Financial advice websites struggle to retain users
Financial advisers around the world are struggling to retain the traffic on their websites and need to understand why users leave, according to communications expert Claudio O. Pannunzio.
Pannunzio, who founded the i-Impact Group and is set to present his research at the Financial Planning Association conference in the US, said it was essential for advisers to understand why visitors do not stick around, before implementing a strategy to improve the hit-rate on their websites.
"A website may feature great design and easy navigation, but if visitors don't stick around to learn more about the adviser, his/her practice, products and services, it may well be a case of 'website abandonment'," he said.
Pannunzio's research in this area has identified the five main causes behind so-called 'website abandonment', with slow load-times and not knowing the audience being among the biggest issues.
"Advisers must have an in-depth understanding of their target audience and the issues and problems they're experiencing, and within appropriate compliance and disclosure guidelines articulate the solutions they can provide," Pannunzio said.
"When a visitor finds a solution to their problems on the adviser's website, the odds that they will leave the site drop dramatically," he added, also citing message inconsistency and poor website usability as major issues.
However, placing a video on a website may significantly increase the time visitors spend on the website, which is something advisers should seriously consider, Pannunzio said.
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