Leveraging Financial Education To Drive Sales Online Creating value for the consumer Creating value for the financial institution Contents Executive summary Financial websites and consumer utilization From the consumer s point of view From the institution s point of view Consumer actions do not necessarily coincide with institution goals Role of financial education Applications of financial education when consumers come to a site Applications of financial education for outbound email marketing Measuring the results of electronic marketing Review your electronic marketing program Financial Wisdom Endai Worldwide
Leveraging Financial Education To Drive Sales Online Executive Summary Few financial institutions are effectively using financial education in their marketing efforts to generate additional sales, strengthen existing relationships and position their institution to become the consumer s primary financial institution. By using educational content that addresses the financial issues important to consumers, institutions can position their products and services as needed and logical solutions to the financial needs facing consumers. In addition, institutions that provide financial education are less likely to see existing relationships threatened as consumers use popular search engines to research before they buy. Consumers visiting institution websites can be engaged with relevant content, leading them to pages that respond to their immediate needs and stimulate additional sales. Outbound electronic newsletters can be made more effective by utilizing the interactive nature of the Internet and offering online applications and enrollment pages to immediately fulfill purchase decisions. Consumers interest in specific topics can be converted into sales by providing relevant educational content that will help consumers make better informed decisions about how an institution s products and services can help them reach their specific financial goals. Financial Wisdom Marketing Services and Endai Worldwide have joined efforts to provide a combination of educational content and electronic marketing services for institutions that want to make their websites and their electronic marketing exciting, effective and profitable. Financial Websites and Consumer Utilization Observations on Financial Institution Websites Most financial institution websites were originally just electronic brochures with basic information about the institution s products and other reference information such as locations and hours. Then most institutions of scale added online transactional capabilities to provide the services that previously were available only in person. Unfortunately, most institutions have not progressed further. While there are a few that offer additional tools (such as online decisioning or other capabilities to help consumers manage their finances) most financial institutions websites have a home page that offers links to product pages, online banking, an about us section, perhaps calculators and little more. While these components are needed, most websites are built only to respond to consumers wants once those consumers already know what they want. The opportunity is to offer website content that helps consumers determine what they want and need and then provide a convenient way for the consumers to take action. Consumer Utilization of the Internet for Financial Management It is estimated that over 80% of American household have access to the Internet with over 50% having high-speed access. In addition, about one third use the Internet for online banking. The Internet has become a major, if not the primary, source of financial information. Its role as a tool for consumers to learn more in their financial decision making process is growing. Consumers are choosing the Internet because it responds to several desires they have about handling their finances: The Internet provides convenience They can handle many transactions at anytime and from anywhere. The Internet offers vast resources The Internet offers almost unlimited information about financial issues and financial products. In addition to financial institution websites, there are several advice and reference sites (such as Motley Fool, Yahoo, MSN, AOL, Quicken and TurboTax) that provide tools and other information to help consumers manage their finances easier and more effectively. 2
The Internet is non-threatening Many consumers have anxiety about their finances. They are fearful of making financial mistakes or appearing unknowledgeable. The Internet helps consumers avoid the adversarial nature of dealing with a salesperson and the fear of feeling inadequate when speaking with someone who may know more than they do. From the Consumer s Point of View What do Consumers Want From Their Financial Institution Consumers generally look to their financial institution (or financial institutions) to fulfill their needs in three general ways: Consumers constantly want to be able to handle day-to-day financial transactions and activities. They want to be able to pay bills, make deposits, earn interest on idle funds and transfer funds among their accounts. Institutions meet these needs with their normal checking accounts, savings accounts, CDs and other deposit and demand accounts. Interaction with the consumer takes place in person at branches, at ATMs, on the phone and at the institution s website. Consumers occasionally want to be able to handle special needs as they arise or as opportunities arise. This includes borrowing when they buy an auto, securing a mortgage when they buy a home, refinancing their mortgage if rates are attractive and having borrowing capacity if other needs arise. Institutions meet these needs by providing loans with interactions taking place in branches, on the phone and in some cases at the institution s website. Consumers want assistance in reaching their long-term financial goals (retirement, college funding, wealth building, etc.). The process usually consists of making a minimum number of fundamental decisions with the creation of a plan but with an ongoing execution of the plan. Consumers may want to discuss an overall investment strategy every few years, but want to make sure investment transactions comply with that strategy on an ongoing basis. Consumers may want to start a college savings plan when a child is very young, but recognize that the success of the plan depends on ongoing savings with the earning of competitive returns on the funds until the child is ready for college. Institutions handle these needs by having qualified professionals and applicable products/services available. How do Consumers Use Their Financial Institution s Website Consumers visit their financial institution s website based on their needs. To handle day-to-day transactions, they probably go to the institution s home page, immediately login to online banking, perform their transactions, check their balances and leave. In many cases, they may even bypass the home page and go directly to the online banking login page which they may have bookmarked. If they are considering buying an auto or a home, they will probably go to the institution s home page, link to the respective loan page and then check the terms and rates being offered. Based on that information, they will decide whether to pursue the loan with the institution or go elsewhere. If they decide to apply for the loan, they will either go to an online application or follow up with a call or visit to a branch. If they believe that changes in interest rates make mortgage refinancing an attractive option, they will check the institution s rates and make the decision of whether to follow through with the institution or go elsewhere. Consumers rarely visit their institution s website to start the process of addressing their longterm financial goals. Few financial institution websites have much content addressing longterm financial goals other than web pages indicating the services are available or calculators that may help consumers quantify these goals. In all these cases, the consumer initiates and directs their interaction with the website. They decide when to visit the site, what parts of it they visit and what actions they take. 3
From the Institution s Point of View What do Institutions Want From Their Websites While institutions certainly want to be able to handle the information needs and transaction needs of their website visitors, they also are increasingly looking to their websites to do more. This takes the form of cross-selling additional products, reducing attrition and becoming the primary financial institution for everyone that visits their site. They want their websites to generate additional profitable revenue. They want to make money from their website. Unfortunately, the chances of realizing these goals are slim if consumers visit the website only to login to perform online transactions and then leave. Consumer Actions Do Not Necessarily Coincide With Institution Goals Consumers are effectively using their financial institution s websites to satisfy their needs to handle day-to-day transactions and to be a resource of information for the occasional financing of an auto or home. However, to date, few consumers are using their institution s website to help them address their long-term financial goals. This unmet need exists primarily because few websites offer the help consumers want or need. Institutions are using their websites to handle the transactional needs of consumers and present information. However, few institutions are effectively using their websites to promote the sales of additional products, reduce attrition or position their institution to become a consumer s primary financial institution. In other words, few financial institution websites are generating substantial, additional profitable revenue. To convert a financial institution s website into a profitable sales tool, the website must be more than just a place for consumers to do online banking and find information when they want it, it must be part of a comprehensive strategy to convert website visitors into website buyers. An effective website, and the home page in particular, must have information that: Gets visitors attention Responds to their needs Positions institution s products as solutions to those needs Leads to a purchase decision Makes it intuitive and easy for the visitor to follow through on that decision with a purchase. Financial educational content on the home page and throughout the website can be that tool. Role of Financial Education Financial educational content on a financial institution s website can be an effective marketing tool for several reasons: 1. It will get website visitors attention. Consumers are concerned about their future financial security and will read content if they perceive a value in doing so. 2. It responds to a consumer need. Consumers face more financial decisions every day and the magnitude of these decisions is increasing. They want to make informed financial decisions and understanding the issues can be complex. Financial educational content can put issues into perspective, offer step-by-step solutions and help consumers have a peace of mind knowing they are taking prudent actions. 3. It can position the institution s products and services as solutions to the website visitor s needs. As consumers better understand an issue, they are more likely to understand why and how a financial product can help them reach a financial goal. 4. It can include links to corresponding product or service web pages. 5. It can lead consumers to make decisions and take action. Links to online application or enrollment pages or an embedded email link can make it easy for consumers to purchase a product or to request information or request a contact. 4
6. With the appropriate technology, the educational content can include specific offers to make a product more attractive or to create a sense of urgency for the consumer to take immediate action. 7. The number of website visitors that read specific content can be monitored to measure effectiveness leading to content modifications that improve results. 8. It can position an institution as a trustworthy financial advisor and strengthen the relationship between the consumer and the institution. 9. Specific content can be used to promote specific actions. Offering website content that relates to other campaigns or programs will enhance the effectiveness of those campaigns or programs. 10.There are many financial issues that can be covered and each topic can be addressed with several pieces of content. Incorporating financial education into your website makes it easy to provide consumers with fresh, relevant content. Financial Education to Match Consumer and Institution Desires Just offering information about a topic is one step, but does not satisfy the desires of the consumer or the institution. Plain educational information also does not take advantage of the nature and power of the Internet. Consider a simple example of providing an educational article on helping consumers choose what deposit accounts to use for their cash. The article directly below contains information on how to choose a combination of a checking account, a savings account and CDs to enhance returns while maintaining needed liquidity. The article below left contains the same information, but in a way that stimulates actions and with the links to make those actions easy and intuitive. An article that just presents information. An article that stimulates decisions and actions. Links to Product Pages Links to Special Offers 5
Applications of Financial Education When Consumers Come to a Site As an Education Center Providing a destination for financial literacy will increase website traffic, position your institution as a trusted provider of solutions and increase the likelihood of your institution becoming your visitors primary financial institution. Adding financial education to your website When adding educational content to a website, consider what actions you want to encourage. On your home page A few sentences in a prominent location should cause the reader to click through to read an article with links to related product pages. An Education Center will make your website a primary place to learn about the financial issues your website visitors are facing. Fresh content on your home page will get visitors attention and draw them deeper into your site. On your product pages An introduction to a related educational article should lead to a full article that can include embedded time-sensitive offers to create a sense of urgency. Help web visitors make more informed decisions by providing links to educational articles. 6
Applications of Financial Education for Outbound Email Marketing Electronic Newsletters Newsletters are an effective marketing tool because of their repetition and their ability to combine informative content with marketing messages to avoid a constant stream of pitches. With electronic newsletters you can: Offer immediate follow through by providing links to online transactional pages (applications and enrollments). Measure the effectiveness of the messages by monitoring the number of messages that are opened, the number of readers that click through to an article or related product page and the number of transactions that a specific message generates. Easily modify future messages to repeat what works and change what produces less than desirable results. The ability to have real time reporting (or close to it) will improve the effectiveness of the effort. Reduce the costs associated with a printed and mailed newsletter. If you already have a quarterly paper newsletter, converting to an electronic monthly newsletter may enhance the overall effectiveness while reducing total costs. Finance 101: Targeted email Series Along with offering a general newsletter to everyone on your emailing list, you may want to consider offering specific newsletters on specific topics. This is especially attractive for consumers who want to learn more about a specific major financial objective. Identifying major financial issues or significant financial life-stage issues is relatively easy. E- Newsletters can be constructed around those issues and delivered to consumers that request them. Financial Wisdom and Endai can make the process easy and cost efficient. Consider a young couple that is considering purchasing a first house. By providing a series of articles on the issues they will face as part of that process and by including relevant product information, your institution will be positioned as the institution of choice when the couple is finally ready to secure financing. Targeted 101 E-Newsletters are ideal for consumers with the following interests: Buying a first home Establishing a household Preparing for retirement Funding a college education Basic financial planning Investing Managing insurance needs Reducing taxes Each E-Newsletter would address the issue that is important to the reader and that they have already told you is of interest. The newsletter would include articles on the specific topic and links to the products or services associated with the topic. The young couple interested in learning more about home ownership could receive the Mortgages 101 E-Newsletters with the articles shown on page 8 over a six to twelve week period. 7
Components of a Targeted email Series Mortgages 101 Learn more about mortgages and buying your first home over 6 weeks. Week Directed related articles Other related articles Links to downloads 1 Before buying your first house The benefits of a good credit report Building a savings cushion Home ownership worksheet 2 Accumulating a down payment for a home Financial planning basics Prepare a personal balance sheet (pdf link) Personal balance sheet worksheet 3 Evaluating mortgage types Developing a wise borrowing strategy Tips for organizing important papers Location of important papers worksheet 4 Tax implications of home ownership Saving early for major financial events Household inventory worksheet 5 What to look for in a homeowner s insurance policy Monitoring your monthly spending (pdf link) Household spending worksheet 6 Home equity loans Family Records Almanac (pdf Link) Home ownership worksheet Links included in each issue: Helpful links as you plan your home buying and choose your mortgage Rates, mortgages, home equity loans, online loan application. Other links that you may find helpful to manage your finances Direct deposit, deposit accounts, insurance, credit cards, loans, online banking. Measuring the Results of Electronic Marketing Tracking and measuring the results of all marketing efforts is mandatory. Only by knowing what is working well and what is not working can you make informed decisions to make those efforts more effective. Traditional direct mail is often considered a prime example of how measuring response rates can be used to fine-tune messages to make future mailings more effective. You deliver different messages to different prospect segments, measure which messages work best for which segment and then modify the messages accordingly. The difficulty with this approach is that there can be significant time lags between consumer decisions and results measurement due to design, printing and mailing times. In addition, the costs can be significant. With electronic marketing, you can reduce the time lags and reduce total costs. Unlike traditional direct mail, you can often expect to see responses within minutes of deploying an email marketing effort. More than 80% of the responses to an email campaign occur within three days, compared to weeks needed in a traditional direct mail campaign. Internet technologies enable financial institutions to identify (in many cases, down to the individual consumer) who is taking what actions once they receive an electronic marketing message. By making robust use of database marketing, Customer Relationship Marketing and segmentation, you can approach true one-to-one marketing. 8
An example of how this could work is shown below. The institution sent an electronic newsletter to a segmented opt-in group with one article focused on helping readers understand what type of mortgage would be best for them. Understanding how consumers are responding and whether they are responding to your marketing initiatives gives you valuable information that you can quickly apply to optimize your efforts. Summary Financial educational content can become an effective marketing tool because it fills a consumer need and promotes of the goals of the financial institution. Using the Internet, both on a website and as the basis for an outbound marketing effort, responds to the way more and more consumers want to handle their finances and provides the institution with additional benefits. To put these ideas to work, two ingredients are necessary a supply of quality content and the expertise to implement content solutions. Financial Wisdom Marketing Services and Endai Worldwide can bring those ingredients to you. Measuring the response to the article Which Mortgage is Best For You? sent as part of an electronic newsletter Segment Started Completed Receiving Recipients Opens Open Rate Clicks Click Rate Mortgage Mortgage Newsletter Application Application Mortgage Seekers 720 321 44.58% 37 11.53% 4 1 Affluent Retirees 600 120 20.00% 11 9.17% 2 0 Women over 35 213 98 46.01% 35 35.71% 1 1 Zip Code 44622 55 22 40.00% 1 4.55% 0 0 No Segment 400 119 29.75% 22 18.49% 6 2 Total 1988 680 34.21% 106 15.59% 13 4 50% 45% 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% Recipients Opening the Newsletter 9
Review Your Electronic Marketing Program The Internet is still relatively new as a revenuegenerating tool and the financial institutions that are having success are always reviewing the effectiveness of their online activities. Some of the characteristics of successful efforts include: The electronic marketing strategy is fully integrated into the overall marketing strategy. It both complements and supplements other efforts. Specific goals for electronic marketing are established. This should include goals that can be measured, such as new accounts opened online, new online banking relationships and specific sales goals for products focused on. There is a constant effort to enhance the effectiveness of the electronic marketing effort. This includes ongoing revisions to the website, testing of various electronic marketing tactics and a constant attempt to gather email addresses from website visitors. There is an ongoing dedication of resources (both financial and staffing) to electronic marketing. Here is a worksheet to help in a review of online marketing efforts. Electronic Marketing Program Worksheet Electronic Marketing Program Evaluation Question Response Actions to Consider Is electronic marketing fully integrated into overall marketing efforts? Have specific revenue goals been established for your electronic marketing? Is there adequate staffing and does the staff have the needed skills? Do you measure the effectiveness of your electronic marketing effort? Is there a quantifiable measurement system in place to evaluate the effort? Does your organizational structure promote an efficient and effective electronic marketing effort? Website Evaluation Question Response Actions to Consider Are you satisfied with your website? What are your overall goals for your website? What are your revenue goals for your website? 10
Website Evaluation continued Question Response Actions to Consider Can you quantify revenue generated from your website? Are you satisfied with your website traffic? What can be done to increase website traffic? How are visitors using your website? What additional actions do you want visitors to take once they get to your website? Does the organizational structure of your site facilitate the visitor actions you desire? Does the content of your site encourage the visitor actions you desire? Does your website need significant redesign or minor modifications to be more effective? Do you have the internal resources needed to make needed changes or should you consider outside professionals? Outbound Electronic Marketing Evaluation Question Response Actions to Consider Do you have an outbound electronic marketing effort? If so, is that effort effectively accomplishing goals you have set? Can you quantify the results of the effort? Are you capturing email addresses? Have you incorporated traditional direct mail concepts (frequency, testing and relevancy) into your outbound electronic marketing? Do you have an electronic newsletter program? Do you have a program to deliver relevant marketing messages based on consumers interests? 11
Financial Wisdom Marketing Services, Inc. Financial Wisdom has been providing financial educational content solutions to banks and credit unions since 1997. By offering consumers insights into the financial issues they face, institutions are able to position their products as solutions to consumer needs, position themselves as consumers primary financial institutions and position the institution as dedicated to the total financial well-being of their constituents. Services include: Library of Content A subscription based source of educational articles directly related to consumers desire to take control of their financial future. Topics include retirement, home ownership, financial planning, taxes, investing, insurance and financial issues for parents. The service also includes content for small business owners and managers. Financial Tool Kit An institution branded online destination for financial literacy including interactive checklists, worksheets and a library of articles. Small Business Resource Center An institution branded online reference center addressing the organizational, financial, marketing and human resource issues faced by small businesses. Financial Wisdom OnLine An institution branded online newsletter with versions for consumers and small business owners. Financial Wisdom Marketing Services, Inc. 42 Sherwood Terrace, Suite 6 Lake Bluff, IL 60044 www.financialwisdom.com Contact: Mike Patterson, President Phone: 800/723-7237 Email: mpatterson@financialwisdom.com Endai Worldwide Endai is an interactive marketing services company offering marketers a range of professional and turn-key technology services designed to increase sales while containing or reducing marketing costs. Endai works with marketers to create effective, targeted marketing programs, customized to fit client needs and budgets. Their work involves continuous testing and refinement, client research, site analytics and technologies. Endai can assist in the evaluation of existing website and electronic marketing efforts as well as the creation and implementation of new efforts to drive online sales revenue. Proprietary services include: QuadraMail A scalable web-based ASP email management system with list management, automated unsubscribing, open and click tracking and segmentation capabilities. GlobalTraq Turnkey technology with tracking, metrics and real time reporting used to measure traffic and conversion. IBIS Dialog Management A web service platform that enables you to dynamically profile consumers and target them with personalized messages offline and online. Endai Worldwide 217 Water Street, 3rd Floor New York, NY 10038 www.endai.com Contact Joe Beccalori Director of Professional Services Phone: 212/430-0808, extension 115 Email: jbeccalori@endai.com 12