Whether your website is meant to attract prospects or to keep your clients engaged, it must be a source of fresh content in order to keep visitors come back for more.
Your clients and prospects appreciate an up-to-date website that provides information that is useful to them. In fact, those fresh ideas could make your site a go-to place for financial planning, says Loic Jeanjean, director of sales and marketing with Advisor Websites in Vancouver.
The result could be prospects who are motivated to make an appointment or clients who are more comfortable referring you to friends and family members.
So, here are four elements of your website that should never go stale:
1. Articles and blog posts
If you would like visitors to subscribe to your newsletter through your website, a two-year old sample is not a good motivator. This is especially true with a blog, which should be updated on a weekly basis.
While your clients might question why your content is stale, potential prospects will probably wonder if you’re even in business, says Jeanjean. They will likely look elsewhere for the information they need.
2. Biography
Your biography is an area that is easy to forget about, but these details can become dated as well. Revisit your bio once a year and add any recent achievements or changes to your life that you feel comfortable sharing.
For example, mention any new designations you have acquired, as they can directly benefit your clients. You can also mention any occasions on which you were featured in a newspaper or other media.
3. Professional photo
Do you still look like the person in the photo you use on your website? If not, you must update it.
“When I see [old photos], it kind of makes me cringe a bit,” says Jeanjean. “I don’t think advisors understand the impact.” You might think you’re flattering yourself with a “young” photo. But potential clients will think differently.
For example, a prospect finds you on your website, is impressed with your qualifications and makes an appointment. But when she meets you, she is surprised to find that you look nothing like your web photo — in fact you look 10 years older. She is going to wonder how much trust she can place in the other information you posted online.
It’s an issue of credibility, Jeanjean says. Instead of hiding your age, embrace it and the experience and wisdom that come with it.
4. Team profiles
If someone new has joined your practice, add his or her biography and photo as soon as possible.
Advisors with teams attract higher net-worth individuals, says Jeanjean, so publicize the fact that you have a great support staff.
Having those team members to back you up proves to clients that you are successful enough to build a team, he adds, which makes clients confident in your abilities.