Attracting clients into your web

Richard Smith, IFA marketing expert at The Internet Consultancy, on the content you should have on your website to market your firm effectively.

We live in a fast moving world, where there is no shortage of information for your website and your marketing. However, relevance is the most important consideration.

One of the main considerations when planning and building any website or internet presence is the content, and by that I mean relevant content.

If you look at websites created by specialists (and I do not mean the local website designer – most of them know very little about marketing and even less about financial services firms), you will find very quickly that content is king for your website. The better the content, the more traffic you will get, and the more sales you will make.

As a minimum, your website should be there to start a relationship, to show that you are a leader in your field. It is easy to explain why most IFA websites do not deliver and do not bring in any business. It is because their content is just not relevant for what they are trying to do, or because it lacks any quality.

Your website should be fluid – your choice of words, graphics and overall presentation can be altered as and when required, unlike printed material which needs to be designed, printed and then find its way on to your clients’ desk.

If compliance matters are holding you back, you must find a way to resolve this. Compliance departments must get a handle on every­thing web-based. IFAs are not going to survive doing the same thing they have done for years.

Far too many websites focus on the risk warnings (that are often irrelevant for the subject of the content) and take up more space and time than is really required.

So when focusing on content, you must make sure it is relevant for your target audience, it must have a desired outcome, it must inform, it must confirm you as an expert in your field and get your potential customers to take some action, call, email or at least to do something.

In reality, if you sell investments or investment advice, you will need to make sure your audience hears what you are saying; they are not interested in the most recent updates to the Acme Building Society ‘lending criteria’ or ‘fixed rate’ deals.

Too many IFA websites are full of content that is just not relevant, poorly presented and of course badly constructed by web designers who are just that, web designers. Your business needs more than design.

One of the best things your website can do is to make you stand out. Because of a focus on terms of business, risk warnings and oodles of other information, financial services firms often fail to understand that clients and potential clients want to know what makes you different, what makes you stand out, why they should deal with you. Having an opinion, taking a stance and explaining why you think something is like it is gives you the edge – basically a reason someone should do business with you, rather than your competition.

Your website should inform about a range of subjects, however it should not be a rant. Your comments must be thought out and supported, but must be a call to action, and position you and your business as the ‘go-to guy’.

Potential clients should be treated differently from existing clients, who have already taken your advice and therefore need the same information to be provided but in a slightly different way. Certainly, the issue of client segmentation is important, and there is no reason for your content not to be segmented and directed accordingly.

Topical information

It is not difficult to find something to say about a topical subject. If you take off the blinkers and remove some of the information filters, then you will find there is a lot going on. Remember: you are seeking to solve problems, and most of your clients have problems that you can solve.

Your research sources could be those that have opposing views to you. Seek them out, look at the respected commentators in your chosen field – fund managers, industry specialists, gurus from insurance companies. They can all provide you with the one line or opinion that you need to ‘oppose’ or ‘confirm’.

Other examples include newspapers, comments on blogs, internet sites and search engines and RSS feeds which you can find on any search engine. If you really do not have five minutes a day, get a PA to do it, provided of course your PA is able to, and is a stakeholder in your business.

Interesting content

There are a variety of ways to communicate with clients via your website: text, blog posts, tweets, Facebook and social media, audio, podcasts, fax bursts and emails can all be duplicated on your website or even recorded and sent through iTunes as a podcast.

Video: On your website, posted out to your client on CD, or placed on You Tube and other video sites. If you can talk, you can record presentations using presentation slides, and all of this can be recorded using free software which is widely available.

Graphics: Showing your office, your staff, things that you can do, statistics, images of all sorts. One firm which we work with only shows pictures of their home town and much of their internet traffic is derived from people wanting to see these often ‘quirky’ pictures, so that proves that some human interest will work for you.

Charts: information about the market(s), about product sales and claims history, sample premiums, why buy now etc.

Statistics: Useful, easy-to-read data on death rates, critical illness rates, and IHT collection amounts.

Spreadsheets: Calculators for your clients to use covering topics such as income tax and capital gains tax. Make sure they add value. You can all use Excel, make sure you brand it and put some links back to your website.

Testimonials: An account of Mrs Smith’s investment portfolio success story, what her position was when you met, what you did to improve it, and where she is now.

Social proof of what you do. What pill did she take and for what diagnosis and of course how did her treatment make her feel.

Email: it is nearly free, and with some of the automated options available, you can be out of the office and your message will be delivered ‘on the fly’. On this point most of your younger customers will have 24/7 handheld devices and will get your message wherever they are.

Here is an example: say you have made a comment about a particular piece of legislation. There is nothing to stop you making the comment, posting it on your website, sending a copy to all of your introducers and professional connections, then getting your PA to call 20 of your clients that you think might be affected and telling them about the important content.

If you are not doing this, one of the other local IFA firms will.

You will find that the most successful firms in any business use a mix of all of the above techniques. Some, or all of these will work for you, however you should start trying them today. All of this is treating customers fairly, is cheap and of course in the main, automated.

Now go and have a look at the websites of those in the financial industry that are clearly doing more business than your firm. You will be surprised or shocked to find that they provide more content on their websites, in a more engaging way and use several mediums to deliver it. You should not be surprised that their websites work.

For more tips visit www.theinternetconsultancy.com