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3 Ways to Boost the Effectiveness of Your Website

  • By Ironstone
  • |
  • November 12, 2019

Advisors, prospects interested in your services are visiting your website to “kick the tires” and see why they should take the next steps towards becoming a client.

In Part 1 and 2 of our series of articles exploring best practices for your website using the StoryBrand method, we’ve discussed the importance of clarity in messaging and a formula for crafting compelling site copy.

In this third and final installment, we’ll discuss how embracing important aesthetics and an ideal structure for your website will help convert those prospects into clients.

Make Your Website Picture Perfect

Before a site visitor ever reads a single word, they’re greeted by the imagery on your website. If a picture is worth a thousand words, what are the images on your website (especially your home page) saying about you?

As recommended by StoryBrand, your images should “showcase happy people who have had a pleasurable experience by engaging your brand.” This represents a positive emotional destination our outcome that your prospect would like to head towards. You want them to be able to see themselves in the photos, as a result of working with you.

Selecting imagery is an opportunity for you, as an advisor, to showcase your ideal client: 

Do you work primarily with elderly or divorced women? Showcase imagery of women enjoying their lives, traveling, spending time with friends, etc.

Are business owners your primary prospect? Use photos of business owners in their work environments, happily engaging with employees or company leadership.

Do you have a niche clientele like musicians or athletes? Imagery is an ideal way to clearly indicate your area of specialty.

When choosing imagery, try to find people that look like authentic clients that are enjoying a general well-being and sense of satisfaction. That will ring loud and clear visually, and help provide a positive tone to your entire site.

Give Your Prospects a Clear Path to Conversion

It’s great that a prospect has arrived at your website, but how do you get them to take the next step?

A “call-to-action” is a button or link that imparts some value to the prospect that requires they engage with you to take advantage of an offer.

Yes, the most common call-to-action is “contact us”, but that’s hardly the most effective. Instead, think of ways you can showcase your worth to the prospect. Perhaps it’s a “complimentary consultation” or a “second opinion” to review their finances.

Better yet, create an online survey or downloadable PDF and ask for the prospect’s email address before they get access to it. The content could be a checklist or some other valuable advice geared toward your ideal client, like “5 Common Retirement Planning Mistakes and How to Avoid Them.”

Once you determine your call-to-action, repeat it often throughout your site:

It should appear in the header of your site along with your main navigation

Feature it in the heart of your pages as well, “above the fold.” (an old newspaper term; just make sure your offer appears before the user has to scroll)

Finish off your pages with the call-to-action repeated yet again. These links or buttons are an invitation to take action, and they should be a prominent, bright color to get noticed and encourage clicks.

Develop Your Website for all Devices

Your website will get visitors from all sorts of devices, from desktops to laptops, tablets and smartphones. Have you made sure they’re all enjoying an equally rewarding experience?

Be sure to check your site on all these devices, as the site layout and information/links can be totally different depending on the circumstances.

If you’d like to have a better idea of where your site traffic is coming from and the specific devices used to access it, consider adding Google Analytics or other free software to the back end of your website.

In Conclusion

We hope you have found ideas within these articles based on StoryBrand that will boost your website and make it more effective.

Remember, from a messaging and visual standpoint, your site visitors should always:

  • Be able to see what makes you unique
  • Be convinced you have a solution to their problem
  • Be presented with a clear and compelling path to take next steps

If you’d like for us to connect you with one of our partners who can analyze your site and provide ideas on improving your digital presence, please contact us.

Are you just getting by or are you getting better? Get started today!

Author Bio

Ironstone is a learning and development consultancy with business acumen that translates across many industries. Our focus is on practice management strategies in order to enhance and improve both business and personal life. We support professionals who want major and comprehensive improvements that look at all aspects not just an isolated area for change. Ironstone has identified 4 key performance areas known as the Fundamental 4™, which are required to design, develop, and sustain a successful business.

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