It is a common misconception that having a website means you will automatically generate leads when in reality, it is just one piece of the digital marketing puzzle that requires sound strategy and consistent effort.
If you are not updating your website regularly or have other channels driving traffic to your site, chances are that you will not see many leads come through.
Here are some ways that you increase traffic to generate leads:
SEO
Search Engine Optimization is the process of helping your site rank higher on search engines like Google.
SEO can often feel like a huge rabbit hole due to its technical nature, Google’s seemingly ever-changing algorithm, and the sheer amount of work it takes.
If you do want to understand it better, our team published an article all about SEO Basics For Financial Advisors Looking To Rank.
We understand that many financial professionals simply do not have the time to work on SEO, so we do offer an SEO package that takes care of the technical aspects.
However, in order to see the most impact in your SEO, creating original, relevant and consistent content is key (more in next section).
Content Marketing
Content marketing is the practice of creating and distributing content to a targeted audience online. Content marketing can take many forms, including articles, reports, ebooks, guides, as well as videos and other more complex forms of media.
Once you publish your content on the internet, search engines automatically go to work for you, ranking your site based on the keywords you include in your writing. A search engine’s goal is to help consumers find what they are looking for online, so it is important to create content that is highly relevant to what your ideal client is interested in. Try answering questions that they would be asking and searching for on Google.
If you’re writing blog articles, consistency is also key because Google prioritizes recent articles, rewarding websites that are active. By consistently updating your blog, it signals to Google that what you are sharing is relevant and timely.
Read more about how to get started on Content Marketing here.
Social media
If you don’t have time to create content consistently, social media is another great way to increase brand awareness and drive traffic to your website.
Instead of writing an 800-word article every week, you can post your thoughts on timely and relevant topics in a few attention-grabbing sentences on social media. You can also reshare posts others have written, or share media from other sources.
Doing this over time will help build your brand and credibility, positioning yourself as a thought leader. Just make sure prospects have an easy way to find your website, either through your profile or by linking it in your posts once in a while.
There are many more ways you can leverage social media, which you can read more about here: 7 Easy Actionable Social Media Marketing Tips for Financial Advisors
Now that people are visiting your site, how do you get them to convert?
Make sure your CTAs are highly visible, and clearly tell visitors what action they'll be taking. It is even better if there is a clear offer included: e.g. “Contact us for your complimentary discovery meeting” is better than “Contact us today”.
To be even more strategic, ensure you have CTAs that appeal to prospects at each stage of the buying process. For example, you want CTAs that prompt the visitor to learn more about what sets your firm apart from others if they are just hearing about you for the first time, but also CTAs that urge the visitor to book a meeting with you if they are ready to engage.
Lead Capture
There are many ways to capture a prospect’s information once they land on your website, but it is important to be strategic as many visitors today are turned off by excessively “market-y” tactics.
The main goal with lead capture is to provide something of value for your prospective client so that they, in return, provide something of value to you - their contact information. You can do this through gated resources, webinars and events, free consultations, and more. Read all about the different approaches here: Financial Advisor Lead Generation: Proven Lead Capture Strategies to Grow Your Business