Abandonment issues: why your website is struggling

A one-second delay may seem negligible, but it is increasingly becoming the difference between retaining and losing visitors to financial adviser websites.

In particular, research conducted in the US has found that the longer it takes for a tablet or smartphone application to load a web page, the more visitors are prone to abandon it.

Claudio Pannunzio, president and founder of US-based i-Impact Group, will present his social media findings to the American Financial Planning Association’s annual conference later this month.

He will stress that directing traffic to an adviser’s website is only half the battle; retaining that traffic is an entirely different story.

“It’s a global issue that applies to Australian financial advisers as it does to those in the USA,” says Pannunzio.

“A website may feature great design and easy navigation, but if visitors don’t stick around to learn more about the adviser, his or her practice, products and services, it may well be a case of ‘website abandonment’.”

Financial planners often don’t know why visitors leave their site but Pannunzio believes his research in this area has identified the main causes.

According to a study conducted by research house Aberdeen Group, a one-second delay in page load time to a tablet or smartphone application equates to 11 per cent fewer page views, a 16 per cent decrease in customer satisfaction and a 7 per cent loss in conversions.

Financial advice practitioners would be well advised to routinely check their sites to ensure that loading time is up to par.

Knowing exactly the audience being addressed is also crucial to keeping visitors interested.

“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,” says Pannunzio.

“When a visitor finds a solution to their problems on the adviser’s website, the odds that they will leave the site drop dramatically.”

Message inconsistency is another underlying issue for website abandonment and Pannunzio’s advice is that the message should be clear, concise and in a language that everyone can understand.

“Avoid extensive copy and dense paragraphs,” he says. “Be focused and use bulleted paragraphs to quickly engage visitors’ attention. Ultimately, content should be easy to follow and, remember, to talk to your audience instead of at them.”

Finally, Pannunzio suggests enlisting help from a few friends who know little or nothing about online marketing and technology.

“Observe how they navigate your site, what sparks their interest and what doesn’t and take note of their process and comments,” he says.