We all know that having a slick and professional website is absolutely vital to building your business. But, to make a real impact with your online marketing, you need to view your website as a constant work in progress.
Follow these ten foolproof tips to take your site to the next level…
1. Focus on building trust
As a financial advisor, you should view your website as yet another way of forging ongoing relationships that foster trust over time. Focus on making a good first impression and finding ways to engage – and retain a connection – with each visitor.
I would highly recommend including a testimonial section, where potential clients can see real examples of why real clients trust you. Another strong trust-builder is to make it easy for visitors to sign up to receive your monthly newsletter. Of course, this only works if you a) stick to your promise of regularly sending newsletters and b) ensure each newsletter is packed with useful content.
2. Make your blog page your homepage
A well-maintained blog has two main benefits. One, it will boost your SEO and Google ranking. And two, having a spot to showcase your knowledge and expertise will make it easier for you to build trust (see above!).
I used to tell all advisors to include a blog when designing their sites. Now, I recommend taking things a few steps further and actually making your blog your homepage. There’s no better way of showing that you’re a real person with real clients who trust you implicitly. You can drive traffic to your site by posting on social media every time you add to your blog.
3. It’s who you know that matters
A good site needs quality backlinks – links to your site from reputable and directly-related sites. This kind of link acts as an endorsement of your site: both for potential clients and for the mysterious algorithms that keep Google ticking.
Remember that neither potential clients nor Google are stupid, so avoid low-quality (i.e. irrelevant) links and never buy backlinks! Rather, build your backlinks over time, by playing the long game and developing your digital network. Good things come to those who wait…
4. The 3-second rule
Steer clear of any fancy design stuff which might result in your site taking a long time to load. Slow loading times don’t just dent your site’s Google ranking; they also scare visitors away. Google’s own research shows that 53% of mobile visitors are likely to leave a page that takes more than 3 seconds to load. No pressure…
5. Content is king!
Creating interesting and engaging content is absolutely vital to presenting a captivating message. Like a chef in a fancy restaurant, you need to spend time crafting your content – both written and visual – to make sure that every single ingredient adds to the dish. Be ruthless!
6. Smile for the camera
Remember what we said about establishing trust? Your potential clients need to be able to put a face to the name as this will help them to see you as a real human being who they can connect with. Invest in professional photographs of yourself and your team, adding written bios to let each visitor know a little bit about who you are – both in and out of the office.
7. V is for video
If you really want to take your website to the next level, invest in putting together a video that introduces you and your company to your audience. This gives visitors a chance to get a real feel for who you are and why they would choose you. If a picture is worth a thousand words, imagine what a video could do for your brand.
8. Drive organic traffic through social media
Having a strong social media presence increases the shareability of your brand. If you are releasing valuable and entertaining content via social media, users are more likely to share your content with their own network…In the process, further enhancing your visibility and building your audience. What’s not to love?
9. Track your progress
Use Google Analytics to track what’s working and what isn’t. Get your web design guys to set a profile up for you so you can see who’s visiting your site, what they’re looking at and how long they’re staying.
10. Run your website like a business
To really make your website work for you, you need to run it like a business. Set specific KPIs (e.g. number of sessions, bounce rate, average visit duration) to track your website’s progress and inform your online marketing spend. Regularly ask yourself how the visitor experience can be improved, and ensure you are continuously adapting to what works best.
The final word
An attractive and useful website should be one of the first things in every financial advisor’s toolbox. Knowing how to build a site that forges relationships through building trust is a surefire way to build your brand and attract new business.
Not sure where to start? FinCommunications is a team of financial and digital marketing experts who offer leading content creation skills across the finance industry. Drop me a line on linda@fincommunications.com to chat about your online marketing needs.
Related: 10 Winning Social Media Tips for Financial Advisors