In today’s fast-paced digital world, having a static, unchanging website just doesn’t cut it. You know this already, right? You have a website, but does it pulsate with life, engage visitors, reflect your brand identity, and share your story in a compelling manner? Or is it merely a digital calling card that offers little more than your contact details and a rundown of your services?

An out-of-date website does the opposite of what it was intended to do. Instead of building credibility, it destroys credibility.

An engaging and updated website is particularly important for financial advisers. As you know, trust is paramount in the world of financial advice, and your website plays a vital role in building that trust. It may come as no surprise that the design of a website can significantly impact customers’ trust and their subsequent behaviour, underlining the profound influence your website has on potential client’s perception of your brand (Guo et al., 2023).

Current clients may be hesitant to refer you to others if your website is outdated or looks amateurish. They might fear it reflects poorly on them if they recommend a financial adviser whose website doesn’t look up-to-date or professional. After all, who would want to entrust their hard-earned money to an adviser whose online presence seems neglected?

Moreover, a clearly outdated website can actively drive potential clients away. Imagine landing on a blog page whose most recent articles are date-stamped from 2022. It instantly gives the impression of a dormant, disinterested, or overwhelmed business, which can be a red flag for many prospective clients. In a sector where the most current advice can make a world of difference, an outdated website can signal that your practice may be struggling to keep up.

So, what can be done?

The solution lies in making a choice and sticking to it.

• Writing content: Content is key. Regularly updating your website with fresh, relevant content shows your engagement with the financial industry and makes your site feel alive and valuable. However, remember that content creation is a commitment. Before diving headfirst into a blog, we recommend creating at least four pieces in advance. This will ensure a consistent flow of content and help you maintain your posting schedule. It also gives you the chance to have your content reviewed by compliance before investing further.
• Sharing the load: Enlisting team members to share the responsibility of content creation can make the task less daunting. Regular contributions from different team members not only diversifies the content but also ensures that each piece is written by a subject matter expert. This approach can enhance the quality of your content and keep everyone engaged.
• Outsourcing content: If creating your own content isn’t feasible, consider hiring a third party to help with either shadow-written or off-the-shelf content. There are numerous agencies that specialise in providing high-quality content for the financial sector. We work closely with one such company, Financial Writers, so please reach out if you’d like to learn more about how they help keep your content up-to-date whilst saving you time.
• Less is more: If you decide not to commit to content creation, it’s essential to avoid dating your site. A website that appears neglected does more harm than good. A site with a simple, current design is always a safer bet than one that clearly shows its age.

The importance of regular website updates

Maintaining and updating your website is crucial for more than just aesthetics. It provides valuable, current content for your existing and prospective clients, demonstrates your ongoing engagement with the financial industry, and ensures that your business appears active and invested in client service. Moreover, a well-maintained site improves your SEO, as Google rewards sites with regular updates.

Case study

Let’s take a look at a recent case to illustrate this. We collaborated with our client to redesign their website, which included a modern design, updated copy, and a new blog platform. As you can see in the ‘before’ photo below, their blog feed was completely broken, representing a substantial missed opportunity for engaging prospective clients. What’s more, their home page featured blog posts that were several years old, giving the impression that the firm was not active.

By utilising our services, our client transformed their digital presence, enhanced client trust, and dramatically increased the likelihood of collecting subscribers to their blog. We not only set up a fully functioning blog page but also partnered with Financial Writers to ensure that fresh, relevant content is published on their site on a weekly basis. With this system in place, our client can focus on what they do best; providing excellent financial advice to their clients.

Just imagine what a revamp could do for your website! Reflect on your current online presence and consider how it could be improved. Remember, a well-maintained and regularly updated website can be a powerful tool for engaging prospective clients and establishing your firm’s expertise in the field.

Need a tailored website solution? We’re here to help

If you’re a financial adviser looking for a website that truly represents your brand and engages your visitors, look no further. Our website service at Simply Advice Websites specialises in designing tailor-made websites that meet the unique needs of financial advisers. Our suite of design options ensures you have a website that not only looks good but feels alive too.

Don’t just have a website, breathe life into it. Contact us today.

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Written by Jacqueline Barton

When staff are hidden behind a leader or sales team, it’s a wasted opportunity to demonstrate the depth and breadth of talent in the business. This applies no less so in the digital context. We encourage all (or at least most) of a team to be present on the practice website, and we delve into the detail in this article.

We’ll be covering:

• Who should be present on a website
• What should be displayed
• How to write a team profile or bio
• Some bonus tips for LinkedIn

In addition to being a resource for managers, this article is also intended to be a resource for team members that anyone can share.

Who should be visible on a website

As a minimum, we recommend including:

• All business leadership.
• All permanent employees who do client work or are client-facing in any way.
• Any other full-time employees (admittedly up to a point, once that figure gets beyond four it may better to keep this to management or key specialist functions).

Who shouldn’t be:

• Contract or temporary staff.
• Referral partners. (Cool to show them, just not as team members).

Some other options include:

• Principals of businesses that have been acquired who are working out their transition period.
• Formal non-employee board members, so long as they are clearly distinct from the core team.

For staff who are on probation and not centre to the client relationships: Whilst we could include them, it’s a very individual decision for each business and we understand both sides of the coin. However, regardless of the outcome, make a call and stick to it.

Team photos are great to include on a website but can get out of date quickly. When taking those photos, we recommend you also get a shot with just the advisers and/or practice principals. That way you’ll have a partial team photo you can always fall back on if required.

What should be displayed

• First name, last name, and job title.
• If an Authorised Representative, their Authorised Representative number.
• A nice, consistent, professional photo. Ideally in a client-facing area within the physical business, at that persons’ workstation, or with the background removed. All are good, just be consistent.
• A brief bio (more details below).
• All qualifications bachelor level or higher and all relevant qualifications/certifications.
• All relevant professional association memberships.
• If completed, a link to their LinkedIn profile.
• Whilst we see the value in getting a professional job done, if that’s going to slow you down then do the following:
  • Have someone take a photo with your phone in an even (no shadows) natural light. (By natural, we mean the sun, not a lot of bioluminescent algae).
  • Keep the sun out of the lens.
  • Send it to this gig on Fiverr and go for the ‘Standard’ tier for touch up and background removal. (If you’re new to Fiverr go here for 20% off your first job).

Direct line and direct email addresses are other options for inclusion and will vary between practices and even team members. Our advice would be to err on the side of including them, and pulling them down if they start being problematic.

How to write a team profile or bio

For a business website, the bios should follow a consistent structure and tone, with some scope for just a little extra personality.

Our recommended structure is:

• Introduce your role and why you matter to the client.
• Very brief outline of your experience.
• A favourite part of your work.
• A little personal detail and/or what you like to do for fun (e.g. what you do outside the office).

If not shown elsewhere, this might be best followed by the qualifications and membership details.

We recommend 150-300 words. Advisers and key client-facing staff should be at the longer end, staff who do no client work should be at the shorter end.

A couple of notes should be made when asking the team to prepare a short bio:

• Tone of voice – Some people’s written voice may not naturally be aligned with the organisational brand. Ask that they write something in a serious or playful tone as required.
• First or third person – third person is more serious, first allows for more playfulness and individuality. Pick and choose one that suits your brand, and request the biographies follow that for consistency.

We’ve included a few examples for guidance below.

LinkedIn Bonus Points

We recommend encouraging all staff to be at least present on LinkedIn and recommending the following steps for any team member:

• Update their LinkedIn profile to include their photo and reflect their service and qualifications as a minimum.
• If writing a bio, don’t think of it as an online resume. Consider your audience to be a prospective or current client.
• They reflect being employed by your company. (If done correctly, the logo should automatically appear against the job on their profile).
• ‘Follow’ your company page.
• Update their background image (especially if management can supply something, even if it’s just a resized version of the photo on your website).
• Connect with colleagues.

We have all the above baked into our Simply Advice Websites service, making it easy to add and remove staff with the click of a couple of buttons, plus an awful lot more. To learn more, schedule a consultation with us or sign up directly at advicewebsites.com.au.

Written by Patrick Flynn

Are you ready to take your website to new heights and encourage client conversions? Do you want to captivate your audience and create optimised user experiences that will have them coming back for more? Then buckle up, because you need to learn how to prioritise a clear call to action (CTA)!

A CTA is that magical prompt that tells users what action to take next. It’s the secret sauce of any website or online marketing campaign. In this article, we deep dive into the importance of a clear CTA for financial advisers looking to build trust with prospective and ongoing clients.

Why are CTAs important?

CTAs are vital to creating effective websites as they (1) increase conversions, engagement, and user experience, (2) reinforce brand messaging, and (3) offer testing and optimisation opportunities.

1. Increases conversion rates, user engagement, and user experience

A clear CTA not only boosts conversion rates but also strengthens user engagement and user experience. Imagine a “book your free financial health check” button that’s impossible to miss! With a crystal-clear CTA, users are more likely to take action, helping to grow your conversion rates. Concerningly, 70% of small business websites lack a CTA, dramatically reducing their user engagement (Larson, 2019).

Lack of a call to action automatically affects that website’s relationship with clients and ultimately, their competitiveness and profit margins – Neil Patel

A transparent CTA also fuels user engagement by providing a direct path to action, such as inviting users to download your “top 10 investment tips” or join a discussion about the latest market trends. A well-defined CTA makes it a breeze for users to navigate your website, producing a quality user experience.

2. Reinforces brand recognition and consistency

An effective CTA improves brand recognition by crafting a consistent user experience across different channels. A uniform CTA throughout your website and social media profiles fortifies brand messaging and helps users recognise and remember your quality services.

Every interaction, in any form, is branding – Seth Godin

So, whatever your firm prioritises, ensure the message is consistent.

3. Offers endless testing and optimisation opportunities

A crystal-clear CTA allows you to test and optimise for improved conversion rates and user engagement continually. By experimenting with various CTAs, you can discover which ones are the most effective and make data-driven decisions about your online marketing campaigns. If you’re unsure how to manage this yourself, we suggest you contact your web developers.

Adding a CTA to your financial advice website

Before you plan your website, take a step back and really consider what action you want prospective clients to take through your site. To help prompt some ideas for you, we’ve provided some CTA examples found on financial advice websites.

1. Sign up for a free consultation
2. Download our financial planning guide
3. Join our newsletter for exclusive financial tips and updates
4. Schedule a free call with a financial advisor
5. Learn more about our investment services
6. Start investing in your future with us today
7. Get a personalised financial plan
8. See how we can help you achieve your financial goals
9. Explore our retirement planning options
10. Give us an obligation-free call today (even just providing your phone number is a CTA)

Notice that these suggestions aren’t simply “free consultation” or “buy now”. Instead, they deliberately start with a verb and are more engaging for prospective clients, whilst still being succinct, action-oriented, and benefit-oriented.

How many CTAs should be on my website’s homepage?

Ideally, your homepage should showcase one or two attention-grabbing CTAs. Too many CTAs can muddle the message and dilute the effectiveness of each individual CTA. Identify the primary goal of your homepage and craft your CTAs around that goal. For example, if driving sales is your top priority, make your primary CTA a “schedule a free consultation” button. Alternatively, if generating leads is the focus, opt for a “download our exclusive guide to SMSF” button.

Remember, your CTAs should be visually distinct and stand out from the rest of your homepage content. This will help ensure that visitors can’t resist clicking on them! Use language that is:

• Succinct – Hubspot’s 2021 study suggests that CTAs with 90-150 characters are the most effective.
• Easy to understand – the clearer your message, the easier you make it for your prospect to engage.
• Benefit-oriented – make the benefit to the user clear e.g., “Get your free consultation today”.
• Visible – use colour, size, frequency, and positioning to your advantage to gain your prospect’s attention.

Calls to action are the number one way to drive conversions on a given page. Without them, your traffic has no clue what you want them to do – Neil Patel

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

To give you the best chance at generating leads, we’ve also listed some common ways financial advice firms weaken the effectiveness of their CTAs so that you can avoid repeating them.

1. Using generic CTAs: Using generic CTAs such as “learn more” or “submit” might not be specific enough to entice potential clients to act. It’s important to use CTAs that are clear and specific to the service or offer being promoted.
2. Not placing CTAs in prominent locations: CTAs that are not placed in prominent locations on the website might not be visible enough to attract attention. Placing CTAs in a prominent location, such as the header, footer, or a pop-up, can help increase their visibility and effectiveness.
3. Using too many CTAs: Overloading a page with too many different CTAs can confuse visitors and make it difficult for them to decide which action to take. It’s important to use a limited number of CTAs on a page, and to ensure that each CTA is relevant to the page’s content. For example, if a client is reading an article about retirement planning, a relevant CTA might be “schedule a consultation with a retirement planning expert”.
4. Not optimising CTAs for mobile devices: Mobile devices account for a significant percentage of website traffic, and CTAs that are not optimised for mobile devices might be difficult to click on or interact with. Your web designer should consider using a larger button size and clear, easy-to-read text.
5. Focusing on the CTA instead of the offer: A CTA is only effective if the offer behind it is compelling. Financial advice firms should ensure that the offer being promoted is relevant and valuable to potential clients, and that it is clear and well-communicated on the page.
6. Prioritising flashy features: Don’t let your prospects get distracted by flashy graphics and moving parts and forget what your website is trying to do. Instead, consider your CTA as something to build to.

By avoiding these common mistakes and optimising your CTAs, your financial advice firm can improve its online performance and drive more leads and conversions.

Conclusion

There’s no doubt that a clear and relevant CTA is the backbone of any successful website or online marketing campaign. So, when you’re designing your website or crafting an online marketing strategy, ensure you make your CTA a top priority.

Written by Jacqueline Barton

Forever the domain of the marketing guru, websites are naturally associated with getting more clients. However, we like to look at things a bit differently.

Try thinking about your website in this way: What would MacGyver do?

MacGyver, probably the most resourceful character ever created, always was able to find the solutions to his problems from what he had available. He wouldn’t hesitate to consider his website a tool for solving business problems.

In this blog, we’ll go through three big ways you can make your website work for you beyond its marketing functions.

Using your website as a filter

A website used as a filter? Huh? Aren’t websites meant to bring people, not filter them?

A website principally is a communication tool. Most practices use that tool to send a message of ‘please call me’. However, what if you wanted to say ‘I only want to deal with you if you’re committed?’

Here are some ideas:

• Include a fee range on your website. If people can’t envisage parting with that kind of money, don’t let them waste your time. Or you can go even further, put your service packages on your website and never have a conversation about fees ever again!
• Put some work on them. Let them know they’ll need to complete some paperwork, and whilst it may seem a chore, it enables you to keep costs down.
• Detail the advice process. The more they know going into it, the fewer questions you’ll have to answer and the lower the risk of a client dropping off.

One example is Ron Malholtra of Maple Tree Wealth. This guy isn’t worried about tyre kickers. He’s charging for his initial consultation!

Using your website to save you time

Depending on how you have your website set up, it may well be a powerful piece of technology you just haven’t engaged. Many Content Management Systems (such as WordPress) have inbuilt or easily accessed functionality like online forms or other add-ons/plugins. Have an open mind and explore some of the plugins that are available.

Some ideas for you to consider:

• Leverage a client portal. Most good Australian advice CRMs have something in this regard, enabling self-service.
• Host an online form to collect information.
• Use online calculators as client engagement tools (Contact us if you’re interested in this on your website).
• Enable clients to book appointments directly with tools like Calendly.
• Use Live Chat to efficiently communicate with clients.
• Sell stuff! Have a book you always quote? You can sell it on your website! These days, you don’t even have to worry about stocking it when you can dropship directly from Amazon.

Using your website to educate

Using a website for content marketing is nothing new, but the mindset is a bit different to what we’re suggesting here. This is about building a library of educational content you can draw on forevermore.

There is a lot of knowledge and opinions in your head, which are often not a good fit for static website pages. However, they are a good fit for a blog post.

When you look at a blog as a marketing tool, everyone says consistency is key, and that’s true. However, when you treat it as an educational tool, you can write stuff whenever you want. If you get a question often, blog through the answer. If you’ve spent the time writing a detailed email, turn it into a blog.

That way, whenever it comes up again: Boom. It takes you no time at all to give the definitive answer without getting weird and sending a 600-word email. Not to mention all the other benefits in having it online. Matter of fact, if you told us you don’t need a website because you’ve got more referrals than you can handle, you’d be getting a link straight to this baby.

If you’ve got other problems in your business that impact client service, maybe you can help set expectations. Perhaps a blog on ‘What actually goes into your Statement of Advice’ or ‘What is medical underwriting and why is it important to do upfront?’ could be both informative and build client understanding. Notably, while this is great to go within a ‘blog’, if you’re going to use that label then just make sure you post at least every three months. If not, these might be better positioned under ‘FAQs’, ‘Quick Tips’, or ‘Education’.

Another option includes an out of the box solution like the IRESS Financial Knowledge Centre, which includes an educational portal that you can use as a huge base and can contribute your own work to.

Other ways to Macgyver your website

The biggest limit to how you can make your website work for you is your imagination.

One cool example is Atlas Wealth Management who put a survey on their website, allowing them to capture broad insights from their targeted niche.

Here’s a screenshot from one advice practice that uses a simple WordPress Gravity Form to collect client feedback via their website.

Depending on your needs, using your website to host forms can be better than TypeForm or SurveyMonkey. Tools like WordPress’ Gravity Forms are typically free or built-in, only use your branding, and you bring people back to where you really want them: Your website.

Rethinking your audience could be a good idea. Maybe look past your current clients and send a message to their kids. Groups like myprosperity and netwealth have done some incredible work to promote financial literacy to kids/families. You can too.

Recruiting or likely to in the future? You know those careers pages the big companies have? There’s no reason why you can’t have one.

These ideas are just a sample of what’s possible. One thing we love about all of these options is that they’re not about having a great website, they’re about having a great business. The great website comes as a byproduct.

So, when you consider whether to invest time and money in your website, follow these wise words:

Close your eyes and think of MacGyver” – Selma Bouvier

If you’d like to discuss this more, don’t hesitate to call or send us an email.

Written by Patrick Flynn