports should be interactive for several important reasons:
- Better Calls to Action. Annual reports do more than simply report your company’s data and accomplishments. They can boost engagement, drive brand loyalty, and inspire people to take action. For example, in its 2013 annual report, crowd-funding leader Kickstarter shared the most important data points from the year along with videos about the most successful projects, highlighting the positive changes that company supporters made throughout the year. Instead of focusing on data and graphs and charts, the interactive elements increased engagement by focusing on emotion and inspiration, increasing enthusiasm and support for the company.
- 2. Additional Details. Annual reports are all about the details — the data points and stories that were the foundation of the company’s performance. In the past, those details were shared via text and tables, but adding too much data could drive readers away. Using interactive elements, such as links to additional information, pop-out descriptions, and infographics, can provide additional details without creating a cluttered and overwhelming design.
- 3. Better Mobile Engagement. Even just a few years ago, some experts were questioning whether there was really a need to design annual reports with mobile devices in mind, since so few people actually review reports on their smartphones. However, the number of people using their mobile devices to view reports has doubled every year since 2011, and shows no signs of slowing down. Again, including interactive elements helps cut down on the volume of information presented at once, making it easier for people on-the-go.
How to Incorporate More Interactivity
While some companies have actually gone as far as to design dedicated applications to make their annual reports more accessible and interactive (check out Windward for more information on reporting software that makes the integration of data and interactive reporting seamless), you don’t always need to go to such lengths. Even including just a few interactive elements can take your report from “Blah” to “Wow!”
First, determine which elements of the report can be interactive. Charts and graphs are a good place to start; consider making it possible for users to isolate certain data, or click links or pop-outs to learn information that is more detailed. Videos or flash animation are ideal for sharing milestones. In fact, videos are a hot marketing tool these days, and incorporating videos into your annual report can actually help build and support your brand.
Other places you might consider including interactive elements are infographics, where you share key data or milestones. Even just organizing your report so that information is arranged under clear headings, so that the specific information is revealed only when it is clicked, can help maintain a clean design while still giving readers all of the information that they need and want.
The important thing to remember about interactive annual reports is that regardless of the bells and whistles you choose to incorporate, you cannot forget that the data and information are the most important elements. When planning your report, consider what you must include, and what is the most compelling information for your audience. Don’t try to include everything, or overwhelm your readers with every cool trick you can think of. As some of the best annual reports of the last few years show, a simple, creative design that looks beyond the numbers will spur better results than even the flashiest report.