Personal websites are one of the best ways to generate leads in the mortgage industry.

It doesn’t matter if you are in charge of a mortgage brokerage or an individual loan officer. In either case, mortgage websites can easily make the difference between having an edge or falling by the wayside. 

First, let’s explore the most common questions that loan officers, mortgage brokers, real estate agents, or a mortgage brokerage have about mortgage websites in general.

Secondly, we’ll delve into some of the best tips and tricks on how to transform a good mortgage website into a GREAT mortgage website.

The Big Questions About Mortgage Websites

Let’s start off with the basics — do you have a website? If not, go make one right now. 

Your personal mortgage website is your way of getting your brand out there and making sure potential clients know how to reach you. 

Start off simple and let us show you the most important features to have. 

Can a loan officer have their own website?

Yes, depending on the financial institution’s policies with whom they are contracted. 

A dedicated loan officer (LO) website allows the officer to take online loan applications, showcase their experience in the industry, post testimonials, and link to an array of real estate resources. 

Personalize your website to create a human connection with potential clients. Briefly tell your story, personal wins in the industry, and even put up a picture so visitors can place a face with the name. 

With competition continuing to grow, that connection with your clients is more important than ever. 

Benefits of a loan officer website

If loan officers have the ability to log onto their website directly, they can create updates to promote essential information and notable professional or personal events. 

A loan officer can also create and update a business blog through the website. This feature can help increase credibility as well as promote their experience.

Other benefits of a dedicated loan officer website include:

1. A more direct way to close loans and generate leads
2. Personal access to client applications or related forms 
3. The opportunity for partner and affiliate promotions
4. A dedicated website and URL that features a loan officer’s name can add to their overall credibility and professionalism
5. If the website mirrors the company site theme and design, this can provide professional synchronicity and positive brand association 
6. Since each LO can update their own home page, they can tweak branding for a personal touch

To make an even more significant impact on lead generation, loan officers can also make their websites part of an overall marketing strategy, leveraging content marketing and SEO to help it rank in Google. 

How about mortgage brokers?

Unlike a loan officer, a mortgage broker may or may not have the credibility of a big financial firm to back them up. 

In addition, brokers frequently have to be more resourceful to attract new business because the public may be less familiar with their brand. 

There are several strategies for mortgage brokers to generate leads and transform them into clients.

Again, we must start with the same advice — create a website. 

Strategies For Mortgage Brokers

Referrals used to make up the bulk of new client leads for most mortgage industry professionals. But to rely on referrals alone may be cutting yourself off from a wellspring of connections, ones that are right at your fingertips. 

As research shows, most big decisions consumers make nowadays are based upon personal research. While a good portion of that research includes asking friends or family for insight (25%), a more significant percentage includes digital media searches (46%). 

One of the best ways for a mortgage broker to gain a client is to prove they are the best value for a visitor’s time and effort. 

Providing valuable information and clarity to their needs and problems through a dedicated website is one of the most effective ways to increase credibility and professional value. 

The more valuable you are to the public, the more likely they will come to your website. 

The same strategy employed by loan officers can also be used for brokers — publish relevant, SEO-rich blogs to increase the visibility of your website on Google. 

How do I promote myself as a mortgage broker? 

A Search Engine Optimized (SEO) website can funnel searches on Google or other engines towards your virtual door. 

Think of SEO as a bright, neon banner at the side of the information highway (to use an old term). This tool gets the attention of travelers who are just passing by or actively searching for mortgage solutions. 

It’s doubtful for potential borrowers to find you without the “digital storefront” that an optimized mortgage website provides; it’s akin to being digitally camouflaged.

When we say SEO, we mean that you should research what your target audience is searching for. Start out by Googling common questions you get from clients, check out what your competitors are putting out there. Then take those questions and related keywords and create a blog post. 

Referrals vs. Mortgage Websites 

No more are the days when you could rely on referrals alone. If you want to grow at the necessary rate to outpace your competition, you need to make client connections and generate leads online. 

Plus, you can employ various tools and events to promote yourself on your site, like hosting a virtual event or cross-promoting your social media profile with supporting blog entries. 

As our reliance on technology grows, it’s easy to imagine a large portion of new industry developments will also be website-centric. Ways to connect with potential clients through mortgage websites will likely increase.

What do mortgage websites need to be successful?

Despite the pandemic, the trend of home buying continues to increase. 

However, with the heavy competition for clients and their mortgages, your website needs the maximum number of productive elements to keep ahead of the game. 

Whether you’re a mortgage specialist, a mortgage broker, a loan officer, or you hold any other position within the mortgage industry system, here are seven tips to help you realize your best mortgage website. 

HTTPS

Maintaining a level of professionalism extends not just to your career as a mortgage specialist or loan officer; it also means having a technically professional website.

One of the most straightforward tips to make you seem trustworthy online is to ensure your website address has “HTTPS” at the beginning. 

What Exactly Does HTTPS Mean?

Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) combines the previous protocol (HTTP) that most websites used in the past with the Secure Socket Layer (SSL) plus Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocols. 

Why Do You Need HTTPS?

When you see HTTPS, the browser and the web server session is encrypted. This protocol is especially beneficial when the user’s browser is on a mobile device. It allows you to communicate with the web server securely. 

Cybersecurity is on the minds of the government and the general public more than ever these days. Purchasing a new or resale home is one of the biggest financial decisions the average American will have to make, and adding the peace of mind of security can go far to put a potential lead at ease with you. 

How Do You Get HTTPS?

Many resources show how to enable HTTPS on your server. 

However, if you are hiring a company to deal with the technical know-how of setting up your website, make sure to request HTTPS security. 

Make it mobile friendly

There’s no doubt that a mortgage professional’s website needs to be mobile-friendly. 

The number of mobile searches done in the United States jumped significantly from about 178 million in 2016 to 211 million in 2020. 

If your website isn’t optimized for mobile browsers, there isn’t much of a chance that the average user will be willing to put up with your site’s shortcomings. Instead, they might move on to one of your competitors. 

Preview every change you make on your website, on your own mobile device. If you find it difficult to navigate, chances are that your potential clients will too. 

Social proof

This term is a marketing strategy that employs a particular psychological phenomenon. 

“Social Proof” is when the public views a particular behavior as being correct in a given situation because we see others performing the same action. 

In other words, if we see other human beings behaving in a particular way in a particular situation, we are more likely to assume the behavior is correct. 

In terms of mortgage website marketing, social proof can come from testimonials from past clients. 

These should be well promoted on your website, concise, and from one of six major sources:

1. An expert individual that recommends your services
2. Certification from a professional industry group 
3. Current or past clients who can recommend your expertise. Some examples might include social media postings or positive posts on review sites
4. The “wisdom of the crowd” is frequently a positive endorsement. For example, if you have many followers on your professional social media profiles 
5. Clients referred to you by someone they know
6. Celebrity or influencer endorsements can go far to increase your standing in the mortgage industry—provided you can get one  

Quality content

One of the most common mistakes any business owner makes with their website is focusing on the wrong details. 

Setting up a basic website isn’t that difficult these days. There are many options to buy a domain and plug in a ready-made theme for your new site. 

Or you can purchase the ubiquitous premium membership and use the included website builder tool. Easy, right?

But spending money on the site and the tools is nothing compared to the content you put on your site. If your site isn’t appealing and engaging to a potential lead almost immediately, then there’s room for improvement. 

“Content” is considered to be all of the text, videos, and images on your site. Think of the language, or copywriting, you use to guide the visitor through their sales journey. 

On the other hand, “design” is concerned with colors, layout, font style and similar elements. While each has its importance to the success of your site, content is arguably the more crucial of the two. 

Ultimately, a visitor to your site is looking for solutions to their problems. If the content on your site is not easily readable, understandable, and fits their needs, then your efforts are likely wasted. 

Make sure the services you provide, your contact information, and answers to common questions are all clearly visible throughout the site. Again, think like your customers. Go on the journey with them and make sure your mortgage website is up to par. 

Clearly defined products and services

There are several different mortgage types, all with their sub-categories. Each sub-category can have particular institutional and state-level variations. 

The general public will likely be somewhat out of their depth in the world of mortgages and not accurately know what they want, need, or what to technically call their situation. 

After all, this is likely the main reason they’re looking to professionals in the first place. 

In their search for answers to their particular mortgage situation, the best way to help them is to have clear and direct content that conveys “what you do.” 

Detail all of your services in as concise a manner as possible. 

Even if visitors are not a good match, if they can find the answers quickly, they might still consider your site a valued resource for the future. You never know, their financial situation may evolve into something that is a good match with you. 

Calls to action

One of the fundamental elements for any marketing website is the call to action (CTA) to initiate contact with your business somehow. 

Perhaps a CTA will ask the user to download an information .pdf file. Or prompts the user to sign up for a newsletter. 

Whatever your objective is, a well-crafted CTA has an excellent chance of achieving your goal. It reiterates your service and contact information and could make the user think twice about leaving your site before they contact you. 

Specific mortgage tools

Just like valuable content, offering specific tools that aid a visitor to find solutions to their mortgage problems can be a boost to your website. Specific mortgage tools might be thought of as more complicated content.  

Some examples of mortgage tools include:

• User-friendly mortgage calculators
• A frequently asked questions section (an FAQ page)
• A handy glossary of terms for the mortgage industry

But what could be the most crucial mortgage tool is the easy-to-use and secure “Mortgage Application Form.” 

Whatever template you decide on, make sure it’s plain and simple. Make it as easy as possible to navigate and fill out the information, even if it’s just a practice form so they know what to expect. 

Best Mortgage Websites—Conclusion

There are many parts to creating an effective mortgage website, more than can be put into a single article. 

But, we at least hope you have a better idea of the benefits of a mortgage website and some of the best elements that make up a superior one.

One way to solve the problem is to consult with the mortgage websites specialists at Kaleidico. 

Tell us about your project, and let’s see if we can find a solution together.