One of the nuances that can often be found within the financial industry can be summed up as experience without knowing how to develop the correct amount of exposure. To put it another way, an IFA could be the best in the business and yet fail to grasp the importance of website design in marketing his or her unique specialty. In truth, this is frequently the main motivating factor why one chooses a web designer to help with this important metric. Still, there are times when such a professional may not be available or a site could be on a limited budget. What are some of the best ways to approach this task that will give an IFA website the appearance to attract a much-needed client base?
The Mistake of “Read for More Details”
There are many sites that hope to retain their visitors for as long as possible. This is often approached by not presenting all of the necessary details up front; believing that a person will literally be “forced” to peruse a page until the metrics are found. While this may have worked years ago when there were only a handful of such sites on the Internet, this idea has fallen upon deaf ears.
The visitor needs to know what the IFA offers within the first twenty seconds of visiting the site. If we think about it, this makes a great deal of sense. The chances are high that an individual is seeking the help of an IFA due to a certain amount of confusion. So, lending more confusion to the orientation process will not appeal to most consumers. The end result will be navigation to another page.
Immediate Contact
Many of those who need an IFA tend to be on a limited time frame. Whether regarding a business venture or the upcoming end of the tax year, people need answers to their questions as soon as possible. So, there should always be numerous avenues of contact available. These MUST include a dedicated email address and a static phone line. It is also advisable to include an embedded live chat option when available. By establishing a point of physical contact, the customer retention rate is always significantly higher than would have otherwise occurred.
Details and More Details
Another hallmark of a well-designed IFA site is the ability for a visitor to fill in a basic form as a request for further details. This is important because upon a first visit, some may be hesitant to speak to a representative. So, an online questionnaire is a great way to break the financial “ice” and incur further interest. Once again, this form should be found on the main page and should take no longer than a few minutes to be completed.
These few tips all highlight a simple fact in reference to any online IFA service: customers need to be catered to in a proactive manner. By addressing any perceived needs immediately and allowing a point of contact to be easily utilised, a website will appear streamlined and client retention rates will be much higher.
