It’s true custom websites are expensive. Why? Because when they are done right, they are time consuming and require a lot of expertise – including design, copywriting, usability and UX, marketing, development, project management, etc. Can you imagine the cost of hiring all of those experts separately?

And how expensive is a website really? It’s your storefront. It’s where people learn about your business – what you do and who you serve. It’s a library of articles, videos, and downloadable resources for potential and current clients. It’s where prospects find you online and schedule their first meeting with you. Your website is central to ALL of your marketing efforts. Can you afford not to take it seriously?

Think of it this way. What is the lifetime value of ONE client? Does that ONE client cover the cost of your new site? Do you believe a custom site designed around your target market and goals can bring in ONE new client? If so, it will have paid for itself.

If you’ve been involved in a website build before, you know they can be miserable. Both sides dropping the ball, a ton of revisions back and forth, with nobody driving the project properly.

Not my projects. Not on my watch.

I’m a usability expert – and that extends to EVERYTHING I do. My job is always to make life as easy as possible for my clients – and that means making sure their website project is smooth, painless, and worry-free.

We start every project with a timeline. You’ll know exactly what is expected each week, and when you’ll need to supply information or feedback. You’ll have a client portal where you can find everything we’ve been working on and updates throughout the project. You’ll have to make decisions, but I’ll do the WORK.

My job is to build you a site you love – without interrupting your business.

Do you know what happens when you get a referral? They do their own due diligence and check you out. Where do they start? Online.

Choosing a financial advisor or investment manager is a VERY big decision. A person has to trust you with their finances, their savings, and their future. Nobody is going to make a decision like that without doing some research first.

What if YOU were researching a specialist – a tax accountant, a surgeon, or a builder for your new home – and you got to their website, and it’s obviously homemade? How would your perception of them change?

If you’re getting referral clients – that’s fantastic! But how many referrals might you not even know about because they never called? Because they saw your website and decided that you weren’t up to the job?

First impressions count. You need a website that represents you and your business – and leaves no doubt that you are the professional your referrals want to work with.

If you can’t afford a custom site, guess what? A DIY template site IS good enough! It’s certainly better than nothing. You need a web presence, and nobody knows your business better than you do.

But if you DO have the budget, I want you to consider these things:

• When you’re using a template, you’re forcing your business into a mold. You’re not deciding what message you want to convey. You’re not deciding the best way to usher your prospects through your site. You’re not making decisions based on your goals. Instead, you’re filling in the blanks of a predesignated generic structure. The template is making the decisions. Not you.
• There are more than 100,000 independent financial advisors in the US (according to Investopedia). You need to do everything you can to stand out. Using the same template as everyone else just isn’t going to get you there.
• Those template companies sell you on how easy it is to create a website. Anyone who has tried using them, though, knows that’s not exactly the truth. Templates are fussy and often buggy. They lock you in and aren’t nearly as customizable as they say. So you spend countless hours working on a website that you don’t even love in the end. You have to ask yourself, is this the best use of your time?

Templates are a great alternative if you can’t afford a custom site – but when you’re ready to really make your storefront shine, a template isn’t going to do the job.

I’ve heard this many times. Someone wants an “easy win.” They know that they can build a reputation with content and a web presence, but they want to do something fast to move the needle. They don’t want to spend a bunch of money on a website until they snag a few clients the “easy” way first.

The problem is that all of the “easy” methods lead back to your website.

Referrals? They are going to check you out online before they make a call. You need to make a good first impression.

Speaking engagements? It doesn’t matter how good your handouts are. Your audience is still going to check out your website when they get home.

Digital ads or paid search results? They all take the prospect straight to your website.

There are no easy wins without a website.