We live in an increasingly mobile world, so it only makes sense for your financial advisor website to fit this changing landscape. A responsive website is a website that has a flexible layout that adjusts according to screen size. It appears properly on desktop screens, mobile devices, and so on.
We’ve all experienced the frustration of trying to view a website on mobile that’s not responsive. It’s clunky, hard to navigate, and impossible to find what you’re looking for efficiently. As a financial advisor, you rely on your website to convert leads and build client relationships. You can bet most of your users will use a mobile device to view your website at some point since that’s the new normal today.
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How you design your website matters. Here are the reasons why you need a fully responsive financial advisor website if you want to succeed.
What Is a Responsive Website?
First, let’s fully define what a responsive website even is and how it works. While we explained how a responsive website is flexible, there’s more to it than that alone.
A responsive website adapts to the screen size. This means all of the following are true no matter what size screen the user has:
- Readable text
- No need to zoom
- Space for tapping/clicking on links
- No horizontal scrolling
- Images that fit the screen size
Most people today are searching on mobile devices. A startling 60% (and growing) searches online come from a mobile device. If your prospects are searching for a financial advisor, they’re not going to waste time trying to navigate a website that isn’t built for their screen size.
A responsive website is different from a mobile-friendly website. These terms are often used interchangeably, but there are key differences. Mainly, a mobile-friendly website looks good on mobile screens, but it might not work for devices with a higher resolution. A responsive website is ideal since it’s built for all screen sizes.
Benefits of a Responsive Website
So now that you know what a responsive website is, why is it so important? It goes beyond readability. Responsiveness impacts your reach, your perception, and your search engine presence. All of these things matter in the competitive world of wealth management.
- Increased mobile traffic
As of 2019, just about half of all worldwide web traffic is from a mobile device. This means if you’re not using a responsive website, you’re not accessible to all of your potential users. Having a website that works for all devices will increase your traffic from mobile users. As we’ve already mentioned, this is an impressive number.
- More effective than mobile-friendly websites
In the past, it was common for websites to create two versions: one for desktop and one for mobile devices. This is an outdated practice, and it’s no longer effective for most businesses.
As a financial advisor, you value your time. You can’t afford the time it takes to maintain two websites. Having a fully responsive website makes it possible to need only one website. Having two websites is simply too big of a hassle when it comes to updating, security, and SEO. Choosing to follow the best practices online today when it comes to website design will save you a headache in the future.
- Lower bounce rate
Users don’t like websites that are hard to read. We’ve all experienced this frustration in our own lives, so why would you wish this on your users? When website visitors have to pinch or zoom to see your content, they’re not likely to stick around long.
Having a responsive website is just another way to ensure a positive user experience. This matters more than ever. If your users can’t find what they're looking for or they can’t navigate your website clearly, there’s a 61% chance they’ll just go to another website. A responsive website can positively affect your bounce rate.
- Boost your search ranking
Search engine optimization (SEO) is important for any business, and it’s especially important for financial advisors. A responsive website improves your SEO. According to Google responsive web design is highly recommended and will improve your search ranking.
When you only have one, responsive URL, Google’s bots can crawl your website much more effectively. There’s also a lower chance of SEO errors. You simply can’t afford to risk your mobile ranking with a website that’s not responsive.
- CMS Support
Today, most content management systems (CMS) support responsive designs. WordPress, SquareSpace, and so on all rely on responsive frameworks to make updating easier. Since using a CMS is so popular, you want a design that’s responsive to take advantage of these features.
- Competitive edge
Having a responsive website will help you get an edge on the competition. Many financial advisors are slow to adapt to web design advancements. This leaves them behind while giving you the chance to push forward.
A fully responsive website is an opportunity to show your professionalism, adaptability, and care for the user experience. Responsive websites don’t just work on today’s devices. They’re also future-thinking. Not having to worry about the latest and greatest screen size is a huge asset and time saver.
Is Your Advisor Website Responsive?
Is your website responsive? Google offers a free test so you can find out once and for all. If not, it’s time for an upgrade. Creating a fully responsive financial advisor website has never been easier. There’s no predicting what technology will bring next, but we do know that responsiveness is here to stay. This is not only a way to improve the look and design of your website, but also a way to convert more customers.
Your website has only a few seconds to make a first impression. Don’t waste it with a poorly formatted website. Using a financial advisor website specialist can help you make sure your website is ready for everything. Success today means being prepared for the future and whatever new technology it brings.
Author Bio
Samantha Tetrault is a finance and technology writer for Xtiva. Xtiva is an award-winning incentive compensation tool for wealth management firms that helps them achieve more.
