With so many changes to how websites are designed and used over time, it can be easy to overlook one of the important fundamentals of an effective financial advisor website. One of the most basic, yet important, aspects of any financial advisor website is the Contact Us page.
Here’s why Contact Us pages are important, and how to make the best use of them on your financial advisor website.
Why Are Contact Us Pages So Important?
A Contact Us page/form offers visitors a direct way to contact you without leaving the website. But don’t let the simplicity of a Contact Us page be mistaken based on its primary purpose.
Your Website Visitors May Be Seeking a Contact Us Page
Because effective sites often follow a similar format with a homepage and menus, a Contact Us page has been around as long as websites. Because of this, your financial advisor website visitors have been conditioned to expect a Contact Us page as part of the user experience.
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New Technology Is Changing the Search Game
With Google’s SGE (Search Generative Experience) currently in the testing stage, and all the algorithm updates that have been launched recently, Contact Us pages will likely become more important than ever.
Google’s SGE in its current form is meant to make searching even easier for users by displaying a summary of search results compiled from the most relevant online sources. While this can be very convenient for the users, it can spell trouble for financial advisor website click-through rates and overall traffic.
This, in-turn, can have a negative effect on SEO (Search Engine Optimization), which can negatively impact overall search results. However, fundamental website elements such as contact us pages, in conjunction with high-quality, relevant financial advisor website content, can help combat these potential negative effects.
If Google’s search engine displayed your financial advisor content as part of its SGE results summary, users may like what they see and want to reach out to your financial advisor website for more information or schedule an interview.
Because they have already “seen” part of your financial advisor website, they may not even need to browse your page to know that they would like to contact your financial advisory firm. Without a convenient-to-use, informative Contact Us page, it can create a huge missed opportunity to connect with a potential lead for financial advisory services.
You Can Never Have Enough Financial Website Content
While you may have an entire catalog of blog posts, infographics, videos, and even a number of eBooks on a financial advisor website, this doesn’t mean investors will not reach for specific information.This is your opportunity to convert a visitor into a lead
The goal of creating and sharing this high-level content is to pique the interest of website visitors by establishing your financial advisory firm’s knowledge and experience. When they’re ready to take the next step, such as requesting more information that is specific to their needs, the Contact Us page is likely where they will go next.
It Factors Into E-E-A-T
Google uses a rating system known as E-E-A-T to rate a website’s overall quality. This stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. What’s unique about E-E-A-T is that Google uses human “Quality Raters” to determine these ratings.
For financial advisors, credibility and trust are essential for starting and building relationships with investors. Both are essential for improving website ranks. But not if there is a way for Google’s quality raters to authenticate who is behind the website.
A Contact Us page serves this purpose, proving the authenticity of the source of the information. This has become even more important to Google in its effort to rid inaccurate or fraudulent content in its search results.
Not All Contact Us Pages Are Created Equal
While Contact Us pages don’t need to be complex, there are some key elements to an effective Contact Us page that can help set your financial advisor website apart from the masses:
A Complete - But Not Too Complex - Contact Form
In addition to all your financial advisory firm’s contact information, a Contact Us page should also include a contact form that makes it easy for a visitor to request information or contact.
An added benefit of using a contact form over simply listing your phone number and email address is that you have the opportunity to gather screening information on prospective clients, as well as grow your direct marketing database. A primary example of screening is investors meeting the minimum asset requirements of financial advisors.
Tip: Ask for specifics about what they’re looking for. This not only helps you answer them more completely but can also help with segmenting in your CRM or email databases.
Manage Expectations
Whether someone emails directly, leaves a phone message, or completes the contact form, it’s important to let them know when they can expect a response to their inquiry.
Tip: The sooner the better- and ideally one business day or less is a minimum expectation.
Be Transparent to Build Trust
When collecting personal information, it’s necessary to disclose how you plan to use this information. Are they being added to an email list and/or newsletter? Are they able to opt out at any time? Will you sell their contact information to any third parties?
Additionally, it’s a best practice to make sure your compliance team is aware of any forms containing personal data and consent to receive communications such as emails, phone calls, or any other type of direct communication.
Add An “About” Section
Financial advisor/client relationships involve a certain level of trust. To build that trust from the start, some clients want to learn about the financial advisors who will be helping them plan their financial futures and invest their assets.
To achieve this, you can add an “About Us” section on your financial advisor website. This section can be on a link on the Contact Us page and can be as simple or detailed as you prefer. Be sure to include other team members such as administrative or office professionals, because they may be interacting with clients on a regular basis. If there are multiple financial advisors on the team, be sure to profile each of them on this page with a photo and a brief bio.
If you have a financial advisor website, you need a contact us page. If you’re not sure if your Contact Us page is effective, reach out to a digital marketing firm for tips from the professionals.
