More than ever, localized sites that highlight professional experience, capture leads and serve relevant content are helping agents, advisors and bankers win in a saturated market. In fact, when Thrivent’s financial professionals used personalized sites, they achieved a 60% increase in traffic, and greater than 25% of those leads converted into prospective clients.
As Hearsay accelerates our efforts to partner with customers to deliver leading localized sites, we’re pleased to welcome our new Program Director for Hearsay Sites, Christine Meginness. She’ll be working closely with our clients to help them optimize their website design and strategy. Read on to learn more about Christine!
How did you get into this line of work, and why are you passionate about it?
Having attended high school and college in the heart of tech here in the S.F. Bay Area, I’ve been immersed in this space and have worked in digital for my entire career. I’m passionate about helping my clients express their brand, connect with users, and grow their businesses on the web because I’m also an avid digital consumer, and I deeply appreciate the power of a purposeful and frictionless online experience.
What is the most common mistake financial services firms make when it comes to website/web app design and strategy?
Financial services firms often get it right as far as providing rich content that builds credibility; they know that consumers need to feel they can trust the company with some of their most important assets and decisions.
But where these firms often get it wrong is helping customers actually get things done online— whether it’s getting a quote, registering an account, making an appointment, or connecting live with a real human. Financial services sites should be optimized not just for users that are in the research phase of their journey, but also for users who need to accomplish something online quickly and efficiently.
Digital transformation accelerated across many industries in the past year. How was website design and optimization impacted?
Many companies had to pivot from using their web presence primarily to promote their brand, to providing full service to customers online. Websites have become portals to online versions of previously in-person experiences, from 1:1 meetings to networking sessions to full-blown, multi-day events. Products and services that used to be available only in stores and offices can now be delivered entirely online. Increasingly, consumers are expecting a degree of self-service on the web, and seeking to find seamless ways to connect with company reps who can help them complete their task or purchase online.
How did financial services firms leverage website strategy to thrive last year?
By integrating more phases of the customer journey online, companies now have access to a rich amount of data to better understand their users’ behavior. Businesses can leverage those insights to continually optimize the journey and personalize website experiences for their customers.
For companies that transformed to a digital-first model last year, there’s no turning back. Consumers will continue to expect full-service experiences on the web. They will return to sites that meet them exactly where they are in their journey and help them effectively accomplish their tasks.
What’s ahead for you at Hearsay? How will you be partnering with our customers?
I’m excited to work with Hearsay’s customers to help them make the most of their sites, and to leverage the power of the entire Hearsay platform to connect their social and website programs to make real-time connections with their customers.
I’m also looking forward to rolling out the next generation of our Sites product offering this year, which will allow agents and advisors even greater control and more options for curating and optimizing their website presence.
Want to learn more about how you and your firm can evolve your digital strategy with Hearsay Sites? Contact us today.
