Nothing changes as rapidly as the business practices that impact the delivery and performance of the best financial advisor websites. In fact, you might say standing still is the equivalent of falling behind.
There are more than 30,000 RIAs and every one of them has a website. Each firm is delivering a similar set of services although there can be some substantial differences. This makes the financial services industry one of the most competitive on the Internet. Plus, there is little room for error or half measures. It takes a real commitment to digital marketing to make the Internet a financial advisor’s best source of leads.
There is nothing static about financial advisor websites. That’s why the best websites in the Fall of 2020 will be substantially different than the best websites as recently as the Fall of 2019. Digital marketing tactics become obsolete very quickly. What worked best for financial advisor websites in the Fall of 2019 may not work best in the Fall of 2020. It makes sense that everyone is learning from everyone else because websites are public data.
So what are some of the key characteristics of the best financial advisor websites in the Fall of 2020? And, in an ideal world how will these characteristics continue to produce results in 2021 and beyond.
Home pages will always be the most valuable real estate on financial advisor websites. The messaging on these pages serves the critical purpose of keeping visitors (investors) on the website.
The messaging has to convey substantial value in a way that is not too promotional, but at the same time resonates with the sites’ visitors.
The best financial advisors have very similar features. What sets them apart is how their most important features benefit the investors who select them. Investors buy benefits and not features.
The best financial advisor websites also have content below the fold that supports this critical strategy. It should give investors important reasons why they should initiate contact with the financial advisor who owns the site. Investors should not have to look for this content on the advisors’ websites.
After all, the logical next step is to schedule an introductory call to learn more about each other. Leads become active prospects when there is mutual interest.
A well-designed home page can make this happen.
Many financial advisors take the navigation on their websites for granted. This is a big mistake. The best financial advisor websites have intuitive navigation that makes it easy for investors to find the information they are seeking.
Why is this important? Advisors should assume investors, who are using the Internet to find professionals and information, will be visiting multiple financial advisor websites. They will be looking for the same or similar information so it is easier to compare advisors to each other. For example, how old are the firms or how many professionals work there?
Numerous surveys show investors will not commit the time it takes to search for information on financial advisor websites. Perhaps this is a function of the comparison shopping instincts of most investors. Instead, they will quickly exit the sites and move on to the next ones in their quest for finding the right financial advisors or information.
Video has multiple applications for financial advisor websites. It could be a welcome video on the home page by a firm’s president or founder. It could be a family of short educational videos that demonstrate a firm’s expertise. Or, how about on-demand webinars that provide solutions for financial pain points that impact the financial well being of large numbers of investors.
Common sense says video can be a superior way to communicate certain information about the firms’ value proposition, culture, beliefs, and business practices. Plus, investors are hearing the information from firm owners, principals, or key professionals. This has more impact than simply reading carefully constructed content that conveys the same messaging.
Most investors use subjective processes for evaluating and selecting financial advisors. On the one hand, they may not know how to determine who is the best or worst financial advisor. Consequently, they select advisors who make them feel comfortable or secure. In fact, a high percentage of investors select the advisors they like the best.
It is difficult to communicate the culture of a firm in writing. It is much simpler if the managing partner of the firm communicates this information in a brief video.
The best financial advisor websites have this one-time opportunity to connect with visitors. Therefore, they want to give visiting investors a lot of positive reasons to connect with them. A common strategy for initiating contact is a free offer in the form of an eBook or a webinar version of the content in the eBook.
We say one-time because most investors do not revisit websites. Either they found what they were looking for or they did not. If they did not, there is no reason to revisit these financial advisor websites.
Multiple free offers on websites are the reasons investors will give-up their anonymity and submit their contact information. Why multiple offers? Because financial advisors cannot predict which free offer will resonate with which investors.
There are connections when investors visit financial advisor websites, find what they are looking for, and initiate contact by submitting their names, telephone numbers, and email addresses. At this point visitors become leads because financial advisors have the information they need to initiate contact by following up.
It stands to reason this is not a simple process. Most investors are inclined to withhold their contact information from financial advisors. This may be the result of years of unwanted solicitation by people they did not want to talk to.
There are two primary types of connections. In one case, investors are actively looking for financial advisors so they can schedule initial interviews. In the other case, investors are seeking information. The information could be about the firm or it could be financial information. The best financial advisor websites make it easy to initiate contact and find information.