IFAs ‘Must Promote Themselves Online’

by Oliver Ewbank on 12th November 2010

Independent financial advisers (IFAs) have been told they must do more to promote their businesses over the internet.

In a speech at IFA Life's Social Media conference, the organisation's founder Philip Calvert explained that more professionals in his field could benefit from the use of SEO services, reports Money Marketing.

"Throughout the recession, the number of people searching for upmarket financial planning terms absolutely rocketed," he explained.

"At the same time, the number of IFAs appearing early on in search results is going down fast."

His comments were backed up by Google industry manager for financial services Robert Pink, who revealed that 86 per cent of people who buy life insurance offline conduct research into policies on the internet first.

Earlier this month, David Smith, managing director of e-retail industry body IMRG, warned that businesses which do not embrace the opportunities to reach customers offered by the internet risk being left behind by their competitors.