No. Your design is competing with everyone not just your competitors.
Don't get it twisted, your 2005 website design is hurting you.
In our ARIA (formerly KnowCap for Advisors) brand, we work with RIAs and financial advisors.
It worries me that many of these firms haven’t figured out that from a design perspective, you’re competing with everyone, not just other financial services companies.
Their website design is being compared to Mint, Betterment, Acorns, Qoins...and not only them it’s being compared to Mavenly, Hims, Warby Parker, and Away.
Branding is more important than ever for firms who want fast-growth within their Gen X & Y clientele. It’s why you see financial planning firms with startup-esque branding, they realize in the few years their design and client experience will be measured against the CX of all companies.
Moving out even further, many startups are making the same mistake.
They are using generic templates with broken links and using Fivver for their logo design (I love the concept of fivver by the way).
However, when it comes to building a successful brand, design is one of the top three things to address. How people feel about your mission is almost equal to the way they perceive your company. And the first way they have a chance to understand you company is likely through your design, your words, your brand.
Mail chimp and Uber just announced major rebrands last month.
When is the last time you did a branding audit of your company?