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Giving Advisors What They Are Looking For

by Corianna

In a recent survey of the online habits of financial advisors, kasina asked over 500 intermediaries what they do when they can't find the content they are looking for on a Web site. According to kasina's findings, the two most widely executed actions among advisors--whether they are 25 or 85 years old--are using search functions and calling customer service. Interestingly, approximately:

• 70% of advisors use Web site search engines
• 35% call customer service
• 20% use site maps
• 20% use e-mail customer service
• 5% use chat

These findings suggest that advisors, like most human beings, are after something very simple: instant gratification. If advisors are looking for something, they want to find it right away. They are not very interested in sifting through site maps, or waiting for an e-mail reply. While calling customer service entails a time commitment--and possibly additional frustration--it promises immediate results.

Firms looking to cut back on call-center expenses should focus on making information immediately accessible via online approaches. For the moment, this means providing powerful searches on every page. I'm willing to bet that soon this will also entail providing online chat support.