Many firms start with personal preferences when creating a website, but these aspects are subjective. Websites built with this approach often fail on two very important measures: whether the design and messaging resonate with your external audience and whether key information is easy to find.
Being objective can offer meaningful insights into a website's likely effectiveness.
How can you be objective about something so subjective?
An objective website evaluation considers quantifiable metrics rather than personal opinions.
This approach is crucial for several reasons:
Making the right first impression:
Investors appreciate beautiful websites but will quickly become frustrated (and leave) if they cannot find the information they need. Focusing on objective factors will help you map user journeys to key information and position calls to action effectively. It is difficult for a firm to recover from the impression made by a poorly structured website.
Engaging investors, target portfolio companies, and prospective new hires:
Simple navigation, prominent links to key information, and frequent updates all contribute to better engagement. What does better engagement mean? It means users spend more time on your site, giving you more opportunities to influence them.
How do you determine if a website is fit for purpose?
We have evaluated over 400 different GP websites. To ensure an objective assessment, we developed scoring criteria focused on removing the potential for bias:
Readability:
Having reviewed hundreds of asset manager websites, we have an instinct for which messages work and which do not. To eliminate subjectivity from our assessment, we used online tools to measure the length and overall readability of each website’s text.
A website's message should be easy to understand. If a post-graduate education level is required to grasp your investment strategy, most will forget it., and those who remember it may lack the courage to repeat it to colleagues.
Remember, many visitors will be junior analysts tasked with assessing a large pool of fund managers. With clearer, punchier, more memorable messaging, your firm is more likely be presented to their investment committees.
User journey:
Your content needs to be readable and findable. Effective websites focus on ease of access to essential information. As part of our research, we looked at the number of links to key information throughout each website.
Your main goal may be for audiences to learn more about your investment strategy or view the companies in your portfolio. Whatever your main objectives are, build simple, well-signposted routes to support them. Create clear paths throughout the site that guide users to essential information.
Content updates:
Frequently updated websites score better on Google and Bing’s search rankings. Static websites are more likely to fall down this ranking. Of course, you don’t want to keep updating your core messaging, so the best way to keep your site active is by publishing regular content.
Across the 400+ websites, we evaluated the recency and frequency of blog content. Publishing weekly news articles, thought pieces, and press releases does not only serve SEO purposes. It also provides opportunities to demonstrate your knowledge and achievements, or support claims made elsewhere on your website or in your marketing materials.
Visual interest:
Design is one of the most subjective aspects of a website evaluation. As part of our analysis, we focus on which visual elements are present – not how effective those elements are. This includes the use of background videos, infographics, and animation. These elements help your content stand out and provide users with a more engaging experience.
Accessibility and responsiveness:
Several online tools are available to assess whether a website complies with accessibility standards.
Similar tools measure mobile responsiveness. With a broad user base accessing websites on mobile, a responsive design that adapts to desktop, tablet, or mobile phone viewing is non-negotiable. That’s why our evaluation issues a steep penalty if a site is not responsive.
Is your website up to scratch?
When done right, your website is a powerful tool for reaching new investors and influencing investment decisions.
Reach out if you want an objective view on how your website ranks within your peer group. You might be surprised by the results!
