3 ways to enhance your enterprise software evaluation

June 01, 2017 by Katelyn Rattray

About the author

Katelyn Rattray

Senior content marketing specialist

With a background in content marketing, public relations, and social media management in a variety of industries, Katelyn strives to deliver high-quality educational content to advisors in the financial services industry and empower them with tools to boost their marketing efforts through content marketing and technology.

recent study by the CFA Institute surveyed 1,370 wealth advisors and 4,000 affluent and high-net-worth individuals and found big gaps between what advisors believe clients need and want and what wealthy individuals desire from advisors now and in the future. Client expectations are changing; therefore, your client experience must evolve with them. Use the three strategies below to start enhancing your client experience today.

1. Perform a website audit

Does your website have too much content for prospects or clients to read? Is it difficult to navigate or hard to access on a mobile device? An intuitive, informational website is a key element in a great client experience. Are the design and navigation of your website cluttered and out of date?

If you are unable to make updates to your website yourself, the value of working with an expert cannot be understated. You can also find plenty of resources around the Internet with tips for building an exceptional website.

More and more prospects and clients are viewing your website on mobile devices. In addition to making sure your website design and navigation are up to date, ensure that your website is easy to view on these smaller screens or people may simply pass over your website without engaging. Learn more about making your website more mobile-friendly here.

Finally, your website should provide prospects and clients with relevant, educational content. The pages about you, your business, and your services should be informational, clear, and concise. A reader should have a good grasp on your offerings and the value you bring to the relationship after navigating through your website.

Adding a blog to your website is a great way of providing consistent, educational content to readers as well. You are the expert in the financial industry; give them a glimpse of how helpful you will be with their financial goals.

Download our eBook to learn more about the importance of blogging and how to get started.

Bonus tip: Set reminders on your calendar to perform website audits on a regular basis. Ensure all content is up to date and research new ways to engage your audience on your website.

2. Offer self-service tools

It is becoming increasingly clear that clients want to play a large role in managing their finances. Gone are the days when clients simply handed over their financial information and hired and an advisor to manage their assets. Clients are seeking a more collaborative relationship with their advisor, but they also want 24/7 access to self-service tools.

A great way to provide this constant access to financial planning information, account aggregation, and other financial management tools is through a client portal. The client portal is the perfect resource for automating the communication process. It may not be a perfect version of a human advisor, but it is ready to engage with prospects and clients 24/7/365.

Another way to increase collaboration is during data entry. Tools such as the Financial Profile fact finder in Narrator® Clients empower advisors to save time by reducing repetitive data collection and provide clients with a simple, interactive data-capturing experience. Additionally, do not forget about the power of your website as a self-service tool. Provide more resources whenever possible to clients in order to create an easily accessible experience.

3. Provide easy-to-access client support

Not only are clients seeking digital tools to help manage their finances but also easy access to support as their finances become more complicated. First, make sure that your self-service resources on your website are easy to find and make sure that clients are properly educated on how to log in and find help within their client portal.

In addition to these tools, many people ― especially Millennials ― often turn to social media to interact with a business.  Ensure you are present and active on the platform with which your audience most engages to provide another avenue of support. Check out this recent article from VerticalResponse.com to learn more about choosing the right social media platforms for your needs.

The most important element of client support is the ease of access to your expertise. Some client questions may be answered within an article or resource that you share. The more complex the situation, however, the more the client will elicit your personal advice.

Provide clients with multiple ways to contact you (i.e., through your website, the client portal, email, phone, social media) and ensure you respond in a timely fashion. When a client finds themselves in a stressful financial situation, they will not respond kindly to a week with no response.

Click here to learn more about providing higher value to clients and remaining competitive with robo-solutions.