The Most Valuable Real Estate on Your Website

Most advisor websites fail this simple test, and it starts with the headline.

The headline on your homepage is the first wording a visitor will see.

Think of it as the billboard for your website. It won’t tell your entire story. It shouldn’t try. But it does have a very important job.

In the billboard industry, the “rule of thumb” is 7 words or less to capture the attention of someone driving by. Since hopefully no one is operating a moving vehicle while looking at your website, you could probably stretch that to 10 words.

So, in just a few seconds, your banner needs to help a visitor understand where they are, who you help, and whether this might be relevant to them.

In other words, the visitor needs to begin to see themselves in the messaging.

Confused Visitors Rarely Become Clients

The brain craves clarity. It resists working too hard to figure out a message. When someone lands on your website, they don’t want to have to decode what you do. They want quick confirmation that they’re in the right place.

Common Mistakes Advisory Firms Make (What About You?)

1. They lead with vague language.
2. They talk about themselves too soon.
3. They rely on generic phrases that could belong to almost any advisor in almost any city.
4. Or they try so hard to sound polished, creative, or clever that the message becomes harder to understand.

Creativity and cleverness are fine. They can grab attention. But never let cleverness get in the way of clarity.

Here are a few examples of ineffective headlines that I see all too often:

• Your Future Is Our Focus
• Guidance for Life
• Helping You Pursue Your Dreams

None of these are offensive. They’re just too broad to do make any impact. They don’t clearly say you’re a financial advisor. They don’t clarify who you serve. And they don’t communicate much about the value you provide.

Like a Book Title & Subtitle

The first line grabs attention. The second line adds clarity.

Together, they should quickly answer three questions in the visitor’s mind:

• Who do you help?
• What do you help them with?
• And what kind of (financial) value do you provide?

If those answers aren’t obvious within a few seconds, your most valuable website real estate is going to waste.

A Simple Framework

WHO + RESULT + FINANCIAL CONTEXT

For example:

Helping Business Owners Turn Income Into Lasting Wealth
Financial planning and wealth strategy for entrepreneurs who want more than investment management.

OR

Retirement Planning for Corporate Executives Ready for What’s Next
Clear advice for executives navigating stock compensation, taxes, benefits, and retirement decisions.

OR

Financial Planning Built Around Real Life
Helping individuals and families make smarter decisions about wealth, retirement, and the future they want to create.

Notice what these examples have in common.

1. They are benefit oriented.
2. They make the financial context clear.
3. And they help the visitor determine if you might be the right fit.

That last point matters more than many advisors realize.

If that first impression is clear and relevant, the rest of your website has a much better chance of doing its job. On the other hand, if your message is vague or generic, you’re asking the visitor to work too hard.

YES!  There will be a time and place (maybe on the same page) to talk about your firm, your philosophy, your credentials, and your story. There is a time for I, we, and our. Credibility matters. Trust matters. Differentiation matters.

This is one reason why having a clear target marketing with niche messaging can be so powerful. If you specialize in physicians, business owners, retirees, widows, or corporate executives, stating that fact creates instant relevance.

It helps the right visitor feel seen and understood. And it often helps the wrong visitor quickly realize this may not be the right fit (which is important for everyone).

Of course, not every advisor wants to build their website around a niche. That’s fine. Even without a niche, you can still be clearer than most advisors simply by naming the type of financial planning you provide and the outcomes you help people pursue.

Here’s a simple test.

Ask a few friends or acquaintances who don’t know much about your business to look at your homepage banner. Give them five seconds. Then ask them three questions:

1. Can you tell who I serve?
2. Can you tell what I do?
3. Can you tell how I help?
4. Am I being visitor focused or me focused?

If they hesitate, guess, or give you a fuzzy answer, your headline probably needs work.

This is worth your attention because the top of your homepage sets the tone for everything that follows.

QUICK TIP

For your homepage banner and most of your fist page text, make be sure the words “you” and “your” outnumber the words “I, me, we, us, and our.”

Moving Forward from Here

Take a fresh look at your homepage headline with these ideas in mind. Ask a few outsiders for honest feedback. Then ask yourself whether the most valuable real estate on your website is truly earning its keep.

If you suspect your value communication could use a refresh or maybe even a complete overhaul – reach out and schedule a complimentary strategy session.

No pressure to work with me. I’m at your service!  BillCates@ReferralCoach.com

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