Prospects aren’t visiting your website to learn your history. They’re trying to figure out whether you understand theirs.
THIS WEEK’S RAMBLING
Visit the homepage of almost any advisory firm and you’ll probably see some variation of the same story.
How long the firm has been around, how much experience the team has, their investment philosophy, the fact that they’re independent, their fiduciary responsibility, and maybe a few awards or credentials.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with any of that but the problem is that the firm is usually the main character of the website.
I’m of the belief that this is not how most prospects want to experience it.
Think about the person who arrives after receiving a referral. They’re probably not sitting there thinking, “I’d really like to learn about the history of this organization.”
Life is happening for them so they’re probably dealing with challenges like an approaching retirement and wondering whether they’ve saved enough, or the accumulation of company stock and not knowing what to do with it.
Some may have sold a business, lost a spouse, or worried about taxes. Or maybe they’ve simply reached a point where managing everything themselves doesn’t feel like the right answer anymore.
When that person arrives at your website, I think one of the first questions they’re trying to answer is:
“Do these people understand someone like me?”
That’s why positioning matters so much. Your credentials are important and your experience matters as those things can help answer the question of, “Can I trust you?”
But before the prospect gets to that point, you likely need to answer another question:
“Is this actually for me?”
Look at your website through that lens…Does the homepage immediately help your ideal client recognize themselves, their situation, or the problem they’re trying to solve? Or do you make them read three paragraphs about your firm before they figure out why they should care?
Your website doesn’t need to say less because your story isn’t important, it just needs to put that story in the right order.
Make the prospect the main character and your firm can be their tour guide.
A FEW MORE THINGS I’M RAMBLING ABOUT
ONE THING I’M WATCHING
Sameness is becoming a bigger problem in financial services marketing.
Spend an hour looking at advisory firm websites and you’ll start seeing the same language everywhere: personalized advice, comprehensive planning, your financial future, trusted partner, tailored solutions, and many other catchphrases that are so common in the industry.
The language isn’t necessarily wrong, it just makes it difficult to create a lasting impression that’s any different than anyone else. Introduce AI to the mix and it’s going to make producing this monotonous and professional-sounding copy even easier.
But that means specificity and differentiation becomes that much more valuable. The firms that clearly communicate who they understand, what problems they solve, and why their perspective is different have a much better chance of being remembered.
ONE THING I’D QUESTION
Could your best prospect tell within 10 seconds that your firm is for them?
Don’t ask whether your homepage looks professional, ask the more difficult question: If your ideal client landed on it without knowing anything about you, would they recognize themselves?
If the answer requires scrolling through half the page and reading your company history, there’s probably an opportunity to make some improvements.
ONE THING WORTH TRYING
Replace “we” with “you.”
Open your homepage and count them – How many sentences begin with or revolve around:
“We…” “Our firm…” “Our advisors…” “Our approach…”
Then look for places where you could start with the prospect instead. Not everywhere as this isn’t some sort of copywriting trick where you follow a specific formula, it’s simply a useful way to see whose perspective is dominating the page.
Your reputation got them interested. What happens next?
Let’s look at whether your digital presence reinforces the trust you’ve already earned, or creates a negative impression at the moment it matters most.
