A well-designed, informative website can boost your reputation and referral opportunities – but only if people see it.

Some improvements to your website can increase traffic and distinguish you in the industry, says Andrew Lionis, digital director of Wickware Communications Inc. in Toronto. “It’s going to add that credibility,” Lionis says. “It’s going to set you apart from other advisors that might not have those tools.”

>Find the right keywords
Brainstorm ideas for relevant keywords that will make your website easier to find through search engines, Lionis suggests. Begin by trying words and phrases such as “investment,” “income investment” and “RRSP.”

To test these words and phrases use a keyword tool such as Google Adwords. “This tool will show you the volume of the search activity for each keyword,” Lionis says. “And it will display alternative phrases that you can add to your list.”

Once you’ve decided on the right keywords, place them throughout your site: on headlines, in page names and within the content.

You can also localize keyword search options to your region or city. By opening an account with search engines such as Google Maps or Yahoo, you can specify the region in which you work along with your services, says Loic Jeanjean, online marketing manager at Vancouver-based Advisor Websites. This step is a little more advanced, warns Jeanjean, so it may be best to work with a marketing consultant.

> Keep content fresh
Updating the content on your site consistently through blogs, articles or events is crucial to getting more web traffic.

“The most effective strategy is to run a blog, if you’re allowed by your compliance department,” says Jeanjean. Frequently updating your web content improves the likelihood your site will be found by members of your target market.

> Get visitors involved
Interactive tools such as calculators or resource pages are effective in getting visitors involved and coming back — and perhaps even referring friends.

“[Interactive tools] are fun and engaging,” Lionis says. “They can also bring visitors back as well so they have viral implications.” Many mutual fund wholesalers offer downloadable content such as brochures and reports that can be useful in increasing visits, he adds.

> Write a newsletter
Get people hooked on your website with a regular e-newsletter. Use content from your blog and other articles, suggests Lionis. By distributing a newsletter on a regular schedule — daily or weekly, for example — “you’ll have great traffic spikes,” Lionis says, “and it will remind people to come back to visit.”

> Spread the word
You can take a more direct route of informing people of your site by building an email campaign. Services like MailChimp enable you to “blast a campaign that will redirect prospects to your website,” says Jeanjean. Be sure to do your research first; prices can range from $15 to $2,500, depending on frequency and the number of people you email.

For a less direct means of referral, a process called “social bookmarking” makes it easy for your visitors do the work for you. Include a plugin such as ShareThis on your site, so visitors can link it to their own social networks, such as Facebook, LinkedIn or Digg,

“This is a free and effortless way to increase hits,” Lionis says, “and a great way to expand your audience.”

IE