There’s a lot to think about when building a website if you are unfamiliar with the process. A successful website relies on content, verbiage, and messaging that “speaks” to your ideal client. But aesthetics and design are equally as important, and without them, no one will read the content.
In fact, you probably react to aesthetics and design but don’t know why you react to them. Great design delivers that crucial “first impression” that immediately and subconsciously lets your ideal clients know that they are in the “right place,” and that your firm is credible, legitimate, and very professional—and that you and your team are experienced experts that can be trusted to handle someone’s life savings.
Here are some of the things that can impact the look and feel of your website.
Logo Files and File Formats
Your logo is the face of your brand, and having a high-quality, crisp logo that is readable even in smaller sizes is essential for consistent branding across platforms. It is a key visual element that creates instant recognition and helps build trust with your audience, appearing across your website, advertising, stationery, and other branded materials.
If your logo hasn’t been professionally designed, it may or may not convey the reputable image you need now, or hold up as a clear, readable mark. Indeed, you may have lost track of the original logo files that were developed by someone in the past, and now all you have is a web version of a logo that was a low-resolution copy of a web logo in the first place.
Depending on how you plan to use your logo, whether for digital or print, it should be available in multiple file types and sizes. Vector formats like PDF, SVG, or EPS work best for resizing without losing quality, while raster formats like PNG are great for websites and digital use. Having the right formats on hand helps keep your logo clear, professional, and consistent wherever it’s used.
Professional Headshots
If you and/or your staff “hate having your photos taken,” you really must put that aside, especially in today’s digital world. A potential client expects to be able to “see” you as more meetings are held virtually via Zoom, Teams, Facetime or other platforms. Now that face-to-face, in-person interactions are less common, good headshots are mandatory to humanize you and bridge the gap between a connection and the online space.
Website visitors expect to “see” who will be handling their money, and they expect that the “about us” page will give them all the details they want to know about your firm’s ownership and credentials. This is where headshots and bios really come into play.
Like your logo, high-quality images help convey professionalism. This doesn’t mean you need a three-piece suit; your picture just needs to appear clear and crisp instead of blurry, faded, or outdated. Also, the use of AI should be careful and sparing lest your photo starts to look very altered, artificial, and jarring instead of inviting and humanizing.
If you can’t make it to a photographer’s studio, today’s smartphones can be used to take high-quality pictures, and you can enlist your friends, family members, or employees to take many different images that you can choose from. Be careful with backgrounds; be sure to avoid clutter or unwanted items that can inadvertently interfere with getting a good result.
We suggest you provide your website developer with uncropped, high-resolution photos that make you and your staff look friendly, approachable, and personable. Don’t allow a lack of headshots to delay the launch of your website, or fall back on an old photo you had taken 20 years ago. You can do this! Or set up a time to come to Scottsdale and we can take headshots for you.
Videos
Videos which feature you speaking about your company, your story, and how you approach your work are like a great headshot that’s been magnified. Quantum has a new 4,000 sq. ft. studio to accommodate your audio and video needs. Take advantage of it!
And keep in mind that some consumers will watch a video but won’t read a word of your website, and vice versa. This is why it’s best to have both.
Other Photography
In addition to your headshots, other photography will be needed on your website and will most likely be taken from stock photo services like iStock, Adobe, or Shutterstock. It’s important to consider what type of photography your ideal client will relate to and what will affect them positively. Sometimes centering imagery around a geographic location or a certain aspect of nature might make sense for your business. Other times zeroing in on people of a particular age (like retirees) or target audience (like retail business owners) may make the most sense for your website for that immediate audience sensation of “I’m in the right place.”
If you have very strong feelings about the photos used on your website, it’s important to convey that to your web design team as early as possible. Here at Quantum, we will always be using our creativity during the design process, selecting what we can find that is unique or what we think resonates with your brand based on how you have described your ideal clients and what you do for them.
Alternatively, if you want images that no other website has, consider original photography taken in your office or in your geographic area. These can truly differentiate you from your competitors online.
RGB (Red, Green, Blue) versus Pantone Colors
First developed for color television sets, websites and other digital displays use RGB color models, which are additive and based on how light is perceived by the human eye. By mixing different amounts of red, green, and blue light, you can create a wide range of colors.
Pantone colors, on the other hand, are used for printing with ink and provide a standardized way to identify and match specific shades primarily for printed brochures and packaging. So, if your brand colors are defined by Pantone, it is best to have your original logo designers convert them into HEX codes (shortened RGB color values) by using online converters or software like Adobe Illustrator to get the correct color for use on your logo and website. This helps ensure your brand colors look consistent across all printed as well as digital platforms. (NOTE: Pantone changed their relationship with Adobe in 2023, requiring an extra paid subscription for color conversions from Pantone to RGB/HEX.)
Web Fonts and Font Limitations
Choosing the right fonts is important for both how your website looks and how easy it is to read. Keep in mind that you can’t use just any font from your computer, because visitors might not have the same fonts on their devices. To make sure your text shows up correctly for everyone, it’s best to use web-safe fonts like Arial, Times New Roman, or Georgia, which work on most systems. Another option is to use web fonts, which are stored online through services like Google Fonts or Adobe Fonts. These let you use a wider variety of styles while keeping your site consistent to users and visitors across different browsers.
Readable and Understandable Calls to Action (CTAs)
A call to action (CTA) is a prompt or the next step you want your website visitors or readers to take. Also called a “conversion” when completed, CTAs include signing up for a newsletter, setting an appointment, filling out a form, or contacting your team. CTAs vary in directness depending on where the visitor is in their journey, from soft prompts like “Read More” to hard prompts like “Schedule Now,” and they can be most effective when clearly placed immediately after a marketing message. Online, CTAs can be tested and changed quickly to see what works best. Without a clear CTA used multiple times, it’s harder to convert visitors into clients.
Building an effective website takes careful messaging supported by on-target branding and design. If you would like to become one of our financial advisor partners, or you would like to have a complimentary new website written, designed, and developed for you or your firm, call your Quantum consultant at 800.440.1088 to learn more.
Sources:
https://mailchimp.com/resources/elements-of-a-website/
https://designpowers.com/blog/logo-file-formats
https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/call-action-cta.asp
https://www.pantone.com/articles/color-fundamentals/understanding-different-color-spaces
https://mailchimp.com/resources/best-fonts-for-email/
Howard Diamond handles website design and development for Quantum and our advisor partners. Prior to joining our firm, he spent more than 10 years working as a web designer and developer in San Francisco. He is well-versed in SEO as well as garnering website conversions, and he consistently delivers high-end design that is on brand for each different advisor.
