WEBSITE COPYWRITING
FOR FINANCIAL
ADVISORS
Does the Text on
Your Website Convert?
MY STORY
 FormerInvestment AdvisorRepresentative
 BA in Economics,UC Davis
 MBA in Marketing,UC SanDiego
 MarketingManager,FMG Suite
 Founder,Indigo Marketing Agency
 Instructor,UCLA ExtensionCFP Program
 Wrote your website years ago
 Do you know what your home page
says right now?
 Not a copywriting expert
 Not sure what to say
YOUR STORY
CASE STUDY!
Indigomarketingagency.com/joinwebinar
CASE STUDY!
TEST A
TEST B
THE WINNER
THE RESULTS
 Goal: Click Through Rate (Clicks per Successful Delivery)
 Test A: 4.6% Click Rate (29% of opens)
 Test B: 6.2% Click Rate (21% of opens)
 Improvement: +1.6% Click Rate (+38% of opens)
 Email List of 5,000
 80 Additional Registrations
 2,000 Website Visitors per Month
 32 Additional Leads per Month
FOR FINANCIAL ADVISORS
 Average Monthly Website Traffic: 529 Visitors per Month
 Increasing Conversions by 1.6%
 8.5 Additional Leads per Month
 100 Additional Leads per Year
INTRODUCING MY GUEST
 BA in Journalism
 American Writers & Artist (AWAI) Copywriter
 25 year sales and marketing career
 Author, The CLIC Website Sales Lead System
 Gerry Black: gerry@marketingwriter.ca
WHAT WE’RE
GOING TO
COVER TODAY
HOW TO CREATE A
CLIENT ATTRACTION
WEBSITE
HERE’S A FACT…
Many financial advisor sites
are weak
The #1 Web Copy Mistake I
See…
The copy isn’t written from
the reader’s point of view
“We, our, us and I” is of no
interest to your reader
The words that resonate
with your prospect?
“You” and “your”
NOW…
MARK THIS DOWN
Very few first time visitors
to your site will contact you
immediately
HERE’S THE ISSUE:
Your prospect won’t know
what working with you is
like until AFTER she’s a
client
You need to make sure you
understand that fear
One objective of your
website selling story is to
minimize that fear
Paint a picture for your
prospect
You need to focus on
building on trust
Your mission in the early
going?
Attract and KEEP the interest
of qualified prospects
Today’s prospects are
educated
Here’s a selling truth…
Prospects hate being sold
They love to buy!
“Why, with all the options
available to me…
including doing nothing…
…should I pick you ?”
That’s where the battle for
winning your prospect’s
attention STARTS
You can’t afford to start
slow…
Here’s the good news…
 Strong FirstImpression
 ClearValue Proposition
 Ideal TargetClient
CLIENT ATTRACTION
WEBSITE FORMULA
1.
Strong First Impression
The key to getting off on the
right foot?
A compelling home page
“Above the fold”
Another key “first impression”
page
About page
The right way to create a
strong first impression
2.
Offer a clear value proposition
3.
Know your ideal target
prospect
Allow your prospect to qualify
himself
Ok, that’s for starters…
Which is EXACTLY what
you want!
Next step?
Engagement
There are a number of ways
to effectively engage your
prospect
Blog
VIDEOS
So, blogs and videos
make you REAL
But here’s the engagement
strategy that puts you in the
client attraction driver’s seat
The Lead Magnet
What is a lead magnet?
Common Lead Magnets
Role of the Lead Magnet
Help you achieve #1
objective of your website
Get your prospect to see
you as a partner
Attraction and Engagement
Special Limited Time Offer
$750.00 USD (reg. $950.00)
Youget a written, detailed review of your website
(Covers copy and design)
I will tell you…
• what’s good about it
• what needs work
• give youspecific direction onhow to improve it
To order yourreview: Email me at gerry@marketingwriter.ca
Please put “Website Review” inthe subject line and I will contact youto arrangeyourreview.
Thanks for Joining Us!
Join my monthly webinars!
Indigomarketingagency.com/newsletter
Connect onLinkedIn:
Linkedin.com/in/claireakin
Need Marketing Help? Schedule an appointment online:
Indigomarketingagency.com

Website Copywriting for Financial Advisors

Editor's Notes

  • #14 While the focus will be on web copywriting, I will be touching on other website elements that can help you attract new clients You’re going to learn the core essentials of creating a website that actually attracts qualified prospects and puts you in position to convert them into selling opportunities If your current site isn’t doing much to generate new business, today’s session will likely help you understand why… And if your site IS producing new clients, what you’re about to learn today will show you how to boost your current results
  • #16 they are essentially brochure sites…like a listing of services. VERY LITTLE selling going on A brochure site might do the job if you get a referral and the prospect is just checking you out But it isn’t going to cut it with a first time visitor who doesn’t know you Here’s an example…
  • #17 This is a site for a Canadian Financial Advisor…I’m Canadian and I wanted to show you I’m an equal opportunity critic While this site is particularly weak, it’s representative of a lot of sites out there REVIEW a bit
  • #22 EXERCISE: Go through your home page and see if your copy is focused on you or your reader
  • #24 This doesn’t just apply for your industry, it’s true for most It’s important to remember… you’re not selling widgets You’re selling a service that requires some careful decision making from potential clients They aren’t ready to move forward when they first land on your site They want to look around.. Your job is to make sure they don’t click away
  • #26 Think about that… That creates fear in your prospect’s mind She doesn’t want to make a mistake Especially when it comes to something as important as her finances
  • #29 It’s important to understand we “think” in pictures…you need to help your prospect “see” what working with you would be like
  • #30 Prospects today are skeptical, jaded and have their sales resistance sensors set to high At some point, everyone has been taken advantage of by someone trying to sell them something If you want your website to put money in your pocket, here’s what you need to understand…
  • #33 They are active on the internet and chances are they are checking out a number of Financial Advisors
  • #35 The minute they sense that’s happening …it’s adios But….
  • #36 Your job is to help them… Dan Kennedy, one of the greatest direct marketing minds ever says by the time prospects get to your site, they have one question they want you to answer
  • #40 Your messaging must connect up with the conversation already going on in your prospect’s head… When you understand that, it’s easy to understand why blah blah messaging falls flat Your prospect KNOWs you’re a financial advisor and that you offer financial advice..,DUH… Don’t bore your prospect…that’s the biggest marketing sin of all… Your website should be the most cost-effective lead generating selling weapon
  • #41 Not with today’s “I wanna know NOW” prospects Every prospect who comes to your site arrives listening to her favourite radio station WII-FM …what’s in it for me? You better promise her something …FAST! If you aren’t sure how to do that…stay tuned…we’re going to cover that in a bit.
  • #42 MOST of your competitors have boring websites that have prospects clicking away about 3-5 seconds after they arrive… BTW… a few seconds is all you’ve got to hook your visitor when he arrives on your landing page (or home page) and get him to consider giving you a bit of time to make your case With the right approach, you CAN position yourself properly in your prospect’s mind BUT you need to understand how to do it So, let’s go over the formula for a website that is designed to attract qualified prospects and convert them into profitable lifetime clients.
  • #44  Just like a store you might walk into in the mall, your site has to be inviting… Website Design is important…But messaging ALWAYS trumps design A salesperson who knows how to sell can find a way to overcome the disadvantage a cheap suit anchors him with But a $2000 Armani or FEMALE equivalent ain’t going to save the day Having said that, BOTH are important
  • #46 or landing page… This is where your prospect makes an instant decision to stay and learn more or click away Website design is important But your messaging will always trump design… That’s why it’s important to use what I call an “above the fold” strategy”
  • #47 This is an old newspaper term >>>>explain all big news to sell the paper was put above the first page fold… The online equivalent of this is the first screen your prospect sees…without scrolling… that’s where you want to pack as much selling ammunition as possible
  • #49 Especially if you are the brand you want a picture that sends a message to a potential client that says you are someone they would want to work with and a story that connects with your prospect
  • #50  I’m going to use Jeff Rose from Illinois as an example of a Financial Advisor who understands how to create a compelling sales story that I suspect makes prospects WANT to buy Just a note…Jeff looks like a VERY accomplished online marketer… But he likely didn’t start out that way…so don’t be overwhelmed thinking”geez I have so far to go” Building your online presence is an ongoing process…the point is to learn from Jeff’s site… Let’s take a look at Jeffs home page
  • #51 TALK ABOUT ABOVE THE FOLD ELEMENTS THE SELLING ELEMENTS “Now, let’s take a look at Jeff’s ABOUT page
  • #52 Here’s the start of Jeff’s “About” page…Let’s see if Jeff seems like a guy you would be willing to invest a bit more time in… Nice shot of Jeff and presumably his family….very relaxed… Look at how informal AND DIFFERENT he begins… Partial sentences. Use of the word “Huh”. Very conversational . Why? He knows that’s how people talk. Gold star from me. Let’s mush on…
  • #53 Very engaging photograph. Now, let’s take a look at some of the copy and see what’s going on here. READ COPY In copywriting , we call this “the Damaging Admission” Jeff’s revealing stuff you would think might be counter-productive to his objective of trying to convince you he’s the guy to manage your money WHY? He wants you to know he’s a regular guy… Let’s keep going a bit…
  • #54 OK, take a look here…look a the top line Why You Are Here is Jeff a mind reader? I’m betting he is …of sorts…look at his two “facts” …what prospect could argue with either? So what’s REALLY going on? In the staid, me too world of financial advice, Jeff’s showing you he’s a real person …just like you AND< most importantly that he knows what you’re up against in your quest to find a financial advisor >>>>LOTS OF INDUSTRY JARGON>>>AND A FEELING OF NOT BEING IN CONTROL Remember the mission…building trust…Jeffs not screaming from the rooftops that he’’ll triple your money…I realize compliance issues wouldn’t allow that…being a bit facetious here but you get my point. Jeff seems like a regular guy who understands the challenge prospect face in trying to find someone who they can understand..there’s more to Jeff’s About story but you can see the approach… So Jeffs off to a fast start Let’s go on to the second ingredient found in the Client Attraction Website Formula
  • #55 Coming back to Jeffs home page in a minute Prospects can get financial planning and investment advice anywhere Remember Dan Kennedy’s question? What are you going to give them they can’t get elsewhere… Let’s see how Jeff addresses this…
  • #56 Here’s Jeff’s promise… Financial Freedom is not a myth…I’m sure many people think it is but here’s a guy making a bold statement and then backing it up with a promise that “hints” at the key to achieving it… Inspire YOU to take charge of YOUR money..prospect probably don’t hear that much from FAs His message isn’t “I’m going to take your money, keep you on the sidelines and send you a statement every quarter or so…He wants YOU in control instead of blindly following along…Notice the credibility slipped in below the message…Think the trust factor is building a bit? I’d say uh, yeah! OK on to ingredient #3 in the formula
  • #57 This is very important to understand… The more you define your ideal prospect, the more you can craft your messaging to resonate with him or her Your prospect is wondering if you can help her with her unique requirements… You want to use your messaging to allow your prospect to come to the following conclusion: “Wow, this FA is the perfect fit for what I need.” BTW, I have a free report that identifies 7 questions most prospects want answered before they’ll do business with you….if you’d like a copy, get your email to Claire and I’ll send the report to you.
  • #58 By the way, as important as it is to allow your prospect to understand who your services ARE for just as important to let her know who they aren’t for Jeff, how do you handle this?
  • #59 Ladies and Gentlemen.THIS is brilliant pure Jeff makes it easy for you to take the next step in your buying process..He’s covered everyone …. Hey wait a minute Gerry, that’s doesn’t square with what you said about knowing who your ideal target prospect is…At first glance, it doesn’t but I suspect Jeff has a passive income strategy in place here that has financed a few trips to Disneyland for the Rose family…Somewhere in these market segments is Jeff’s sweet spot…but think about it….why not leverage your marketing…anyone outside that target who visits his site, he can direct to fellow advisors who do specialize in that area and collect a nice referral fee…Don’t know that he does do that…I do not know Jeff…but just sayin’
  • #60 Covering off these 3 elements attracts/maintains your prospects attention..They’re “listening” But most won’t be ready to buy yet… They are however, primed to stick around for a bit and see what else is going on
  • #63 Now it’s time to focus on moving your prospect from attention to connection. You want to engage them …get some interaction going…that’s where the relationship building takes root
  • #64 Let’s look at some …
  • #65 You can write a blog…this gives you an opportunity to build credibility and demonstrate your expertise and understanding of your industry… Remember you’re selling YOU It’s all about creating a sense of trust with your prospect
  • #66 Jeff not only has a blog, he makes sure the articles he has written are front and center on his home page working hard to position him as a knowledgeable FA who offers FREE practical advice to anyone who is interested.. Remember, at this point , Jeff is giving.…NOT getting He’s giving his prospects a chance to peek behind the curtain …for FREE He’s EARNING attention and trust
  • #67 Videos offer a great opportunity to give your prospect a chance to see how you communicate It will help her see if your style is a fit for her… A video can create a strong impression in the mind of the prospect…
  • #68 Here’s Jeff’s…just looking at this image makes him seem like a personable guy…the visitor almost HAS to click I didn’t watch his video but just looking at it telegraphs what I’m likely to see
  • #69 and they do a lot of the heavy lifting when it comes to helping your prospects get a feel for what it would be like to work with you…
  • #70 and it’s the game changer that fast tracks you along the road to gaining a new client
  • #72 The lead magnet - is a tool that helps you get web visitors to essentially put their hand and identify themselves as qualified prospects. It is usually free and is offered in a prominent location on your web pages. Now, having said that, even though it’s free, it has to be “sold.”
  • #80 Many marketers don’t even know what the #1 objective is… They think it’s to sell something Wrong
  • #81 Someone who is truly interested in help your prospect make an educated decision. Give before you get
  • #82 So there you have it… The formula for a Client Attraction website… Get your prospect’s attention and then find a way to begin the marketing relationship To help you get started, I’ve put together a special offer for you