Most financial advisors make the same promises, making it hard to tell the difference between them. How can you set yourself apart? How can you convince prospects or site visitors right off the bat that you provide the exact service they’re looking for? The answer is a website branded with a unique financial advisor value proposition.
“Value proposition” is a statement that refers to the value a financial professional promises to deliver to prospects should they choose to become a client. A unique value proposition will set you apart and help make a connection right away with prospects that visit your website.
A majority of financial advisor websites are often missing a unique value proposition that speaks to who they are as a firm and what clients they work with. When it comes to your website, the basics just don’t cut it anymore.
If you want to stay competitive as a financial advisor, keep your current clients engaged, and attract new prospects, you need more than a digital brochure. If you have a website and aren’t seeing the type of return you were hoping for, it might be because you’re lacking something that sets you apart.
Why Do You Need a Value Proposition?
Sixty-five percent of prospects that feel an emotional connection to an advisor’s brand say it’s because “they care about people like me.” Your value proposition is what shows that prospect that you care. You work with your clients every day. You understand who they are and what they care about. Your marketing absolutely needs to reflect that.
You need to make your prospects and clients feel they have found their match. By discovering what is important to your clients and then explaining why you are the best solution, you create a strong reciprocal relationship.
When you emphasize why you care about your clients and do it well, you don’t need to worry about competition because your clients will want to keep doing business with you and keep referring you. You’ll keep demonstrating to prospects that you’re the right advisor for them.
Aligning Your Service Offering with Client Needs
The first step in creating your value proposition is aligning what you offer and advertise with what your ideal client is looking for.
You can break down your service offering into the following:
1. Gain creators – meaning what provides the gains your clients are seeking
2. Pain relievers – meaning the services you provide that alleviate common pains
3. Products and services – The ways you help customers complete their tasks or “jobs”
Match these elements of your offering to the pains, gains, and jobs of your ideal client. It is imperative that those two lists align. If they don’t, you need to take a look at how you’re marketing your services and make sure they communicate how you fulfill clients’ needs.
Once you’ve got that covered, you need to reconsider what audience you’re targeting. You could have the best services out there, but if you aren’t aligning those with your clients and prospects you’re trying to reach, then it won’t matter. If a prospect or client doesn’t see the value for them in what you have to offer, they’ll go somewhere else. That is why it’s so important that your value proposition is geared toward the right audience.
How To Create Your Value Proposition
Your value proposition statement must answer the following questions:
- What value do you deliver to your client?
- Which client needs do you satisfy?
- Which client problems are you helping to solve?
- Why should the client choose your service solution?
- What service package can you offer each client segment?
Creating this statement should take time, so do some brainstorming, talk to your clients and the rest of your office, and keep working until you get to something that speaks to you and your unique offering in the marketplace.
Here’s an example of a value proposition for a financial advisor:
“The goal of my practice is to work with my clients to help them identify their dreams and goals and then partner with them to understand the financial implications of the life decisions they make. All the members of our team are committed to serving our clients as unique partners, requiring individual solutions and well thought out strategies to empower them to make their own decisions. Above all else: We value the relationships and trust that we build.”
This is a good example that points out some specifics about the type of advisor this is and the types of clients they work with. Remember, your value proposition will change significantly based on your ideal client’s age, career, family structure, goals, and wealth, plus on how you work with clients and view yourself as an advisor.
How Do You Use a Value Proposition?
Once you’ve created this statement, it needs to be featured throughout your website. The statement in its entirety could live on your About page or homepage. You might even create a new page on your site that speaks to the niche audience you are targetting. Wherever you choose to feature it, the essence of your value proposition should be featured on every page.
From the moment someone enters your website, they should understand who you are, what you offer, and the value you provide to your clients. This value proposition should help you to create your entire marketing strategy, including:
- Content to create for your blogs
- What to post on social media
- How to frame your newsletter
- The images and language on your website
Remember that your website is sometimes the only thing you have to create a great first impression with a prospect. You don’t want to waste this opportunity! When you take time to create a site that is unique, speaks to your value, and caters to your specific audience, you’ll see a return in your traffic and conversions.
Create a Gorgeous, Traffic-Driving Website
Your website should reflect the same attention to detail as your office space. It’s your prospects’ first impression – a virtual welcome. We can help you make sure it’s a great one.
