Financial Marketing and Cross Selling Blog
Improving Your Bank’s Website By Adding Content Marketing
Web sites are not created in stone. There will come a time when “the old look” doesn’t work anymore or that your site isn’t effectively meeting its overall objectives. If your site looks outdated, you’re not communicating a clear message to potential customers and consequently your company’s value is diminished in their minds. Similarly, you’re not exemplifying a strong web presence if your website lacks the type of information that your customers are looking to you to provide. By implementing a content marketing strategy into your next redesign, the outcome can prove to be very rewarding and effective for your company’s growth.
What is Content Marketing?
You may be familiar with the phrase “content is king.” Without content and clear information, a website will lack an essential element of online marketing regardless of how nice or elegant the design of the site is. For instance, online customers are increasingly utilizing online content to make financial decisions. In a recent Forrester Research report entitled “Online-Influenced Sales Exceed Direct Sales In Financial Services“, it was found that “63% of US online adults who researched financial services products did so online.” Another study sponsored by Powered, found that online consumer education produces ROI nearly 300% higher than traditional campaigns. Can you really expect to attract customers to your site when the information they were hoping to read simply doesn’t exist?
Developing leads through your bank website
As more and more bank customers find their way around the online platform, the harder it becomes to drive cross selling opportunities at the branch level. All signs point to more effective marketing techniques online where customers are spending most of their time.
But what does it take to get the dialog started online? How can you transition a transaction minded customer to research mode?
For starters, you need good, easy to read content. Most consumers today are not reading the Wall Street Journal or Financial Times on a regular basis. The typical American hears the word Tax Deferred Bonds and cringes. So when you want to build or purchase education, keep this in the back of your mind.
Once you have the education, make sure you use it in a way that gets customers to raise their hand. Remember, most people don’t visit their local library because they want to. To make education exciting, tie it to financial situations that we all face. Make it pop and most importantly, make all content connected to your professionals. Make it easy for customers to submit requests to talk or meet in person.
And finally, make your content portable. The easier it is to walk away with information the more likely customers will read it. Better yet, give the customer the option to enter their contact information before downloading the educational guide. This way,... Read More >>