Advisers and planners often think their website is better than it is. And, if you’re one of them, it’s going to slow your growth and push up your marketing costs.

In our experience, there are three reasons for the problem.

Reason #1: Lack of knowledge

Advisers and planners are great at their day job. However, with some exceptions, their marketing knowledge isn’t usually good enough to accurately assess the effectiveness of their website.

This point was neatly demonstrated during a recent webinar I was invited to present by Zurich Ireland.

At the start of the webinar, I asked the advisers and planners attending how effective they thought their website was. Of those who responded, 45% said they thought their site was only slightly or not at all effective.

We then explained the 10 things that would make their website stand out and become significantly more effective. At the end of the webinar, we asked the same question again and the proportion of the audience who rated their website as “slightly effective” or “not at all effective” had risen to 60%.

The extra knowledge meant they could assess their website more accurately and realistically.

Reason #2: The sunk cost fallacy

If you’ve invested time and money in your website, especially recently, you might be the least qualified person to judge whether it’s effective.

That’s because the more time, money, and emotional energy you invest in something, the harder it becomes to assess it objectively. Admitting the website is poor means accepting that the investment might have been wasted and, perhaps, that you made the wrong decisions along the way. For example, by choosing the wrong partner to develop it for you.

So, instead, you defend it.

You focus on the parts you like, dismiss criticism, and tell yourself it’ll perform better once it’s had more time.

That’s why your opinion, and the opinions of the people involved in building the site, aren’t enough. You need independent feedback from people who weren’t emotionally or financially invested in the project, alongside objective evidence from user testing, website data, and comparisons with your peers.

Reason #3: Admitting it isn’t effective will cost time and money to fix

Even if you can get past the first two reasons, the third might stop you in your tracks because admitting your site isn’t as effective as it could be means spending time and money to fix it.

And the pain of fixing the problem is immediate, while the reward of generating more, and better-quality, leads comes later.

So, rather than admitting there’s a problem, it’s easier and, in the short term at least, less costly, to ignore it.

Of course, ignoring the problem doesn’t make the cost disappear. It simply means you pay for it in lost opportunities and wasted marketing spend.

The 10 things that make an effective website

So, after highlighting the three reasons many advisers and planners overestimate the effectiveness of their website, let’s look at the 10 things that’ll make your site stand out from the crowd and become more effective.

#1. Empathise with a visitor’s trigger

Show visitors you understand the problem they want to solve or aspiration they want to achieve, reassuring them they’re in the right place.

#2. Showcase your clients

Use testimonial videos to let existing clients explain your value. They’re powerful, persuasive, and help you stand out because they appear on only 13% of adviser and planner websites.

#3. Showcase your team

Help visitors connect with your people by giving every team member a dedicated page that reveals their personality, not just their qualifications.

#4. Use client-driven social proof

Don’t ask strangers to believe your claims. Prove them by scattering client survey results, Google and VouchedFor reviews, and testimonial videos throughout your site.

#5. Use adviser-driven social proof

Build even more credibility by showcasing your awards, accreditations, press coverage, and speaking appearances.

#6. Use images effectively

We process images 20 times faster than text, so replace irrelevant stock photography with authentic photos of your team and clients, supported by images that resonate with your audience.

#7. Publish your fees

Research shows consumers increasingly expect to understand fees before they make contact, but most firms still do not fully disclose them online.

#8. Build for the AI age

Give AI the information it needs to answer the questions humans ask by clearly explaining who you work with, the geographical areas you cover, and answering the questions potential clients ask in detailed FAQs.

#9. Get your calls to action right

Give high-intent visitors clear ways to take the next step, including forms, email addresses, telephone numbers, and direct diary booking. Then give people with lower intent a way to learn more and stay in touch with you.

#10. Use simple language

Ditch jargon and reduce cognitive load by using clear words, short sentences, and obvious meaning, making your website effortless to understand and navigate.

Let’s end with the “why”

Here are three stats to show why, if you want to grow your business – and we accept that not all advisers and planners do – you need an effective website.

75%* of prospects seriously considering an adviser or planner will visit the firm’s website before making contact. Meanwhile, 80%** of a prospect’s buying decision is made before they meet you, based on what they see during their digital journey to your door, which includes your website.

And, finally, 88%*** of consumers will not return to a website if they have a poor first experience.

Your website will influence potential clients whether you believe it’s effective or not. So, put your opinion and emotional investment to one side, look at the evidence, and ask whether it’s genuinely helping or hindering your growth.

If you want an independent review of your website, you need our Website Checker Service.

We charge £249 plus VAT, and you’ll get a report back highlighting the issues and explaining how to fix them.

If you’re interested in that service, call 0115 8965 300 or email abi@theyardstickagency.co.uk and we’ll tell you more.

Sources:

* Yardstick synthetic research

** They Ask, You Answer by Marcus Sheridan

*** Gomez