Is the Internet Your Friend or Foe?
Editor’s Note: This is the last of a three-part series focusing on ways to enhance your digital presence and be seen by more plan sponsor prospects. Part 1, providing tips on using LinkedIn, can be found here; Part 2, on the importance of a mobile-friendly website, is here.
In the retirement plan business, the majority of new clients come from either an existing client referral or a center-of-influence introduction. However, don’t be fooled; over 86% of prospects will Google before they agree to meet with you. This means that first you have to impress them online. Then, only if the prospect’s digital research is satisfactory will it convert into a meeting.
But what are your prospects finding? Let’s go on a journey to uncover your digital reputation and increase your firm’s search engine optimization.
Who Are You?
When you are favorably introduced to a prospect, what do you do? Do you look them up? I bet you do. And, guess what, they are doing the same thing to you. So, let’s research you. Open Google in Incognito mode. Then type in your name. (We are using Incognito to search with a clean, non-cookied browser. This search will return results that are more realistic and that an unrelated prospect would experience.)
Ideal results include your:
- Professional biography
- LinkedIn profile
- Headshot
- Articles you have written
- Articles in which you are featured
If your results yield all five, give yourself a big hand. That’s great! It shows a super digital reputation, professional qualifications and involvement within the retirement plan industry.
For a little more fun and to discover the words that surround your name, check out this website to reveal your digital “spider web.”
What Do You Do?
It is fascinating to learn how many advisors do not have information about 401(k) plans on their website – like, literally nothing. Does it instill confidence in the prospect to open a conversation? Or, rather, is this a red flag, warning them to proceed with caution?
Read more commentary by Rebecca Houlihan here.
Now, for the majority of us reading this article, it’s a little laughable, right? Because you are a retirement plan expert, after all! Of course, your website talks about fiduciary services, investment monitoring, plan design education, financial wellness programs and additional retirement plan services. Chances are this great information even takes up the majority of your website copy, which digitally romances the prospect. It builds confidence and the conviction that they have found the right advisor with the right skills to service their company’s retirement plan.
To find out what words appear prominently on your website, click here (registration required). This free report will help you understand the keywords optimized on your site. Then, if you feel there are words missing, this is an opportunity to add information to your website, so that curious plan sponsors can have a better digital experience when learning about what you do.
Get Noticed
Modern plan sponsors are smart, informed, and addicted to Google. Just because most new client introductions come from existing relationships doesn’t mean that those prospects aren’t fact-checking you. Take the time to own your digital reputation.
Use this information to shorten your sales cycle by instilling the conviction into the decision maker that you are the right retirement plan advisor for the job. Convert more curious prospects into clients by leveraging your online presence and dazzling them with your specialized expertise.
Hope you enjoyed this three-part series to help enhance your digital presence and get seen by more plan sponsor prospects. Thanks for reading – and Happy Marketing!
Rebecca Hourihan, AIF, PPC, is the founder and CMO of 401(k) Marketing.