Help Centre
Marketing and using your website
The success of your website depends on more than its design or
contents, however good they are. Don't think that enquiries will
come flooding to you just because your website has been launched,
as this is unlikely without further work on your part.
The most successful websites are those which are well marketed
to the intended audience, whether they are your existing clients
or new business.
The following are some tips and pointers which you should consider
as you plan your site, and review at regular intervals.
Ensure existing clients know your web address
Your website address, or URL, should be on every bit of paper and
in every e-mail signature that leaves your offices.
Use your site with your clients over the phone or at a meeting
Our clients have found that taking clients to a certain part of
their site, either during a phone call or at a meeting, has saved
time and speeded up business. This is particularly relevant where
you have Add-ons such as calculators
(eg to demonstrate a shortfall in pension funding), comparative
term assurance quotes, mortgage
research systems or one of the fund supermarkets.
Put your name and web address repeatedly in front of clients
It is unlikely that clients will log on to your site the first
time they note its address, so a regular newsletter, or e-mail
informing
them of a newsletter on your site, will raise their awareness
of your site and the services it offers them.
Publish your site by all available means
There is increasing competition for financial sites, so you have
to ensure yours can be found as easily and widely as possible. On-line
possibilities include:
- on-line directories (some make a charge). The best we
have come across include Unbiased.co.uk -
IFA Promotion's database which matches consumers’ details
with the most relevant IFA from the 9,000 member firms listed
- subscribe to their OnLine Marketing package to ensure a link
back to your own site. You can also check their database via
our own link here.
Other directories include Find (lists
firms by area, priority listings available), Search
IFA (accepts a limited number of IFAs per postcode), FindaPro (no
charge), as well as Adviserweb
(free listings for clients of IFA Systems). If you are a member
of a professional body, eg Institute
of Financial Planning, make sure they have your up-to-date
details and your website address. Find out about local websites
and get your site listed there.
- search engine submission actively telling search engines
about your site. We can offer help in this area - including getting good listing positions in the search engines.
- reciprocal links eg between your site and a local estate
agent's site (but be careful this doesn't mean your site becomes
clogged with links to other sites!)
- banner advertising. Not as successful as it first was,
but may still be useful on some sites. We can design banners for
you if you wish - contact us for a quote
- social media: make sure your site is promoted through the best and most suitable use of new social media functionality
- Traditional methods are still very valid - mailshots, newsletters,
adverts, press releases, advertorials, radio ads - all on a repeat
basis.
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