2018 Web Trends All Mortgage Professionals Must Know About (Free Guide!)

Connect and Share:
Twitter
Visit Us
LinkedIn
Share
YOUTUBE
INSTAGRAM

Last year, we wrote an end-of-the-year digital mortgage predictions post that was spot on. But to be fair, it wasn’t so much a prediction as it was a well researched report.

In the digital world, as it is in finance, if you want to stay in the game (and know where the money is!) you need to know about these 2018 web trends!

Here are the top 2018 Digital Mortgage trends that every mortgage professional needs to know about.

High-Value Content

What it is: Content is everything from the words on your homepage to static reference articles on your site. Content is also blog posts, informational videos, eBooks, PDF guides, email campaigns, infographics, and last but bot least: social media posts.

Content is every single message that you put out into the digital sphere for your consumer to read.

Why this matters: Consumers have a voracious appetite for answers. We call this “content.”

Content is also one of the top ways to get the attention of search engines.

But notice that we said high-value.

While an occasional update on the latest loan you closed or pictures of the team luncheon is excellent for a personable connection, at the end of the day, the consumer wants to know what’s in it for them.

Would your 2018 consumer say your content is high-quality? Does it add value to their search for the ideal lender? Does it help them navigate the modern mortgage process?

Creating high-quality content takes time, but in 2018, it’s critical! (more on this later)

Here’s how to do it:
Option 1. Write and create the content yourself
Option 2. If you work with a team, have everyone contribute to content creation
Option 3. Hire a professional copywriter or digital storyteller to create a steady stream custom mortgage content — or at least a few key cornerstone pieces like mortgage info videos.
Option 3 ½. Outsource some of the content creation, such as using a mortgage website with an integrated blog feed.

Seize those Micro-Moments

What it is: A micro-moment is that golden window when the consumer uses their device to take immediate action — because they must click to find out, watch the video, buy now, call now, take action now.

Why this matters: We’ve written about the stats on consumer mobile usage before because the numbers are mind-blowing:

And there’s no slowing down these mobile-first stats! Take advantage of the micro-moment and the instant-gratification-seeking mortgage consumer and give them solutions they need right now.

Here’s how to do it:

  • Mobile responsive mortgage website
  • Mobile responsive lead capture form.
  • Call now button
  • Mobile responsive 1003 to apply or prequalify

Adapt to Semantic SEO

What it is: Traditional SEO uses keywords or phrases to help search engines to index your site. But in 2018, search engines like Google work semantically, meaning that they look for the meaning behind the search — not just the words the user typed into the search bar.

Why it matters: This advanced SEO method works in your favor! You can stop losing sleep over trying to outrank gorilla lenders for “low-rate home loans.”

Instead, you can target a broader topic and pair it with local SEO phrases to increase your chances of organic traffic to your mortgage site.

How to do it: Say you’re looking to target homebuyer with low credit in Augusta, Georgia. Consider what sorts of phrases they would search for and their intent behind their search. So if they type in, “loan rates in Augusta”, what are they really looking for?

  • Low rate home loans in Augusta
  • Help with mortgage
  • Credit score and buying a home
  • Affordable homes in Augusta
  • Credit score
  • Do I qualify for a home loan?

You get the idea. Use those phrases throughout your mortgage site and as a baseline for creating high-value content.

Remember that Google is looking for intent. Keyword stuffing is not going to make the cut.

Google works to be consumer-first, so your best bet at search engine ranking in 2018 is to make your content consumer-first, too!

Intuitive Consumer Experience

What it is: 2018 is going to be a benchmark year for an intuitive consumer experience, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) has a lot to do with it. It may seem like it’s years away, but you’ve already been using it — you just may not have noticed!

  1. Semantic SEO mentioned above is AI.
  2. Suggested items to buy on Amazon is AI.
  3. Suggested filters on Snapchat based the image is AI.
  4. The ads that you see on Facebook and Instagram are AI.

Why it matters: The promise to the user is that an intuitive consumer experience will guide them to the precise answer they’re looking for (sometimes even before the consumer knows the question!)

The promise to the mortgage professional is that it will match them with targeted mortgage prospects that easily convert to hot mortgage leads!

How to do it: You don’t need a deep understanding of AI to have an intuitive consumer experience. In fact, the world’s leading experts have already done most of the work for you!

Google has taken care of the AI search engine for you, all you have to do is use semantic SEO to plug into it.

Pay-Per-Click campaigns with AdWords, Facebook Ads, or Instagram Ads also rely on the AI. Use semantic SEO on your mortgage PPC campaign pair it with a mobile responsive landing page for an intuitive experience.

Make it easy for the consumer to engage with your website! 2018 mortgage consumers want to be catered to every step of the way –and that includes mortgage websites!

Is your mortgage website ready for 2018?

Download our free checklist and eBook “Making Easier To Engage With Your Site in 2018”!

Connect and Share:
Twitter
Visit Us
LinkedIn
Share
YOUTUBE
INSTAGRAM

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.