DO’s:

Do read our White Paper, The Principles of Writing for the Web, for more about properly structuring and writing Website content.

Do talk about yourself, but make sure it is in the context of what your clients and prospects need or want. What are their concerns? Their goals? How does your business solve their problems?

Do communicate more often than quarterly. It’s their money, and clients need reassurance that your portfolio managers are on top of the latest market developments and news affecting their investment portfolios. They also want to know your take on what’s happening, how it affects the portfolio, and what you plan to do about it.

Do treat every client as unique. To be frank, most clients have similar investment objectives. Differences in investment horizon, risk tolerance and asset class diversification are what separate most investors from each another.

Still, even though every client’s needs and investment objectives may not be unique, you still need to approach client communications as though they are. When a pension fund drops $25 million into your portfolio, a little personalized attention is warranted, even if it represents less than 1% of your AUM.

Do keep your Website fresh. This is important for all asset managers, but especially for those smaller firms outside of major metropolitan areas.

A site done on the cheap, with basic functionality and poorly-constructed content suggests that you’re just not up to the task. Does a visitor to your site remember your value proposition? What you do better than your competitors? What you want to be known for? If not, your site is woefully underutilized.

Do install Google Analytics on your site. It lets you track your site’s performance using a variety of metrics.

What was the impact on site traffic after that CNBC asppearance? How many visitors does your site get in a month? How many are new or returning? What’s the most and least popular content? What keywords are visitors using to find you?

Without Analytics, you have no clue as to whether or not your site is doing what it should.

DON’Ts:

Don’t imply – explain. Your investment approach may be successful and have a long track record. That’s great, but finish the connection – explain how your process and philosophy directly benefits clients.

Don’t rely on finance-speak and “gobblygook.” – It’s boring and nobody wants to read it, even seasoned consultants, institutional investors, and high net worth individuals. Write three-dimensionally, be creative, create context, tell a story. Write with the express intention of wanting to be read.

 Don’t rely on PDFs for Website content. Website usability studies prove that users hate PDF-as-content. True, it is a quick and easy way to add content to your site, but it is lazy and dismissive of your audience’s valuable time. The best bet is to either create summaries for the audience or rework the content so it is compliant with Web usability standards.

 Don’t have a “News” or “Commentary” Webpage that is more than a year out of date. If your firm has nothing new to say or is not in regular contact with the media, delete the page or find another place on the site for the content.

Old articles and outdated links make you look irrelevant. On the other hand, creating fresh content not only gives clients and prospects the sense that your business is evolving and moving forward, but it forces you to regularly think about your business – what you do, how you do it – and ways you can make it a stronger, more competitive player in the industry.

 

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