If you want a website to work you must do three things. The first is make it personal, I can’t tell you how many times I say this. Most websites for financial advisors are basically the same, using the same vocabulary, completely non authentic, rigid and boring. I just read an email from Financial Advisor magazine about upgrading your website, EVERYTHING they suggested was technical and NOTHING was personal. Making it personal is a natural for most female financial advisors yet few women actually use their website to differentiate themself. Look at your own website, what are you saying that really stops you short?
In addition to making it personal if you want your website to work for you it must Active. There are typically two ways you can use a website. A Passive Website is used like a business card or brochure, when someone want’s to learn more about you and your credentials they can go to your website to get more information. Most all financial advisors utilize a passive website, it does nothing to drive new business to you it just supports and validates who you are.
On the other hand an Active Website drives traffic to your site and is constantly giving prospects and clients a reason to go back to your website.
There are a number of ways to create an active website:
- Post an article: Each month send an email to everyone in your database about an interesting article you recently posted to your website. Your email should only be about two sentences providing a compelling reason why they should want to read the article. You then provide the link to the article which takes them right to your website.
- Posting new announcements: If you host seminars or conference calls you can use your website as a bulletin board so prospects and clients always know to visit your website to learn when your next event will be held. This way you can encourage prospects and clients “Keep checking my website for new events and seminars”.
- Posting a Video: This is not as difficult as it sounds, you can create a 1 minute video welcoming them to the site and offering a free report/book/audio with a space for them to provide their name and email address. This way you have a way to capture their information. How many people have come to your website that you never knew about? This free gift video is an excellent vehicle to capture information.
- Post an Audio: Each quarter you can record and simple market update, even if you are reading a pre-approved market update this can be a great tool to help drive traffic to your website while enhancing your image and level of expertise.
If you plan to make any changes to your website make sure it has a real impact, make your website work for YOU.