Website copywriting example for a financial planner

This website copywriting example for a financial planner illustrates how web copy can overcome a major excuse for readers to take no action.

As a financial planning agency, Montara Wealth had a problem. Several actually.

Their biggest problem is that money can be a touchy subject. It’s not just that many people don’t like to talk about money. It’s also that many people don’t even like thinking about their finances.

And even if you are willing to talk about money, you might not like the idea of a financial planner telling you to cut back on your current standard of living to save for the future.

To make matters worse, people are wary of financial planners, especially after the Hayne royal commission. There’s a view in the market that financial planners work for their own benefit or the benefit of big banks and financial institutions. Not the interests of their clients.

As if things aren’t complicated enough, financial planners also have to deal with books like The Barefoot Investor. The Barefoot Investor tells millions of Australians every year that they don’t need expert advice to manage their finances.

It’s against this backdrop that Montara Wealth’s website needs to convince clients of their financial advisors’ value proposition. That’s where Taleist’s team of Sydney website copywriters came in.

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First, the research that informs the website copywriting

Our copywriting research process was similar to how we approach all our websites. Our copywriters spoke to the client’s team and several of their clients. We also went online to find out what prospects were saying about financial planners.

Our research led us to understand the objections that prospects had about financial planners.

Concentrating on the main objection

The main objection was simple. People simply didn’t like to think about financial planning. The financial planner’s target clients had worked hard to get to where they were income-wise. They understood the importance of saving for a rainy day, but they also wanted to live while they were young. And they were reluctant about being told they couldn’t have the best of both worlds.

Armed with this knowledge, our copywriters crafted the website copy to address these objections. The copy positions Montara as a financial planning firm that understands these concerns completely. Montara gets that prospects want the good life that they’re earning. Now. They don’t want to live like paupers today so they can spend like royalty when they’re old.

Montara asked us to make clear that they could help clients live well today and tomorrow.

1. A headline that addresses client concerns

Many of Montara Wealth’s ideal clients are resistant to the idea of having a financial planner. They are resistant because they’re accustomed to a certain standard of living right now. And they don’t want that standard compromised.

A financial planner who insists that clients save a portion of their income instead of spending it wouldn’t be well-received. Montara Wealth’s main headline was designed to combat this objection.

We’ll secure your future without sacrificing your present.

The headline goes straight to the benefit that the client wants from the service and addresses a serious objection to the service

The word “secure” is a deliberate word choice. Already, the website copy is building the argument that working with Montara Wealth means attaining financial security doesn’t have to be a painful ordeal.

2. A dual call to action

There are two calls to action above the fold.

Prospects who are ready to pick up the phone can contact the financial planners directly. These might include prospects who were directed to the website via referrals.

But for those who are not ready to act, there is a second call to action. This call to action will lead prospects to the information they need about the company. Hopefully, they’ll be ready to call when they’re read this.

3. Building authority above the fold

The logos displayed above the fold belong to major publications that have featured the firm This speaks volumes about their credibility and helps build trust with prospective clients. (If you’re interested, we have more advice about using proof to make a website more convincing and applying the six principles of influence, of which authority is one.)

4. Website copywriting that delivers a consistent message

Want to know how you can live for today and build for tomorrow?

Yes, maybe it’s possible to have your cake and eat it too!

The correct idiom is that you can’t eat your cake and have it, but to most ears the correct version sounds wrong, which is why it’s this way around here.

The website introduction reinforces the headline’s message about saving money without pain. The tone of this copywriting example is also informal and friendly. Rather than delivering a monologue, the website copy seeks to have a conversation with prospects. Starting a conversion on the website is a step in breaking down the reluctance to talk to a financial advisor.

5. Website copywriting that deals with client objections

Many people suspect financial planners are in cahoots with banks, insurance agencies or other financial institutions. And financial planners will often act in their own interest (or the interests of a financial institution) rather than in the interest of their clients. This is another crucial objection financial planners face when selling their services to prospective clients.

We are privately owned financial advisors & SMSF specialists located in Balmain and Sydney who work with our clients to help them take control of their futures.

Working with advisors who aren’t aligned to any particular financial institution gives our clients confidence that they are on their true path.

Copywriting sometimes has to tread a delicate path — putting the client’s best foot forward while being careful to be truthful

This financial planner takes commissions from life insurance agencies because they believe that’s a better result for clients. (The service would be much more expensive otherwise.)

Because the planner takes commissions for one service, they can’t claim to be independent. Instead, the website copywriting casts the firm as a privately owned financial planning company. In doing so, the website copy addresses as best it can the objection of whose interests are represented.

6. Persuasive website copywriting

Our clients are individuals and families ready to achieve goals. 

This is another example of how the website copy addresses a client objection.

Some prospects assume that only high-income individuals go to financial planners. Or financial planners will not get out of bed for clients with a net worth of less than a million dollars. In the web copy, the firm reassures prospects that that isn’t the case at all. The clients they serve are goal-oriented, just like the reader of their website.

7. An urgent call to action

Get through these uncertain times.

Start today.

This call to action conveys a sense of urgency. Times are uncertain. One of the best thing for prospective clients to do is to begin a financial planning strategy right away.

At Montara Wealth we work with clients who are at the very beginning of their financial journey, through to clients who are preparing for the later stages of their financial lives.

This call to action deals with another client objection. Some prospects assume they aren’t the right kind of clientele for a financial planner because they’re thinking about financial planning too early or too late. This web copy example assures prospects that the firm caters to people at any stage of their financial planning.

8. Website copywriting that speaks to desire

Once again, the copy example deals with the main objection the firm faces. People don’t want to sacrifice their present for their future. And they don’t want to feel patronised.

What clients want is expert advice on how to have a secure future while enjoying a good standard of living in the present. The website copywriting taps into prospective clients’ fears (that being secure in the future means suffering in the now). And the copy presents the firm as the solution to clients’ problems.

They want to enjoy their futures and their life today.

They want to reward themselves for hard work, drive a nice car and travel overseas.

The web copy showcases the firm as truly understanding what their prospects want. They want to drive a nice car, eat at a nice restaurant and travel. They want to eat their cake and have it too. Of course they do. And the firm can assist them towards that goal.

9. Handling client objections with good website copy

Scott Pape, the author of The Barefoot Investor, is a well-known financial voice in Australia. He teaches people simple ways to save money and achieve financial independence.

The Barefoot Investor is one of the strongest competition financial advisors across Australia face. Why pay thousands of dollars for financial advice when you can buy the book for $35?

Here is the answer:

Financial planning is personal, which is why there can never be a one-size-fits-all book, seminar or online course.

We take a highly personal approach to financial planning, navigating the variables and the individual factors to tailor a plan that works for you.

Using copywriting to diminish the competition without naming the competition

Scott Pape gives solid but ultimately general financial advice in his book. However, individuals have unique lifestyles and financial goals. Just like how horoscopes can’t predict individual personalities, Scott Pape can’t provide tailored answers to the millions of people who read the one book. On the other hand, a financial planner does give customised advice to each of their clients.

10. The service process – A unique mechanism

Here, our copywriters articulate Montara Wealth’s process. Having a process builds trust since it informs prospects of what to expect when engaging with the company. This is why it’s often a good idea to present a company’s process in their website copywriting. It’s what copywriters call a unique mechanism.

A unique mechanism is a marketing and copywriting term. A unique mechanism distinguishes a company’s product or service in how it delivers on its promise to customers. Montara Wealth’s competitors might have a similar process for giving financial advice. However, Montara Wealth presents their process in a way that is uniquely theirs.

11. Website copywriting that connects to client desires

This is another example of how we continue to address client objections in our website copywriting. From their research, our copywriters learned that these are the qualities of a financial planner that are important to prospects. So our copywriters claimed the qualities for the client in a clear and concise way.

Freedom – We work for you, not a bank or other financial institution.

Relationship – We take the time to understand you as an individual, a couple or a family.

Clarity – We work through every option with you, until you’re completely confident in your choice.

Convenience – Our job is to make financial planning easy, whether that means translating financial models and products into plain English, or meeting you after hours.

The copy on this About Us page perfectly encapsulates a golden rule in website copywriting – The About Us page isn’t really about the company. It’s about the clients. More specifically, it’s about the company in relation to what the client wants from them.

The prospects here want a financial planner who will take the time to listen to their concerns and hold their hand throughout the process. They want a financial planner who has their best interests at hear and will save them time and money in the long run. This is carefully laid out in the website copy.

We have more advice on writing a great About Us page and more examples of About Us pages.

12. Website copywriting that addresses objections head-on

This web copy is another counter to the suspicion of financial planners who accept payment in commission. Many people believed that a fee-based financial planner would be better equipped to give objective advice. That’s why our copywriters made sure to highlight that the firm charges a flat fee.

We established Montara Wealth to create financial freedom for our clients, which is why we predominantly charge a fee for our service.

13. Overcoming client objections on a website

Here, the director addresses a prospective client’s concerns directly.

Our fees are based on time, not on the size of your investments.

Through our copywriting research, we learned that prospects don’t like paying fees indexed to the size of their financial investments. Especially when the financial advice they receive requires similar effort to the advice given to clients with smaller investments.

The copywriting uses the director’s voice to assure clients directly that this is not an issue with them.

14. Building trust on a website

The question of independence is such a big one that we couldn’t chance dealing with it only once. Website visitors could land on any page of the site. The firm’s position on independence had to be visible wherever the prospect landed.

While we are largely a fee-for-service firm, there are occasions where we are able to negotiate discounts with insurance providers who pay us a commission.

Because we sometimes take this approach, we do not use the phrase “independent” financial planners.

The website copy is also a great example of how our copywriters nudge prospects ask questions of any competitors they might be talking to. The copy doesn’t criticise or undermine the competition, but we know some competitors don’t have good answers.

By initiating a conversation about a financial planner’s independence, prospects are educated on issues they need to bring up while speaking to other financial planners. That might be another edge for this firm over its competitors.

Professional images on a website

The About Us page features professional, real images of their team. Having real images of employees helps prospects place a face behind the company and shows there’s nothing to hide. This is an easy way to establish trust with readers. (Just as stock images are an easy way to lose or at least fail to build trust.)

Testimonials as a social proof

Testimonials are a great form of social proof for a website. Especially for companies that operate within low-trust industries. Here, a client confirms what the website has been claiming. The client confirms this is an honest, trustworthy firm committed to providing outstanding service for their clients.

The results

Copywriting this website, we had to contend with the strongest competition of all — the dreaded status quo. Clients who preferred to do nothing than take their chances with a business they didn’t trust.

Our copywriters wrote a website that assures readers they are in good hands and won’t suffer if they take the first steps to financial security.

“Steven and his team were outstanding from start to finish – they really took the time to get to know our business inside out. They interviewed out clients and our team to get a real gist of who we are as a business. Taleist is responsive, professional and really easy to get along with. We would highly recommend them to anyone looking for a great copywriter to bring their company’s website to life.” — Kim Campbell, Montara Wealth

Are you having trouble convincing your prospects?

Persuasive websites are hard to come by. Especially when you’re dealing with resistant prospects and a mountain of objections. If you’re looking for a website that can take on any objection and win, come talk to us.

Website design

This financial planner’s copywriting was made even more effective by website design from NODA.