Effective Web Sites for Financial Advisors
by Kirk Lowe

There are a lot of opinions surrounding the most effective web sites strategies for businesses. Insight and opinion can come from various sources and apply to various businesses. The insight in this article is from a Financial Services Marketing Expert, aimed at helping Financial Advisors.

I?d like to start by sharing the reason I wrote this article. Recently I was directed to another marketing expert?s site and subsequently signed up for their newsletter. Once a month or so, they send articles and ideas from a collection of tips and advice in their book. One topic that caught my eye was improving web site effectiveness. This particular expert was suggesting you give visitors one option (or call to action) and that is it. Keep the message focused on one thing and try to get them to contact you. It also stated that the average web visitor doesn?t mind reading long pages and would prefer fewer yet longer pages. I couldn?t disagree more with this approach.

Building relationships with prospects, then clients requires a long-term, respectful marketing strategy. Providing choices for them to learn more about who you are and what you do allows then to feel more comfortable with you through a series of experiences. While Financial Planning continues to be highly commoditized, successful advisors know that they have to connect with their target audience on an emotional personal basis that leads to long-term professional relationships.

There is a distinct and growing polarization among successful and unsuccessful advisors. The most significant difference is that successful advisors understand why their clients actually want to do business with them and why they want relationships with them. It?s not because they have investment knowledge or because they have letters behind their name. It?s mostly because they know what their client?s want from them and they take the time to build rapport and an emotional connection with their clients. That?s not to say that credentials and investment knowledge aren?t important, they are, but they are secondary in most clients? decision making.

Below is a list of my views with a brief explanation of each:

People like clarity and brevity. Excessive content and dialogue is not what resonates with your target audience. You need a clear and brief message that is meaningful to your target audience.

People like simplicity. Make sure your marketing and web site are easy to follow. Simple navigation should include easy-to-find main navigation (your main marketing focus) as well as sub-navigation choices (options for learning more). Main navigation should be limited to between 5-8 choices. The fewer the better.

As well, ensure the navigation items are relevant to your target audience. They should be able to quickly identify where they need to go to get the information they want to learn more about you.

People like choice. Give people the opportunity and choice to learn more about you before they commit to a seminar or meeting with you. You can use your web site as your marketing hub, and then provide other mediums such as newsletters, eBooks, seminars, brochures, DRIP letters and so on. Make sure resources don?t go deeper than 2 levels of navigation. That means every resource and page should take no more than 2 clicks to get to, not including a web intro (splash) page.

People like consistency. One of the more powerful components of any web site is a clear and consistent message or brand. If people get mixed messages or different messages as they review your site, they?ll wonder if working with you will be the same, inconsistent. Make sure that you convey a clear and consistent message in all your marketing, specifically your web site.

If you promote your newsletter, brochure, seminars and financial planning process on your site, it should express the same message, value and approach across all mediums.

Successful advisors respect their client?s decision making process and provide them with every opportunity to feel comfortable with them, their approach and services. They also clearly express their value proposition based on their intimate understanding of what their target audience wants and relates to. A web site provides an invaluable medium to build rapport, credibility and professionalism before and after meeting the prospect. If you make the web experience a meaningful experience you?re on your way to landing a client who understands you and who you like to work with. And they can do it on their terms. I highly recommend letting your client feel like they are in control of the sales process. You can achieve this by providing choice, as well as being upfront, clear, and consistent.

Since 2001, Freedomarketing has helped many financial planning firms and independent advisors put a wrapper on their business and planning process. By packaging your process and business services you effectively add tangible value to your business. It’s not difficult if you have the right resources, commitment and focus. For more information visit us at www.freedomarketing.ca.