Advisers need to make sure their websites are mobile-friendly if they want to succeed in growing their business, research has found.
Research for The Yardstick Agency found the number of people accessing an adviser's website from a desktop computer has fallen from 72 per cent to 63 per cent over the course of 2017.
Meanwhile access by mobile phones and tablets has both increased.
Phil Bray, director of The Yardstick Agency, said an adviser's website it their "shop window" in their bid to find new clients.
He said: "From referrals and recommendations, to people who find the site after a Google or directory search, what the visitor sees will increase or decrease the likelihood of them getting in touch with the adviser.
"For existing clients, as well as potential new clients, an adviser’s website should also be a hub of useful and relevant information, which can be used to improve their personal finances.
"Based on our research, adviser websites are heading in the right direction.
"The research also reveals opportunities, principally the need to improve traffic levels from social media, as well as threats; increased traffic levels from mobile and tablets, which mean advisers must ensure their website is mobile compatible."
Mr Bray has created The Yardstick Adviser Website index, which allows advisers to compare the performance of their website to those of their peers.
The data has been collated by reviewing the Google Analytics accounts of adviser websites; some of whom are Yardstick clients.
The index found the average adviser website received 406 visits a month from 281 unique users, which remained fairly static over the course of 2017.
Most people either came across an adviser's website either by searching online for it, in 39 per cent of cases, or by going there directly, in 37 per cent of cases.
Only 10 per cent of all visits to adviser websites came from social media.
Ian Gwinnell, director of All Counties Financial, said: "I don't think websites are important for attracting new clients. We don't get a great deal of business from our website.
"It works to verify a firm does exist but the information we put onto it has to be quite limited because each individual case is unique."
damian.fantato@ft.com
