In today's digital world, a website is an essential marketing tool for financial advisors. It serves as a 24/7, virtual storefront showcasing their services and expertise to potential clients. To maximize the effectiveness of financial advisor websites and convert more visitors into high-quality leads, it's crucial to implement best practices in web design, first impressions, free offers, and content creation.
It is important to note that two types of traffic visit financial advisor websites. Investors who know the advisors’ names will enter their URLs in search engines to visit their websites. The much bigger marketing application is for investors who do not know the advisor’s name (strangers). They will enter keywords in search engines to find financial advisors in their communities.
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Either way, websites are a pivotal step in the processes that investors use to find, research, and contact financial advisors for information and interviews.
The role of digital marketing for financial advisors is to build their visibility on the Internet so it is easy for strangers to find them. And, what strangers see on the Internet has to be compelling enough that they will visit the financial advisors’ websites to learn more.
The financial advisor’s website has a crucial role. It has to convert website visitors into qualified leads. This means their websites have to be competitive with the other sites that are being visited by investors. The websites also have to convince visitors to give up their anonymity and submit their contact information.
This article from Paladin Digital Marketing provides ten best practice tips that will help financial advisors develop websites that convert more visitors into qualified leads.
Understanding financial advisors’ target audience(s).
Before financial advisors hire a website agency to build their custom lead generation websites, it's important to develop a digital marketing strategy that identifies their target audiences. Developing a comprehensive understanding of their demographics, goals, and financial pain points is critical. This information will guide the financial advisor's website design, content, graphics, free offers, and overall messaging, ensuring that it resonates with the right types of investors.
Prioritize the user experience (UX).
A seamless user experience is crucial for keeping visitors engaged and increasing the likelihood of conversions (visitors to leads). Focus on creating a clean, professional design with easy-to-read fonts, clear navigation, and fast loading times. Additionally, financial advisors should make sure their websites are mobile-responsive and voice-friendly as more investors access the internet from their smartphones and tablets.
Craft a compelling value proposition.
Financial advisors’ value propositions are clear, concise statements that explain the unique benefits of their services and why potential clients should choose them versus competitors that may provide the same services. Advisors should make sure they prominently display their value propositions on their home pages, using persuasive language and eye-catching visuals to attract attention.
We have two words of caution. First, investors buy benefits and not features. The more benefits on financial advisor websites the more leads the websites will produce. And, second, value propositions can be used to communicate differentiating characteristics that cause investors to select one financial advisor over another.
The best websites provide valuable, informative content.
Creating original, high-quality, informative content can position financial advisors as knowledgeable, trustworthy financial experts. Advisors should consider writing or outsourcing high-quality, original blog posts, creating infographics, or producing videos that address common financial questions, concerns, and pain points. Sharing this content on social media and through email marketing campaigns can also help drive traffic to financial advisor websites.
Full disclosure is an important consideration for the information that is published on financial advisor websites.
Use clear, persuasive calls to action (CTAs).
A CTA describes an action that financial advisors want investors to take as a next step. For example, “register for a free ebook”.
Action-oriented CTAs are crucial for guiding visitors toward conversions (providing their contact information). Financial advisors should place CTAs throughout their websites, encouraging visitors to schedule a consultation, download a free resource, or sign up for a newsletter. Advisors should use action-oriented language and visually appealing buttons to make their CTAs stand out.
Financial advisors must optimize their websites for search engines.
Search engine optimization (SEO) is crucial for increasing a financial advisor's website's visibility on search engines like Google. Advisors optimize their website's content and meta tags for relevant keywords, improve site speeds, and create clear site structures to improve their search rankings. Additionally, consider investing in local SEO to target potential clients in a financial advisor’s local market area.
Leverage social proofs.
Subject to compliance approvals, social proof, such as client testimonials and industry accolades, can help build trust with investors who are seeking financial advisors.
Feature testimonials on financial advisor homepages and dedicate a separate page to showcase industry awards and recognitions. Financial advisors can also include logos of reputable organizations they are affiliated with to enhance their credibility. It helps if investors have some familiarity with the organizations that are represented by the logos.
Financial advisors maximize the use of lead magnets.
Lead magnets are free resources or offers that entice visitors to provide their contact information, enabling financial advisors to follow up with targeted marketing campaigns. Offer e-books, financial planning tools, or webinars in exchange for a visitor's name and email address. Make sure the lead magnets are relevant, and valuable, and directly address a target audience's financial pain points.
Implement a live chat or chatbot on financial advisor websites.
Adding a live chat or chatbot feature to a financial advisor’s website can help answer visitors' questions in real time, increasing engagement and the likelihood of conversion. Ensure the chat solution is easy to use, responsive, and staffed with knowledgeable representatives who can assist visitors and guide them to take the next step - submit their contact information.
Track and analyze the performance of financial advisor websites.
Regularly monitoring the performance of financial advisor websites is crucial for identifying areas that need improvement and making data-driven decisions. Use tools like Google Analytics to track visitor behavior, conversion rates, and other important metrics. Financial advisors analyze this data to optimize their website's design, content, and marketing strategies for maximum results measured by conversions.
About Paladin
Paladin is a team of digital marketing professionals with more than 100 years of collective financial industry experience marketing our clients' services to individuals, institutions, and financial advisors. Paladin is a boutique agency that was founded in 2003 to provide game-changing digital marketing services to a limited number of firms and professionals in the financial service industry. Our services range from designing and developing custom websites to providing SEO, SEM, and Fractional CMO services. Want more information about our digital marketing services? Email your request to Paladin’s CMO: Jack@PaladinDigitalMarketing.com
