by Troy Wilson on March 18, 2010
The Internet is the great business equalizer. Small companies can have as big or bigger impact than a big company. Your size is very hard to detect. Unfortunately, this has been leveraged by spammers and scam artists. Incidents of Internet and financial services fraud are almost a daily headline.
Naturally this creates fear and anxiousness in trusting a financial service company operating online. The fortunate thing is that it is not reducing the number of finance leads and Web inquiries. However, it can make it hard to convert these Web customers.
Here are 7 simple things you can do to build credibility and trust online.
1. Professional Website - Regardless of the type of finance lead you are talking to they’re going to check out your website. You need to be presenting a professional image.
There is a reason that brick and mortar banks are often big and opulent structures–they’re giving their customers a sense of strength and stability.
Your website should be doing the same thing for your online customers.
2. About Us - I’m amazed at how many financial websites are missing this fundamental trust builder. Let your customers know who you are and why you want to help them. Without this you look like the latest anonymous scoundrel ready to fleece them.
3. Contact Us - Like the About Us page this is a page to build trust and credibility. Don’t miss the real point of this page–they want to make sure you’re real, not necessarily write you a letter. Therefore, the most important part of the page is a physical address. Especially for a finance company, people want the feeling that there is brick and mortar behind their transaction, even if it is in a different state.
4. Associations and Certifications - I have mixed opinions on this topic. Professional associations and certificates have long been the strong trust-builders–third party endorsements. However, more recently they have become centerpieces of scams and frauds. Fraudsters have often scammed their way into or created their own credentials and littered their websites with "trust me" badges.
My recommendation is to keep it simple. Pick one or two strong organizations that consumers can identify, like the Better Business Bureau or a highly visible industry association like TASC. This will make your certification and membership more credible. The other nice thing about the bigger organizations is that they typically have a very active PR and lobbying effort–giving you lots of mainstream press to point your customers to for legitimacy.
5. Testimonials - Good old fashioned customer endorsements are probably one of the best trust enhancers. Even if the customers don’t know these happy customers they get a sense that you are doing your job.
One of the new opportunities to put some real juice behind testimonials are videos. The old quotes and first names trick is one thing, but real people talking about their experience on video is a whole new level.
6. Education - Teaching is the new selling. Especially as financial products get more and more complex. Being the resource for consumers is a surefire way to get the sale.
Education is a simple way to implement lead nurturing for your online customers. These Internet customer naturally are shoppers and researchers. If every time they research a topic you are the source then you win.
7. Trust Building - At the end of the day, getting online customers over fear of your Internet-based approach is all about trust building. You need to assemble a process and resources that methodically build that mountain of trust for your business.
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Want more information about buying aged mortgage or debt leads?
Call 949-861-3122 or visit www.nextwavemarketingstrategies.com.
by Troy Wilson on February 9, 2010
Have you ever purchased Internet leads? If you haven’t it may be because you didn’t think they were available for your business’ product or service. Take a look at some of the lead types that are available to you. Chances are there is a lead type to support your business. And you will probably be surprised at how they will out-perform some of those old marketing methods (i.e., Yellow Pages, newspaper, restaurant menus) that are sucking down your marketing dollars with no return.
Debt Leads
The debt business is one with a very long sales and return cycle. That means to stay in business you need a steady flow of prospects and clients that need your help to fix their debt problems. Internet debt leads are the best way to consistently fill your sales pipeline. They also have the added value of actually showing intent to take action on their debt problem by submitting contact information.
Loan Modification Leads
There are lots of homeowners in trouble. The collapse of the housing market and the crunch being placed on borrowers is widespread. And there is relief. However, that relief is complex and hard to for an individual homeowner to research. Therefore, most of these borrowers are turning to the Internet and asking for help. Internet loan modification lead providers are capturing those inquires. Loan modification leads are a great marketing short-cut to find these borrowers in need.
Refinance Leads
Believe it or not some people still have equity in their homes and can refinance their mortgage. And with great mortgage rates they are refinancing by the thousands. These requests are efficiently captured and turned into leads for sale.
These same leads are often good loan modification leads as well. Many of these requests to refinance existing mortgages are frustrated by declining home values or loss of income. Consequently, those not qualified to refinance make great prospects for loan modification.
Mortgage Leads
The mortgage lead market is probably one of the most mature. These leads are expertly generated and continue to increase in quality. And with mortgage rates still at historic lows you are sure to have as many prospects as you want to call every month.
Insurance Leads
Insurance is another well developed lead market. What’s more there are a large number of niche products that are supported by Internet insurance leads: life insurance, health insurance, auto insurance, and many more.
Auto Warranty Leads
This is one you might not have heard of–auto warranties. With Americans hanging on to their cars longer in this economic downturn there is significant opportunity in auto warranty leads. Consumers are turning to the Internet to learn how to extend their auto warranties and reduce their growing auto maintenance expenses.
Cash for Gold Leads
Another hot Internet lead type brought on by the failing economy is turning gold into cash. These leads are starting to fill the inventories of many lead providers because consumers need cash to put food on the table, pay their utilities, and keep that car running. As with anything else these consumers are turning to the Internet to find help.
Consumers are turning to the Internet more than ever for products and services. Fortunately, lead providers and aged lead brokers are helping you capture this interest more efficiently. No need to invest in web designers and lead generation experts. You can just buy the final product–on a per prospect basis.
Is there a specific lead type that you need for your business? Give me a call and I can help you find a steady flow of sales prospects for your business.
If you liked this post please sign-up for the RSS feed or get updates via email.
If you Twitter: Follow me @troywilson.
Want more information about buying aged mortgage or debt leads?
Call 949-861-3122 or visit www.nextwavemarketingstrategies.com.
