Experts Say – Advisers must have a website

Article written by Kathleen Laverty

With a Fidelity survey in 2011 finding that 44% of millionaires look to the Internet when searching for potential money managers, advisers without a web presence are clearly losing out. So reports Reuters.

The lack of an online storefront may immediately raise red flags, especially in a post-Bernard Madoff world, says Tim Welsh, founder of consulting firm Nexus Strategy.

Consultants recommend having even a basic website, which might be little more than an online business card. If nothing else, the site establishes a web presence to counter other third-party content, such as disciplinary records posted by firms like BrightScope that potential clients may find when plugging your name into a search engine.

“Hiding from online visibility” is now impossible, BrightScope CEO Mike Alfred tellsReuters.

Wells Fargo Advisers, Ameriprise Financial and Edward Jones automatically create websites for all their advisers. About 75% of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney’s 17,600 advisers have websites. That number is about 80% among Merrill Lynch’s 17,300 advisers. Some 90% of Raymond James Financial’s 5,400 advisers have websites. It’s unclear how many of UBS Wealth Management Americas’ 7,000 advisers are on board as they did not immediately release data to Reuters.

The numbers are lower at some regional and independent firms: only 25% of Hilliard Lyons 400 advisers have a site; while 61% of the country’s 27,000 registered investment advisory firms list a website in their regulatory documents, Reuters reports.

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Few tips to attract more visitors to your website

A potential client or a client will learn and get educated through communications from their adviser’s meeting or other means. An Adviser’s website is an important communication tool for advisers and their potential clients or clients.

1. Make sure you send out and e-card on their birthday
2. Make sure you send out newsletters at-least once a month
3. Make sure you have all links pointing to your website from all your Social Media activities like linkedin, Twitter and FacebookMake sure your email address is your websites email and not common hotmail, gmail or yahoo
4. Make sure your email has a signature giving out your website address at the bottom of all your email correspondences