In the course of speaking to IFAs, I quite frequently hear the phrase, “we’re different from other IFAs”.  That in itself is not surprising; we’re all different of course, but for your website and your firm, the important factor is how effectively that difference is reflected to potential new clients.

There are thousands of fellow IFAs out there, and thousands of websites.  Even in your locality, there may be dozens of other advisers, many with websites, offering  what appears on first impression to be a virtually identical service to the one provided by you.  However, you know your service is not identical to the rest, it is unique, and I’m sure you are proud of the ways in which it is unique.

Likewise, there are also lots of IFA websites that may on first impression appear to be virtually identical in what they say.  However, this may well be because these site are virtually identical! You know your service is unique, but to what extent does your website portray that fact?  The answer may well be, “not really to any great extent at all actually”. Are you proud of the individual way your business is portrayed via your website?  If not, then it’s definitely time for a rethink.

Being part of PracticeWEB has given us the opportunity to expand our custom design website offer – creating custom designed sites for IFAs who really want to drive home their own uniqueness and individual personality.  I believe this is a huge opportunity. From the moment a site visitor looks at your homepage, they should be able to ‘get it’ right from the outset.  But what is ‘it’ exactly?  And that is the secret of the process that delivers a website and messaging unique to your business.  If your homepage can focus on how your services help clients and how you are different, then you’re off to the best start.

For example, if you are certain and confident about your USP, make sure this is as prominent as it possibly can be.  Can it be incorporated in your strap line?  Is it mentioned in the first sentence of your homepage text?  Can it be incorporated in your title tag and/or visible keywords?

It’s best to assume that anyone searching the net for a financial adviser will probably be looking not just at your website, but also a handful of other IFA websites in your area. So, make sure you weigh up the local competition – regularly look at their websites, and get trusted friends or associates to evaluate your website and other local IFAs’ websites objectively.  If your site doesn’t make the grade, either in how it looks or in what you’ve said, then it’s time to review what USPs you can identify about your own business and create a plan of action that incorporates this into the design, structure and messaging of your website.

And if that all sounds a bit too much like hard work, strangely enough I know of a good company that can help you with that too! Check out our website for more tips and guidance on creating a powerful online presence for your firm.