Advisors offering free consultations whether they are 15 minutes, half an hour or longer is a popular trend in the financial industry. Most are displaying this offer on their websites as a call to action to generate more calendar bookings. Why does it work?
How Do Free Consultations Work?
When a prospect lands on your website, you do not have a lot of time to entice them. In fact, according to HubSpot, 55% of visitors spend less than 15 seconds to capture someone’s attention. What are some ways that you can ensure that they stay longer on your website?
Utilize the power of the free consultation
Not only are you asking your visitors to take some action once they land on your page, but you are offering them information for FREE. So, while everyone loves free, a consultation does require some preparation and a phone call, so you have to prove to them that it will be worth their time. So, you will need to optimize your page so that the prospects will get as much information out of their visit with you as possible. Now that you know more about how a free consultation can work, we’re breaking that down plus five examples of how to do it tastefully.
5 Examples of Advisors Offering Free Consultations
The advisors below are doing it right when it comes to encouraging prospects to take that next crucial step down the sales funnel.
1. Gudorf Financial Group, LLC
Based out of Dayton, Ohio, Gudorf Financial Group, LLC is simplistic and to the point with the call-to-action prompting visitors to “Get Your Free Assessment.” From there you are led to a page that details what it takes to get started plus the steps with another CTA to schedule a 15-minute phone call.
What They Got Right:
The CTA Stands Out: Visitors cannot miss the CTA as it stands out in a bold blue against the hero image. Your eyes will immediately be drawn to the button, enticing you to click and find out more.
They Outline the Details: It’s evident that they provide retirement planning for people over 50, as this is mentioned in the hero text on the homepage. So, when you click on the CTA, on the next page, they tell you:
- Why
- What
- Who
Additionally, they include the steps that are included plus the button to schedule your free 15-minute call.
Use a Meeting Scheduler: When someone uses a scheduler tool, such as Acuity, like Gudorf Financial Group has done, it not only makes it easier for your visitor to schedule the consultation, but it also helps to drive the conversion. With a calendar scheduler, the lead is putting you in their calendar which creates a greater commitment and ultimately a higher conversion rate.
2. Southshore Financial Planning
Who is ready to hit the beach after landing on Southshore Financial Planning’s homepage? We know that we are! The video image of waves crashing with the phrase “Enjoy Life to the Fullest” reminds us how important a strong financial plan is so that you can live the life and retirement that you have always imagined. The sticky CTA in the top right-hand corner prompts visitors to “Book Free Consultation” where they will learn more about the firm and how they can best serve you.
In addition, to the CTA on the homepage, there is an offering to “Book a Free Consultation” at the bottom of the services page, as well, with the question, “Interested In Getting Started?” Leads find different parts of a website interesting, so by including a CTA on a different page, it may pique their interest where it did not initially. So, putting this at the end of the services page was a great idea, as they may want to find out more after learning about all of the different offerings.
What They Got Right:
They Offer Multiple Options: Not only is there a sticky call-to-action in the top right-hand corner of the homepage but there is a free consultation offering at the bottom of the services page. If a visitor isn’t initially interested in what they have to offer after landing on the homepage, that could change after exploring the website more, so providing visitors with multiple options is always a good idea.
Use a Meeting Scheduler: Just like Gudorf Financial Group, they also use the Acuity meeting scheduler to streamline the booking of meetings and help with conversion rates.
They Show Their Value: When you are trying to schedule time with a busy prospect, you need to show your value. Why would someone want to find out more? What can you offer them? Shoreshore Financial Planning discusses in detail their capabilities, financial planning process and schedule before the free consultation button, so they know what to expect from them.
3. Cornerstone Wealth Consulting Services, LLC
Cornerstone Wealth Consulting Services, LLC utilizes the floating call-to-action prompting visitors to “Schedule Your Free Consultation.” Once you have clicked on the button, you will be taken to a Calendly page where you can easily book a meeting with Founder and CEO, Jason Berube.
What They Got Right:
The CTA is Unique: We love the floating CTA that pops up as soon as visitors start scrolling. It’s subtle enough to not disrupt the flow of the page but also stays top of mind as it goes with you as you continue to scroll down the page.
They Offer More Than One Option: In addition to the floating CTA, the button on the hero image “Start Building Today” also directs visitors to the Calendly page where they can easily schedule a meeting.
The CTA Stands Out: Visitors cannot miss the CTA as it stands out in a bold green against the hero image. Your eyes will immediately be drawn to the button, enticing you to click and find out more.
4. Mission: Advice
We love Mission: Advice’s unique website with its video hero image and personal logo that is a part of the firms’ name. They have a calendar link right on their homepage with the CTA “Schedule a Free Consultation.” Once prospects click to schedule a meeting, they will be taken to a calendar page with the option to book a 15-minute, 45-minute or 60-minute meeting with the Founder, Tom Maiden, MBA, CFP.®
What They Got Right:
The CTA is Eye-Catching: In line with their brand colors, the bright orange stands out easily against the blue and white background.
Use a Meeting Scheduler: Mission: Advice is utilizing the one-click integration with Calendly so that prospects can easily schedule a meeting with Tom Maiden CFP.®
Tells Prospects Who They Will Speak With: They tell visitors who they will be speaking with and it’s encouraging that it will be the founder of the firm, which shows the credibility of the firm.
5. Rx Wealth Advisors, LLC
Rx Wealth Advisors provides specialized financial advisement to physicians, and at Twenty Over Ten, we are big fans of niche businesses, as it narrows it down so that you really get to know who you are working with and how to best serve them. This is evident on their homepage, along with a call-to-action to “Schedule A Free Consultation” in the bottom right-hand corner where visitors will then be taken to the Calendly page to schedule a 60-minute call with Founder and CEO, Chris J. Roe, CPA, PFS.
What They Got Right:
The CTA Stands Out: The bright orange call-to-action easily stands out against the darker background, prompting visitors to schedule a 60-minute call with the firm’s founder.
Use a Meeting Scheduler: They are utilizing the one-click integration with Calendly so that prospects can easily schedule a meeting with Chris J. Roe, CPA, PFS.
Tells Prospects Who They Will Speak With: They tell visitors who they will be speaking with and it’s encouraging that it will be the founder of the firm, which shows the credibility of the firm.
3 Ways to Give Your Free Consultation a Boost
If you want to offer a free consultation, then here are some ways to amp up your call-to-action and the meeting thereafter.
1. Tell Prospects What’s In It For Them
What will your visitors be getting by scheduling this consultation? People are busy, and time is money, so if they are going to give you fifteen minutes to an hour or more of their day, then they need to know what they will achieve by booking a consultation.
2. Discuss The Long-Term Benefits
Speaking with your advisor is great at the moment, but what happens after the meeting? The prospect will want to know how you can help them down the road and how you can lead them to a stronger financial future, retirement plan, etc. Sell your benefits and tell them how they will benefit from working from you and what makes your firm unique.
3. Work on the Design of The Page
It’s important that you are drawing them in right from the start, and that starts with design. You may have amazing services that will benefit the prospects, but if your website isn’t optimized with keywords, consistently designed or the CTA doesn’t stand out, then how will you attract them? Use visuals and colors that will attract your leads and get them to book a consultation with you.
Ready to Design Your Own?
We hope that this provided you with the information you need to start driving more leads to your advisory firm. While you strive to get more traffic, it’s important to connect with them and make sure that they are qualified prospects that are right for you, and that you are the right firm for them! And offering a free consultation as a part of your lead generation strategy is a great place to start.
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About the author
Blair Kelly
Blair is a digital marketing assistant at Twenty Over Ten and has a passion for uncovering what drives online traffic and the highest engagement. She follows more animals on Instagram than humans and her greatest achievement is her daughter, Grey.
