4 Benefits of Digital Annual Reports
by Gina Armstrong, Lead Designer
Insights / Website Design /
Many organizations create annual reports to share year-end information about financials, achievements, and overall performance with stakeholders.
Recently, we’ve noticed a shift from traditional annual reports towards more interactive, digital experiences.
So why might you consider using a digital format over something static? A microsite format offers several advantages over conventional formats (like print or PDF) – and provides a lot more flexibility.
Here are a few reasons we think digital reports are great.
Bringing Information to Life
A digital report offers a lot more opportunity to visualize your data and showcase your impact.
Whereas information like year-end financials might typically be shared in a spreadsheet format, interactive reports can incorporate animations and hover effects. You can also include key statistics as large graphics throughout the site, making those numbers much more impactful than if they were buried within a chart or text.
More Opportunity for Interactivity
Interactive features get users engaged and helps to cultivate enjoyable experiences.
Digital reports can include animations (think statistics counting up or graphs filling in), embedded videos, and many other forms of interactivity. If you’re showcasing your geographic impact, you should use an interactive map, which can demonstrate the extent of an organization’s reach.
Fewer Limitations on Space
In a digital report, modules like carousels or expanders help incorporate large amounts of information in condensed spaces.
Having this flexibility with space allows for creative layouts and more opportunities to include imagery and graphics. For example, you can highlight an event with a full image gallery rather than being limited to a handful of images.
A Direct Route for Users to Take Action
Perhaps one of the most enticing advantages of a digital report is the ability to guide users directly to an action.
Unlike a printed or PDF report, where donating requires additional effort, users can simply click on a call-to-action directly within the report. Whether your goal is to gather donations, get folks involved, or gain newsletter subscribers, you have a much better chance when you make it easy for them.
The added flexibility, creativity, and engagement that digital reports offer make them an exciting option. But as with any project, make sure you first consider your audience and their goals. If your users are less tech-savvy or you need to include more granular data, you may opt to go the traditional route.
Not sure if a digital report is right for you? Reach out to us for help!
About Gina Armstrong
Gina is the Lead Designer at Digital Ink. Gina has explored design while serving various roles in the non-profit sector, developing a passion for branding and digital design. Digital Ink tells stories for forward-thinking businesses, mission-driven organizations, and marketing and technology agencies in need of a creative and digital partner.
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