Any “serious” mortgage broker's website should do a number of things. Here's what your new website should include, and then how to bring traffic to it.
Do you have serious plans for your mortgage broker business to be your main source of income at any point in the future? Then creating a website and a top tier marketing strategy is a no-brainer.
Any “serious” broker, irregardless of their client base and volume of business, should have a website. At least so that they: can be found by Google when people search, to describe their services, to display testimonials and to share a simple way for them to be contacted.
Before getting into what your marketing strategy must include, let's start with what you need to include when designing and building the perfect mortgage broker website.
I’ve been managing online marketing and website for companies for over two decades now.
The main traffic source, and source of leads has always been: organic search (people using Google, Yahoo or Bing to find what they're after).
Leads convert to revenue = profits.
If you have a service people search for, then you as a mortgage broker need to have a digital presence that underlines how you can help your potential clients.
You could start with a simple WordPress.com website.
WordPress is used by: The New York Observer, New York Post, TED, USA Today, CNN, Fortune and TIME. It’s great for a business starting out too.
Many small and medium sized consulting and service businesses find Wordpress enough. Most WordPress templates, that give your website it's basic design, are also mobile friendly these days.
Other CMS systems you could explore include: Squarespace.com, wix.com, joomla.com, and drupal.com.
That said, the WordPress ecosystem is by far the most developed. Developers, designers, and plug in or add on features are easy to find.
A website and domain package with Wordpress can start from as little as US$100 a year. So, if you can make $10 profit a month, you can cover your website costs.
You can use their domain registering service to grab yourself a domain. Use your country code like: .co.uk, co.nz .com.au or .com etc.
Make .com your second choice over obscure .co, .consultant or .loans domains. These can be confusing or easy to misspell. Consider this too when choosing the length of your domain name.
Take time to create your elevator pitch, describe what distinguishes you from others and what you think would appeal to borrowers.
Define what you offer and where you work too. This can help with local Google searches.
The number of people using voice activated search is increasing rapidly. What that means is they pick up their mobile phone and speak into it. Think: “mortgage broker near me” or “best mortgage broker in Sydney” or “new home loan specialists in Milwaukee”.
By optimising the content of your website you can talk about how you match this description. Which in turn, will help you rank for those terms.
If you have a strong focus on refinancing or on providing loans to first home buyers, mention it. Include this in a description of your services. Highlight that to people that visit your site. Talk about the process, what they can expect and what you'll provide.
The second page that I would add to any mortgage broker website would be a testimonials page. This is the place where you can record in one spot all of the recommendations and testimonials that you have from your past clients. This is key to establishing credibility with your audience the people that want to ultimately take up your services.
Finally, and most importantly, from anywhere on the website have clearly visible button that says contact me.
I think you should provide as many channels as you are happy to deal with for them to reach you on. So you might include:
If You're a FileInvite user, one extra thing you could do is embed our widget, or connect your contact form to trigger a request for client files.
That can get them started in the online application process by providing you with a tool to collect the basic documents you need.
Get them filling out your fact find form and move faster with collecting documents and information you need. Start processing their loan applications faster.
What I would avoid doing on the home page is directing them away from your website to social media.
You can have recommendations, and links to your Facebook page and social profiles in the footer, but try not to make it a priority.
Try not to use them as a contact method either. When people visit a Facebook page to contact someone, they get distracted and find other content and their Facebook feed.
When you start to advertise your business and pay to appear in the top results of Google, you want to convert visitors to your website. You don't want to send them away to Facebook to get distracted again.
So what do you want them to do? Hopefully you've presented enough information about yourself, and why you're the right mortgage broker for them, so they're able to reach out to you to get started.
It probably seems obvious but if you don’t market your business, you won’t succeed. You might have the best mortgage broking game in the marketplace but that means nothing if potential customers don’t know about it.
In general, most marketing can be divided into one of two broad categories:
Outbound marketing tells your audience who you are, what you do, and why they should use your product or service. It gives you complete control of your message but it can be expensive and won’t always produce high-quality leads.
Inbound marketing speaks to audiences who are already looking around for a specific product or service. They might not have heard of your business, but since they’re already in the market for something like your offering, they’re a lot more open to your pitch. Inbound marketing typically relies on blog posts, social media, and content marketing, and can be more closely targeted to likely customers.
The strategies you use depend on your particular offering and the state of your market. But small companies and start-ups tend to get the most out of digital marketing.
Digital techniques change as the technology evolves but here are some of the main things you need to think about:
Target your audience. Unless you have money to burn, there’s no point trying to market to everyone. You’re better off working out exactly what sort of customers will be the best fit for your business and are most likely to want your services and design a campaign that addresses their specific needs.
Pay-per-click advertising. Most customers start their search for a new provider via Google, and it’s crucial you appear on the first page of results. You can do that by bidding on keywords relevant to your business. The price will vary depending on how much competition there is for each keyword, but it can be money well worth spending.
Remarketing. Very few customers will sign-up for your service instantly. Most will do more research or wait for a while before making a decision. Stay top of mind by remarketing to them after they leave your website, using an embedded code in your site that tracks them and serves them further ads as they shop around.
Email lists. Lists of client emails are some of the most valuable information you will ever own. Use them wisely. Regular, useful emails updating your clients on recent developments or new opportunities can encourage repeat business or generate new leads. But if clients feel like you’re cluttering their inboxes with spam, they’ll turn off quickly.
Voicemail marketing and follow-up. If you’re calling potential clients, leave a message but make sure you follow it up with an email. Clients expect to see something in writing explaining what it is you’re asking them to do.
Remember - not all social media platforms are created equal. Each has specific uses, audiences, and quirks. Choosing the right one is crucial to make sure you’re speaking to the right people. For mortgage brokers, some of the key channels include:
LinkedIn. It’s not just for staying in touch with people who may give you a job in the future. It’s also a way to search for people who have just got a big promotion and, therefore, might have money to spend.
Facebook. It’s the biggest social media channel in the world and its marketing tools let you target ads with incredible precision to exactly who might be looking for mortgages or refinancing in your area.
YouTube. This is a great way to personalise your marketing. By appearing in your own videos, you give your potential clients a sense they’re dealing with a real person, rather than a faceless company.
Remember you don't have to be everywhere on social media. Select the networks that align with your target audience as defined in your overall mortgage broker business plan.
You can read all the books in the world on mortgages but there’s no substitute for experience.
Each year thousands of first time buyers and buyers in general take up a new loan. Creating a meetup to educate borrowers or referral partners in your area and share ideas, could provide you with a steady source of leads.
Share your expertise. You could:
You might want to think about organising your own, perhaps in partnership with someone in a related area. That will build your reputation as an established player, and it can lead to more referrals.
Say a developer launches a new project. As well as potential buyers, you’ll have realtors and brokers attending. Then, when the new properties go on the market, the brokers and insurers will attend that event. Very quickly, you’re getting the right people in the room and you can leverage each others’ connections or email lists to market your own business.
So there you have it! That’s our quick and dirty guide to marketing your mortgage broker business. Once the leads and new business start rolling in, make sure you’re equipped to deal with it all. FileInvite is a document collection service that can help you close deals faster and keep your current clients happy as you’ll have better control over all your data.
To learn more and request a demo, visit FileInvite today.
Unlock the potential of your commercial loan brokerage with a website that incorporates the must-have features for success.
Not as efficient as you'd like? Here's a list of six tools brokers should consider to accelerate processes, as well as details on how to set up a...
David discusses managing and collecting client documents. Hear how he uses FileInvite to increase volume and efficiencies as Mortgage Broker Of The...