Modern Selling

Bob Bevan - Websites are good for Selling

Ten years ago, the 15% of the public who had home web access had to rely on dial up connections to access the internet. These were slow and expensive, and this put certain constraints on web designers when building their sites, such as keeping their content to a bare minimum and only deploying small numbers of low resolution images. As a result most 'Web 1.0' business sites were pretty dull by modern standards, restricting themselves to broadcasting information about who the company was, what products they offered and how to contact them.

We recently undertook a review of the websites of 200 smaller financial adviser firms. Unfortunately, this showed that over 75% reflected this restricted 'Web 1.0' thinking, providing nothing more than a static online presence for the company, while doing little to drive visitors to the site, less to keep them there and nothing to tempt them back in the future. Money had undoubtedly been spent on developing such sites, and was probably still going in to their provision, but I am pretty sure that it will have provided a poor return on the investment.

Little wonder then that so many advisers still doubt the value of the web!?

So how can a financial adviser, or any seller who can influence such changes, put their website to work? To answer this really requires an understanding of how your site should sit at the centre of your online marketing activity, and the diagram below helps to illustrate this...

As illustrated, you should use your site to:

A) Display rich, varied and current content that interests your clients and keeps them coming back. This includes:

1. Showing the latest industry news & articles from third party providers on your site via an RSS news aggregation tool
2. Illustrating your knowledge and insight by blogging or commenting on your site about current industry issues
3. Displaying the latest company news such as the appointment of a new partner to your practice or the addition of a new service
4. Providing links to related third party sites which may be of use to your clients
5. Using your site to display rich media from third parties such as finance related videos from YouTube or relevant presentations from SlideShare

B) Engage with your clients by moving from a broadcast approach to a dialogue. This includes:

1. Encouraging clients to register and create an online profile
2. Actively encouraging them to express their opinions on current events by offering polls and surveys on your site.
3. Allowing users to share their views on the rich content you have provided by giving access to comment and feedback forms.
4. We all know the power of online peer recommendations, so use your site to actively encourage existing clients to provide testimonials on your service.

C) Generate traffic by distributing 'teasers' about your content, accompanied by 'links' to access the full article on your site.  This includes:

1. Producing a regular newsletter which aggregates teasers from the content you’'e produced, presents them in an attractive format and sends it direct to your email subscribers
2. Offering site visitors RSS feed subscription so that the teasers and links will be sent direct to their PC as you publish the associated content
3. Generating an RSS feed and using it to distribute the content you have created to your profile page on Facebook, your groups in LinkedIn etc
4. Using tools such as Tweet Memes, Facebook Like and LinkedIn Share to virally promote your service via your client network

Of course there is still the need for some of the elements that featured in historic sites such as About Us, What We Do and Contact Us. There is also the opportunity for online integration to support technologies such as quote engines, admin systems and contact managers.

Hopefully though the above has shown that websites can do much more for financial advisers, or sales people in many other industries, than simply broadcast dull, un-engaging information. With a little thought and the deployment of the right technology, your website should become the heart of your integrated online marketing and selling activity, and a powerful tool in helping you to grow your business.

I have no doubt there are many general and specific questions around all this though (from A1 to C4), but that's just another working example of engaging content and a website in action - and that's why I'm here. So fire away, what's your question?...

Bob is the Principal of Aptus Consultants and runs IFA Line, a free online service which provides financial advisers and planners with insight on how to use social media, mobile technology and other digital tools to grow their businesses.

Questions & Comments

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  Example Question / Comment

  We've stamped out most of the obvious "bugs" now Bob, so will be starting the email broadcasts again from Monday 4th April, only limited (for now) to firstly the Registered Readers, and then the bigger sales team leaders on The Sales Direction Database.
  
  So I hope this example of me with a Question / Comment will also demonstrate what happens when people use the LinkedIn login option, for example where my name then appears and links back to my LI profile, as will anyone else's. (Just click on my name folks, or Bob's, and you'll see).
  
  That deters the spammers, as well as giving us all an easy way to find out who we are talking to. And let me just note that ModernSelling.com needs to be given your email address that you use for such things, so that we can send you email nudges when your discussion(s) get another reply/ comment/ question, and because LinkedIn do not release that - even though you'll be giving your permission with the couple of clicks that are required. Our normal privacy rules still apply though (e.g. you're not putting your email address into any sort of public play).
  
  All pretty simple and convenient though, we hope, and so conducive to some great contacts, advice, discussions, and new business results - as per our "It's a New Business World" starting strap line. Please do get involved and enjoy, one and all.
  
  Posted by Neil Warren on 03/04/2011 11:53 AM

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  Financial Services Partnership

  Hello Bob - We've just received a press release here at ModSell about internships being the way ahead (and I agree, for the profession as a whole, on that) - so I wondered if you had a view about how this could or should play out specifically for Financial Services, and whether "Selling Financial Services" was likely to get on anyone's radar anytime soon?
  
  The press release (backed by the Deputy PM no less) said...
  _____________________________
  
  NEWS ALERT
  
  Clegg: 'Internships and work experience key to moving lost generation up ladder of opportunity'
  
  Today saw the government publishing its social mobility and child poverty strategies with the Deputy Prime Minister’s pledge to give everyone a 'fair chance' by creating a level playing field for the majority of people to be able to move up the ‘ladder of opportunity’. The government has placed a great emphasis on the role of education in facilitating its plans for social mobility. Later, Mr Clegg is set to announce moves to open up internships and work placements to all young people regardless of their background or circumstances. The aim, said Mr Clegg, is to create a "job market based on merit not networks."
  
  Coinciding with today's announcement is the ongoing development of the online work experience portal from the Financial Skills Partnership, providing specialist information for those wanting to pursue careers in finance, accountancy and financial services. The portal is designed to break down detailed information on the professions into comprehensive and useful guidance for those looking to get a foot on the ladder in the financial sector. The work experience portal is broken down into sections to deliver impartial advice for individuals and also for employers looking to attract and retain talent within their organisations.
  
  Speaking on the work experience portal, Jenny Barber, Head of Education and Careers for the Financial Skills Partnership said,
  
  "The FSP’s work experience portal provides a platform for ensuring that guidance and advice is made available to new entrants and is part of the FSP’s overall plans to diversify and skill-up the financial sector ahead of the imminent skills gap to be left by the arrival of the retail distribution review (RDR)."
  
  Commenting on today’s announcement, Liz Field, CEO of the FSP said,
  
  "The FSP welcomes the government’s plans to use education as a tool for implementing its strategy for social mobility, designed to create an equal playing field for young people making their first steps on the career ladder. Our work experience portal works with our sector to ensure that employers have access to potential new talent, advice and guidance professionals, and those wanting to progress their career. The FSP would like to see more employers becoming actively engaged with the work experience portal as a way of attracting new talent and ensuring that the sector remains competitive"
  
  Posted by Neil Warren on 07/04/2011 02:18 PM

My Question / Comment Is...