CLS Adviser Briefing 2011

Compliance to Reliance

Website – how to better use one

A survey of 160 Practices found that only 2 or 3 actually feel they get a decent ROI from their website – Why, as a site is potentially a very powerful resource?

Only recently have Practices reported achieving a business building return from their use of website technology. What does a significant return mean?

500 Practices. AXA, Aon, Charter, AMP, MLC, Futuro, others

Peter Graham MBA PlannerWeb

Website – introduction Our experience (13 years) is telling us that only now

are we getting to a point where this technology can start to deliver. Why and deliver what?

A complex topic that has been poorly understood since websites began.

In short, websites fail to deliver. The missing link is Marketing Planning - Setting goals and working out how you’re going to get there. How does this work?

Some Strategies where having only a website offers you nothing:

Corporate Super. (website, minisites, sub-domains) Coordinated sub-group of Planners. (Website, sub-sites,

sub-domains) Target marketing (Doctors for example) and Landing

Pages Greater penetration of an existing client database. (e-

mails, a range of interactive services) Financial Expert: Twitter, Blogs, Facebook, radio.

(website, time, ego) SEO (website, suitable content management system,

time)

Relating Technology to Strategy

Why underwhelming? Very few Advisers use a website based solution to help

implement their marketing strategies. Some important points to remember.

One, you have to outline in writing the 3-4 marketing strategies you’ll use in the coming 12-18 months. Include all staff in this process.

Two, you need to look at having a website based solution that can actually help. Such solutions are very very cheap resources.

Third, set some targets for each strategy and measure strategy performance at least quarterly with the help of all staff.

Forth, start marketing and do it over and over and over and over ……….

Fifth, re-plan as time passes to remove weaknesses in your approach, build on strengths and look to exploit new opportunities.

The website is only a marketing vehicle, how you drive it and how much help it gives depends entirely on your planning.

Websites – Concepts

Three components needed (website, 2-8 content services, marketing planning)

Just a website isn’t good enough any more if winning new business, increasing barriers, retaining clients, gaining competitive advantage, etc are important to you.

The 6-8% Rule. Having a website is almost never actually using the

technology to the Practices benefit.

Website – Costs A good site and CMS less than $1,750

Content services as you don’t have time. $500 pa to $3,000+ pa.

Plan first what Strategies you’ll implement and how you’ll measure them.

Offer: If you want an opinion of your website in regard to how we feel it helps an Adviser’s marketing efforts then please ask Class Leading Solutions and we’ll do it FOC.

Website examples