The rise of website builders has made owning and creating a website more accessible than ever before.
For financial advisors, this has opened up a new world of opportunities for marketing and branding their business.
While there are many different website builders on the market, we’ve compiled a list of the most popular ones that financial advisors are using today.
Website Builders for Financial Advisors
All website builders are not created equal.
Some are better suited for certain types of businesses, while others come with features and tools that make them more user-friendly.
When choosing a website builder for your financial advisory business, it’s essential to consider what your needs are and what type of functionality you’re looking for.
Here are some popular website builders:
WordPress.com
WordPress.com is a popular website builder offering users various features and tools.
You can create a professional-looking website without any prior experience or knowledge.
WordPress.com offers a wide range of plugins and themes, allowing you to customize your website to match your brand.
The platform is easy to use and navigate, making it a good option for those new to website building.
However, one downside of WordPress.com is that you don’t have complete control over your website.
If you want to make significant changes or add complex features, you may need to upgrade to a self-hosted WordPress.org website which is best overall.
Fortunately, WordPress.com is the easiest to move to WordPress.org out of all the website builders.
Weebly
Weebly is a popular website builder known for its ease of use.
Creating a website with Weebly is as simple as drag-and-drop.
The platform comes with a variety of pre-designed templates and themes to choose from, so you can create a professional-looking website without any worry about technical stuff.
Weebly also offers a wide range of integrations, which allows you to add features and functionality to your website with just a few clicks.
One downside of Weebly is that it doesn’t offer as many plugins and themes as WordPress.com.
But if you’re looking for an easy-to-use website builder, Weebly is a good option that is also able to be migrated to a self-hosted WordPress.org option when your business grows and customizations are needed.
Wix.com
Wix.com is a cloud-based website builder that allows you to create a website from scratch or using one of their pre-designed templates.
The platform is user-friendly and offers a wide range of features, including eCommerce capabilities, contact forms, and appointment scheduling.
Wix.com also offers a free plan, which is ideal for those just starting out or on a tight budget.
One downside of Wix.com is that you are locked in.
When your financial advisory business scales to a point where custom options are required, you will have to build your site from scratch.
FMG Suite
FMG Suite is a popular website builder for financial advisors.
The platform comes with a wide range of features, including a CRM, email marketing, and social media management.
FMG Suite also offers a variety of templates and themes to choose from.
One downside of FMG Suite is that it’s a bit more expensive than other website builders.
But if you’re looking for a comprehensive website builder for your financial advisory business, FMG Suite is a good option.
Squarespace
Squarespace is a popular website builder that offers users a variety of templates and themes to choose from.
Creating a website with Squarespace is as simple as drag-and-drop.
This is a good option if you are a financial advisor looking to offer digital products like eBooks, audio files, or other digital downloads.
The downside of Squarespace is that it doesn’t offer as many features as some of the other website builders listed.
Godaddy
Godaddy is growing in popularity as an all-in-one platform for businesses.
This website builder offers a wide range of features, including a CRM, eCommerce, and email marketing.
Godaddy also has a wide selection of templates and themes to choose from.
One downside of using Godaddy is that it is still pretty limited in terms of features and customization options.
But if you’re looking for an all-in-one platform for your business, Godaddy is an excellent option to consider.
Pros and Cons of a financial advisor’s using a website builder
Website builders allow anyone to create a website rather quickly, but it’s not always as simple as it seems.
There are website builder pros and cons you should know before starting your project.
Pros
Limited Technical knowledge needed
You don’t need to know how to code to use a website builder.
This is the most significant advantage of using a website builder over other options like WordPress.
You can create a beautiful website without any technical knowledge.
You are not alone
If you are not a techie, it can be intimidating to start a website.
The thought of having to learn how to code is enough to make most people give up before they even start.
But with a website builder, you don’t need to worry about that.
Most website builders have excellent support teams that can help you with any problems.
Peace of mind
Without website builders, you are responsible for ensuring your site is secure, updated, and backed up.
This can be much work, and it’s easy to forget some of these things.
But when you use a website builder, they take care of all of that for you.
You can rest assured knowing your site is in good hands.
Cons
Less control over design
You know that beautiful website you saw that did precisely what you wanted?
Well, you probably won’t be able to recreate it with a website builder.
This is because website builders have limited design options.
You are usually stuck with the templates and designs they offer.
If you want complete control over the design of your website, then a website builder is not for you.
Getting found online is more difficult
To ensure your website is optimized for search (SEO), you need technical knowledge and customization ability.
Otherwise, getting your website to rank well in search engines can be difficult.
If you want to ensure your website is easy to find online, then you might be better off with another option like WordPress.org.
Less room for growth
As your business grows, your website will need to grow with it.
But with a website builder, you might hit some limits in terms of what you can do.
You might consider another option if you plan to grow your business online.
Builders may throttle your site when your website starts racking in traffic or ask you to upgrade to a more expensive plan.
Should financial advisors use a website builder?
Something is better than nothing.
The most important thing is getting started; a website builder can help you do that quickly and easily.
But if you are serious about growing your business online, you might consider another option like WordPress.org.
This platform gives you more control over your website and allows you to grow your site as your business grows.
But at the end of the day, the most important thing is to get started.
A website builder can help you do that without any technical knowledge or experience while you are figuring out the direction you ultimately prefer to take.
So if you’re starting, a website builder might be a good option for do-it-yourselfers.