The coronavirus outbreak poses many challenges not just for businesses but for society as a whole. One of those challenges is the shift in working patterns, but businesses need to continue to provide excellent levels of support for their customers while also evolving how they do business to respond to digital trends. After all, working remotely doesn’t mean you can’t be social.
The Growth Series exists to promote how brokers can run their business effectively, with a focus on delivering added value to their clients. With that in mind, we’ve pulled together some content you might find interesting on the topic of ‘staying active online’.
We all know there's value in having a strong website. It’s a brochure for your business, a lead generation tool to attract clients and a customer satisfaction tactic that delivers value.
But how do you make sure you get the website that is right for you? It starts with a strong briefing document. Use this guide and questionnaire to focus on what’s important.
As with any challenging environment where customers can only communicate with businesses online, a strong user experience is essential. Try weaving reassuring messages of support throughout your site to let people understand you are there to answer questions for them. For instance, lenders are able to offer mortgage payment holidays for those financially impacted by COVID-19, but do consumers have enough information? Having such advice on your website is the added value that gets rewarded with long-term trust and loyalty.
Listen to our podcast: Growing a successful online mortgage business
Once you have the website you need, it’ll be time to decide what to put on it. For instance, video content has been an accelerating trend in recent years; researchers at Cisco estimate that by 2022, online video will make up more than 82% of all consumer internet traffic.
From email capture forms to having the right call to actions, we’ve put a helpful guide together to help mortgage brokers get their online content right for them.
Listen to our podcast: The digital broker
According to Statista, the number of social media users worldwide is expected to hit 3.02 billion active users per month by 2021 – a third of the world’s population! With more people than ever being online, knowing how to leverage social media to benefit your business growth is a powerful skill to learn.
We recommend this blog to help you scale on social media.
Many consumers now depend on social media to communicate with brands instantly, so having active channels will be especially important during times of crisis. Maintaining a digital presence enhances your image as a trusted, go-to source of advice.
If you need evidence of the effectiveness of social media on building a successful brokerage, our first ever podcast tackled that very question.
Chris Shutrups, Managing Director at the Mortgage Hut, spoke to us about his success, which he attributes to a strong digital marketing strategy. Full of hints and tips, it’s a timeless podcast for any business present and future, and perfect for anyone looking to adapt to new working environments.
Finally, we have a social media cheat sheet that will guide you through setting up Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter accounts for your business.
Listen to our podcast: The social broker
You may not be able to meet with clients now, but you still need to be visible, so get your website working harder and your social media channels engaging with clients, old and new. It needn’t cost the earth - sometimes the simplest changes can have the biggest impact, and remember there’s a balance to be found between all forms of long distance communication. The goal is to reassure clients during difficult times, and to provide support throughout their whole experience of your product or service.
For more advice on growing your business, visit the Growth Series.