As a mortgage lender, are you aware of your most powerful lead-generation source?

In 2022, it’s not social media, referrals, or email — even though these all have their place in a solid mortgage marketing strategy. 

It’s your own website.

If you’re not convinced, let’s take a step back to view the bigger picture: Where are all these other sources drawing from? Where can customers easily find all your information, contact you, and start the mortgage process with the click of a button?

Consider these statistics on buyer preferences from the National Association of Realtors and Ellie Mae:

• Millennials make up 43% of home buyers — the most of any generation
• Millennials and Gen Z — the next generation in line to start buying — base their lending decisions on mobile app offerings
• The majority of consumers believe they should be able to apply for a mortgage through their preferred device

The desire for digital tools is already in full force, but it’s continuing to grow at a rapid speed as all generations of buyers push for the convenience of homebuying at their fingertips.

This all starts with a beautifully designed mortgage website, filled with information and tools that make the mortgage process as simple and straightforward as possible.

Let’s dig into the 10 features mortgage websites need to generate leads.

Clear mission statement

Have you ever landed on a company’s homepage thinking it’s what you searched for, but can’t find what they do or who they are?

This happens more often than you think and can be frustrating and confusing for the reader. Don’t count on people doing any digging to figure it out—the majority will simply click away and never give the site a second thought.

That’s why the first major feature your mortgage website needs is a bold, clear mission statement right on the homepage.

Compass Mortgage tackles its mission head-on from the second you land on its page. In bold, clear letters, they have the keyword “home loans,” while expressing what makes them unique: a personal touch.

Then, the mission is immediately followed by calls to action: “I want to purchase a home,” or “I want to refinance.”

Compass Mortgage also has included and highlighted their phone number, for those who immediately want to connect via phone.

With a clear purpose and CTAs front and center, Compass provides multiple lead paths for readers from the moment they arrive on the page.

Loan program landing pages

Compass Mortgage also have links to their most popular mortgage loan programs listed in the navigation menu at the top of the page.

Successful mortgage websites have landing pages for each of their loan programs—or at least for the most popular options they want to be advertised.

Loan program landing pages detail who qualifies, how it works, and the benefits of the loan.

This is a mortgage lender’s opportunity to answer the reader’s most-asked questions about the loan type, so they can confidently hit the “Purchase” button and move on to the next step of the process.

Mortgage calculators

Mortgage calculators are a must-have lead generation tool for your readers. The more, the better!

Calculators empower your readers to contact a lender. The tools allow them to perform some initial research on their financial situation and understand how to speak to a lender about it.

Note Homefinity’s list of calculator options in the drop-down menu at the top right of the page.

They offer an affordability calculator to help readers see how much home they can afford, a mortgage payment calculator to determine monthly payments, a refinance calculator to help them determine whether it’s a good time to refinance, and more.

The bonus feature is the opportunity to provide even more information next to the calculator and explain to readers how it works so it doesn’t seem intimidating.

Daily mortgage rates

Mortgage rates are always a hot topic. Rates have recently been on the move for months following record lows.

Give your readers a well-designed rate page they’ll keep in their bookmarks and check daily.

No matter what page you’re on, Homefinity’s “See Today’s Rates” button is locked in the header. Once you click on it, they offer rates for various loan types. 

When the reader is ready to make a move, they can click the “Personalize My Rate” button and be taken to a progressive form that collects information on their unique loan scenario. More on progressive forms next!

Progressive forms

Progressive forms, or lead paths, usually are woven into the CTA buttons.

Unlike clunky pop-ups and contact forms of the past that look like homework, a mortgage broker website’s or lender website’s progressive form has a different purpose: To gradually, progressively capture information one question at a time.

When done correctly, the process results in something of value for the reader. In Homefinity’s case, it’s information on loan options and rates tailored to the information the reader provided in the form.

This results in a win for all parties: Helpful loan information for the reader, and valuable contact information for the lender.

Customer contact forms

Customer contact forms are a must-have feature for any mortgage website because you can’t really turn your readers into customers unless you have a way to personally connect with them.

While sticking a simple contact form on the side of a blog post or landing page might get you some emails, most readers won’t bother unless you’re offering something of value.

Contact forms are most effective at the end of a progressive form, or if you’re offering something substantial, like an ebook or video series.

These are nearly foolproof methods to gather contact information because readers are much more likely to hand over their precious information if you’re going to be offering something just as valuable.

Bonus points for Homefinity placing some customer testimonials on the side to really make the final push.

Loan officer profile pages

Every mortgage website needs a team page where readers can view all loan officer pictures and contact information, and individually connect with their lender of choice.

The best mortgage websites take it a step further and include individual loan officer profiles with their contact information, NMLS number, biography, reviews, and more.

Any features that add a more personal touch will appeal to the reader, and help them feel more comfortable reaching out to connect and apply.

Lead magnet

Wait, hasn’t everything up to this point been a lead magnet? We hope so, but a true lead magnet provides the reader with free and valuable information in the form of downloadable content or content upgrades.

In exchange for this content, such as an ebook, a reader must simply provide their email address, and the free lead magnet will be dropped into their email.

Compass Mortgage offers a lead magnet in the form of their “Mortgage 101 Handbook.”

This comprehensive guide includes everything a first-time buyer should know about buying or financing their first home.

Educational blog content

A mortgage website is not complete—and cannot compete—without a blog page or learning center, where readers can find all the answers to their most-asked questions about the mortgage process.

A blog is a traffic machine. Keyword-rich content has the ability to pull in readers in droves, and the more you add to and update your blog, the higher you’ll rank on Google.

The blog is where a mortgage company’s offerings and expertise can truly shine, whether they are creating the content themselves or not.

Blogs also are another space to strategically embed videos, lead magnets, and progressive forms, and finish off with an unbeatable CTA.

Check out Assist Home Loans’ blog for a clean, organized example of the types of topics your readers want to know. And no blog is complete without a clearly placed search bar — who wants to sift through pages of content to find the topic you really need?

Testimonials page

Searching for a lender online can feel uncomfortable to some readers. 

Features such as lender profiles, blog posts, and testimonials can really prove to the reader that you’re a legitimate online mortgage lender, you have the talent to connect with them digitally, and you have customers willing to speak up on your behalf.

Reviews on your website bring the power of referrals into the digital sphere, where customers can connect with readers and specifically call out why you’re the best mortgage lender, and why they should work with you over anyone else.

Kaleidico—your mortgage lead generation agency

Kaleidico is a marketing and lead generation agency with more than 15 years of experience in the marketing and mortgage industries.

Our team specializes in web design, web development, graphic design, SEO, PPC, email marketing, and content marketing.

Implementing a lead generation strategy that works for your unique objectives can be challenging to navigate on your own. That’s where we come in: We’ll build your website, run your paid ad campaigns, and produce all content. 

We are eager to share what we know to help mortgage lenders and brokers build their own successful mortgage lead generation websites.

Schedule a discovery session with us today to talk about your company’s goals and discuss how we can help you meet those goals.

Photo by Kindel Media