Here at Twenty Over Ten, our clients make up who we are. Every couple of weeks we like to interview our clients to showcase their financial advisory business and their new online presence. We had the pleasure of working with Forward Thinking Wealth Management on their new website, SEO, lead generation tools, and integration of 3rd party systems. Our team loved being part of this transition!
Founder, Dan Johnson specializes in financial planning for doctors and pre-retirees. He provides comprehensive financial plans, working with client’s team of accountants to attorneys to deliver a broad range of services. Based in Akron, Ohio, Forward Thinking Wealth Management serves this local area and clients across the country. We got a chance to catch up with Dan and learn a bit about his firm, his experience developing his new website with Twenty Over Ten, and how his new online brand has impacted his business.
What drove you to open your own firm and place an emphasis on the physician and retirees niche?
Charging a flat fee is so unique that I needed to open my own firm to execute my vision. I wanted to develop a proper way for clients to pay for financial advice and opening up my own flat firm allowed me to do so. My business is based on my experience and knowledge as a CFP®. After some time, I realized I work best with physicians and retirees and this demographic allows me to use all my CFP® skills.
We know building your own business and brand is no easy feat! What did you learn along the way?
It is critical to have a strong online presence, as it is the face of my firm and the first thing most people see when they want to learn more about my services.
Tell us a little bit about your transition to your new website.
The process was seamless. My goal was to make the website user-friendly for me and informative for visitors and it turned out to be just that.
We love that your site is a true lead-generation machine! Tell us what successes have you seen from implementing a pop-up on your site to encourage newsletter sign-ups?
Since I implemented the pop-up feature, I would say the amount of people signing up for my weekly emails has tripled. When they sign up from this source, I send along a few helpful documents as a thank you – they provide valuable advice and insights to help them get in control of their finances and retirement.
Similarly, you have an interaction on your new site with Calendly. In what ways has this integration helped your business processes?
Scheduling is so simple now. There are no back and forth emails. Potential clients can just pick an available time that works for them. It is an amazing feature to have although it can be a little odd to wake up and realize someone scheduled a meeting overnight for first thing that morning.
Video marketing is making headlines. Tell us about your experience creating your own videos for your video vault. We love it!
I have played around with videos a bit, but nothing too advanced. Actually, my older son wants to study film and I learned he has the ability and skills to edit my videos. That’s when I decided to take a more serious approach to this media. It is nice to have your own production person in-house and one that I can ground if I want!
You’ve had a lot of experience upgrading your online presence. If you could give one piece of advice to financial advisors looking to do the same, what would it be?
Put the money and time into a good website that is mobile friendly and explains who you are. If prospects can’t get a clear sense of you and your approach, they won’t reach out. Also, make sure it reflects you.
Looking ahead, where do you see your firm in 5 years?
I will probably be maxed out as far as clients and maybe I will take on an assistant at that time.
Struggling With What Content To Share on Social Media or via Email?
We are offering access to our content for advisors to use via Lead Pilot for 7-days completely free (even on our month to month plans).
You may also like: The Best Financial Advisor Websites: 2017 Roundup Edition and Comparing Website Providers for Financial Advisors 2017