Want to Refresh Your Website? First, Lose the Yachts

Q&A February 02, 2024 at 01:38 PM
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A well-known best practice for today's business leaders is to "walk the talk" — match their own actions with the priorities and values they encourage others to demonstrate. 

Marketing maven April Rudin, founder and CEO of The Rudin Group, just did that recently with the rebranding of her firm's website. Its marquee motto: "We think differently." 

"It was a big effort," Rudin said in an interview with ThinkAdvisor. "As a marketing firm, if we can't demonstrate a very clear value proposition for ourselves with a website that looks visually appealing and communicates our message, then it will impact how our clients and prospects look at us."

But — as she advises her clients in wealth management and related areas to do — Rudin also wanted to make her firm's new website stand out. 

"I had a clear vision in my mind that I thought represented our brand, which was 'smart fun,' she explained. "I wanted it to be smart, of course, because we're in financial services, so it's gotta be smart and demonstrate knowledge, eminence and authority."

At the same time, Rudin said, the website needed to have a lighter side. 

"I wanted it to be a little bit cheeky, interesting and slightly edgy — so that it demonstrates that marketing doesn't always have to be really conservative or hew to what others are doing. There's a lot more latitude in how brands can think of themselves today," she said.

Here's the first half of our interview, in which she covers everything from the need to get rid of stock images to the importance of having an FAQ page; the second half of the discussion, which focuses on branding, will be posted separately. 

THINKADVISOR: Before your recent rebrand, what was your website's focus or objective?

APRIL RUDIN: When I launched my firm in 2008 — a time of turmoil in the markets about 15 years ago — I thought that firms really needed to think differently about their brand and how they were approaching clients.

I have two Gen Z kids of my own and noticed that financial services brands looked old and musty.

I was probably one of the first marketers to use the word millennial, and I came up with this concept of multi-generational marketing about 12 years ago. Since then, times have really changed. It's an old story and time for something new. Just like we advise our clients, it's important to refresh and stay relevant.

I had the same sort of feeling now as in 2008 — it's a transitional time and an opportunity for us to communicate to potential prospects in new ways.

What's new with your brand and website?

Our theme is how this is a different time, and we are thinking differently. People should think differently about how they go to market with digital media, social media and all the different technologies that are now powering brands. It's a really interesting time. 

Also, personal brands are becoming more important, if not as important, as firm brands. It's hard to dig into some of these big brands. But once you know the personal brand and you know the people, you can reach out to some of the people [at a firm]. 

A lot has changed in 15 years, and we want to make sure that we capture all of that.

What was the strategic thinking behind the rebrand? 

It was a big effort, and I'll tell you why. As a marketing firm, if we can't demonstrate a very clear value proposition for ourselves with a website that looks visually appealing and communicates our message, then it will impact how our clients and prospects look at us. 

I had a clear vision in my mind that I thought represented our brand, which was "smart fun." 

I wanted it to be smart, of course, because we're in financial services, so it's gotta be smart and demonstrate knowledge, eminence and authority. 

On the other hand, I wanted it to be a little bit cheeky, interesting and slightly edgy — so that it demonstrates that marketing doesn't always have to be really conservative or hew to what others are doing. There's a lot more latitude in how brands can think of themselves today.

How did you create and launch the new website?

It was a huge project, but the hardest thing with any project like that is getting the right tone.  Once I had this idea of smart fun, it became really easier to communicate what we wanted to do. 

We hired our own external marketing folks to help us, just as we would encourage our clients to do. It's difficult to communicate anything about yourself. It's like writing your own resume. It's hard to be objective. I would recommend that other firms do this. 

Why else is it beneficial to get outside opinions when rebranding and making related changes?

We've produced many many websites ourselves. So we believe that there's value in getting outside opinions on copy, on design, on client experience — on every aspect of a website.

We hired an outside agency to take a look at our own work, which was a really interesting exercise. It was important to really distance myself from the work.

As a founder of a firm, I know it's important to take advice. You need to do it. Everybody needs to do this — distance themselves from your own opinion and absorb professional advice. Take it in and understand it as just that: professional advice and not anyone's opinion.

What are the most important steps for updating a website? 

When it comes to updating your website, it's important to first think about your message(s) and audience. And tone. 

For us, it was important to think through these steps especially because we are a marketing firm ourselves! That created some angst.

We wanted to have something unique that not only said we thought differently, but demonstrated that as well. 

We had a unique message to convey: No yachts, no compasses and no lighthouses. Those types of stock images are old, and musty plus undifferentiated. Precisely the opposite of the type of approach we have. We always approach each client project with fresh eyes and new ideas that represent them. Our own website needed to communicate that.

Templated websites, and stock images can only take a brand so far. For firms that want to communicate something unique, they need to have a custom-designed website and unique messaging.

While we understand that it's not for everyone, we needed to show our creative side. That's what we did, and we designed something that we thought really represented us well.

If you need to get away from cliche images, like yachts, how do you appeal to high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients and prospects — as well as other potential clients — with your website?

The yacht is a bit ridiculous, because not all wealthy people like to boat and they certainly look different than what you see in stock images. UHNW people are more likely to connect with a brand (and people!) that are authentic and transparent and not cookie-cutter messages or  images. 

They are more likely to connect with a brand that is original. And most importantly emotive. The color palette and images that UHNW and family offices use is critical to create a sense of strength, or comfort or high-tech or whatever values/strengths that firm stands for.

Another poor use of stock photos is seen through stock images of diverse ethnic groups scattered through a website. Unfortunately that is not an effective way for communicating that message either. 

Stock photos of lighthouses, compasses, etc., can also be interpreted as advisors being important in leading their clients when they are lost. I am not sure that this is a helpful message or image either.

Retirement planning is often depicted with stock images such as a couple on the beach holding hands. All of these stock images are not effective in communicating an advisor's value to their clients. I'd like to see these images retired!

In our case, nothing about our firm and the work that we do is stock. Sometimes we are asked for a price list, but we don't have that either. Our work is bespoke and our brand should represent that.

Going back to financial advisors, and especially those serving UHNW clients, we would recommend you lean into something unique.

What's key to focus on when refreshing or rebranding your website?

One of the two most important pages on a website is the homepage. The minute somebody hits the homepage, you want to know: Is it something that looks pleasing to them and draws them in?

The second most visited page on a website is the "About Us."

So you should really spend time on these two web pages. 

Again, make sure they are authentic. So instead of saying "We serve a diverse client base," demonstrate that with your advisors that you have diverse advisors and clients. You don't have to say it; instead you should show it.

You don't want to say you're diverse and then just put up a stock photo. Someone's going to go to your "Our Team" page and not see anyone from that stock photo. 

How much time and content are we talking about for these rebranding efforts?

Well, ours took longer [than expected] because we went back and forth with our own client work. It shouldn't take you more than about three months.

I always suggest with both the beginning and the end in mind asking these questions: What problems do we solve for, who is our target audience and what do I want them to do after visiting our website?

Advisors should think about making their website copy as lean as possible. The idea is to give them enough information to have them make an inquiry to learn more. You can always add to a website. Remember, it's digital.

You don't wanna have, say your whole life story — so much that people would never have to contact you. 

Not every question should be answered, and not every piece of content that you've ever done and every interview you've done should be posted. Less is more.

How important is an FAQ page?

I like FAQs because they signal that you as a firm know what questions your prospects have.  And the way that you answer these questions will be a differentiator. You're also acknowledging that these frequently asked questions matter.

Since you relaunched your website have you been reworking it at all?  

I'm really pleased to say that we have been getting great feedback from our peers, from fellow marketers. That is very rewarding. The number of inbound inquiries has increased as well. 

It's so satisfying to see our own work resonate along with the fact that we're celebrating our 15th year in business. I'm proud of the community that I've built, the industry friends that I have and the support we have in general — in the U.S. and globally. I still look forward to every day of work!

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