Don’t make the mistake of saying what other advisors put on their websites.
At the Pershing INSITE 2012 conference, Michelle Gutierrez, a director at Pershing, referenced a Tower Group study that showed that 71% of a sample of investors get their first impression of you by visiting your website. Only then do they want to meet with you. (I cannot find a copy or summary of this study, so I can’t verify this statistic. If anyone has seen it, I would be grateful if you would put the link in the comments below.) So, if your message is not clearly on your homepage you are missing opportunities.
So many sites I see say the same thing: independent, objective, comprehensive, wealth management, financial planning. Does your website say that you build one-on-one relationships with clients, offering personalized attention and financial guidance? Then you are just like a national brokerage! Aren’t you?
If the client cannot quickly understand that you are really good at something in particular that the prospect needs, you may not get the chance to make her a client. You may have an amazing presentation that you make to prospects in an introductory meeting, but you have to get that appointment for it to work its magic. If your website looks pretty much like your competitors, and their in-person sales pitch is good, your prospect may sign on with them without ever talking to you.
Establishing your brand requires putting your value proposition, what makes you different, everywhere you have a marketing message. Whenever you have a chance to tell people what you do, verbally, in print, or on the web, you need to be reinforcing the description of your ideal client and that special solution or experience you deliver.
