Are you a mortgage broker looking to take your business online? The recent housing boom in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic has real estate agents and loan officers experiencing people snapping up houses at rates not seen since the 2007 housing bust.

If your company doesn't have an online presence, you're leaving money on the table. The mortgage industry is moving online, and you need a digital marketing plan to capitalize on the market momentum.

Many mortgage brokers realize the importance of owning a website. However, they lack the skills and expertise to build the site and marketing savvy to use the platform to their advantage.

If your website is nothing more than an information site hanging out in cyberspace, you need to reevaluate your marketing plan.

Your website needs to act as a lead-generating machine, pumping a steady stream of qualified prospects into your sales funnels. When your website is running correctly, you'll find that it's the only marketing source you need to keep your pipeline full.

Are you ready to capitalize on the hottest real estate market in the last 15-years? This post will examine how to create a mortgage broker website that gets your company results in 2021 and beyond.

What are the features of top mortgage broker websites?

Take some time to browse your competition websites. You'll find that the best ones all use the same design model and features. Financial firms are typically slow with tech adoption, as the legacy systems they're using are extensive and a hassle to change.

However, you need to update your site or build a new one to keep up with technological innovations in the market. Let's look at our top factors you'll find in outstanding mortgage broker website design.

#1 AI and machine learning for personalized user experiences

According to Business Insider research, more than 75% of all banking institutions are either in the process of changing or are thinking about changing their current tech systems.

Most banks admit they're keen on using artificial intelligence solutions to help manage internal processes. That's important to note for your mortgage business.

Since many of the integrations on your site connect to banking systems (credit checks etc.) You'll need to ensure any new systems you build into your platform can connect to future systems implemented by banks and other financial firms.

Implementing AI solutions on your website helps to speed up the loan application process. Using AI in your site functions and features enhance user experiences, tailoring it to the prospect's requirements.

#2 Intelligent marketing features

All the top mortgage broker websites rely heavily on marketing features to drive business on the platform. Building the following features into your website increase customer engagement and conversion.

Opt-in lead magnets

Opt-in strategies let you capture your prospect's details when they want to access a specific section of the site. For example, you can attach an opt-in lead magnet to your mortgage calculator. When the client uses the tool, they need to enter their contact details to gain access to the calculator.

Opt-in lead magnets are the crux of your lead generation strategy, sending qualified prospects directly to your sales funnel. You can add opt-in lead magnets to all your web pages, along with clever CTAs (Call-to-Action) that push your prospect into completing the contact form.

Your contact form serves the same purpose as your opt-in strategy. Prospects complete the contact form when they want to request information from your brokerage. These leads are hot and require immediate action by your sales team to convert the prospect.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

The best mortgage broker websites all utilize SEO strategies to boost the sites ranking in search and SERP results. Search and SERP is how a customer finds your business online. If they type "mortgage broker in my area" into Google or Bing, they get thousands of results.

Using SEO strategies, you ensure that your mortgage broker website ends up on the front page of Google results. There are several strategies involved with SEO and website optimization. All SEO strategies require technical know-how to implement.

If you're not an internet marketing guru, you'll need to work with a digital marketing agency to execute an SEO strategy for your site. It's important to note that an SEO strategy takes time to show results.

It may be 6-months or longer before you start seeing your SEO strategy's effects show up in your visitor traffic. However, when your blog does start gaining traction, you'll find it's a useful marketing tool that brings your business new leads.

Social media

Top mortgage broker sites understand the power of social media marketing. Social platforms give you the best way to find qualifies prospects in your area. Facebook ads are an excellent example of a social platform with huge marketing potential.

Using the Facebook ads manager, you can create custom marketing campaigns, laser-targeting your audience. Facebook ads come with various useful strategies, such as retargeting campaigns and the ability to set your budget.

If you're looking to get the best reach online, marketing through Facebook and YouTube ads is a great way to build your brand reputation online and draw more qualified leads to your business.

Your site should include social media integrations, allowing your prospect to move freely between the platforms.

LinkedIn is another excellent way to build your brand's reputation online. LinkedIn is the largest professional social network online.

You can drop mini-blogs on your page to help build your reputation. If there are social buttons on your site, prospects and clients can move freely between the platforms to check out your content.

Blog

Your blog acts as an informational resource for prospects and clients and a marketing tool for your company. Add a blog to your site, and populate it with compelling content relating to the mortgage industry.

Your blog eventually becomes an education resource, drawing more eyeballs through search. The search bots like recommending fresh content, and your blog gives you the advantage your company needs to climb the search rankings.

Your blog also offers you an opportunity to use it form link building tasks. Look to make link swaps with other authority sites. You could host guest blogs on your site in exchange for a link swap with an authority website.

Your blog gains authority with every post you publish. After a few years of rolling out your content strategy, you'll have a library of useful blogs for your customers that are attractive to the search bots when indexing your pages.

#3 Automated digital workflows

Top mortgage broker sites rely on CRM solutions for managing their client base. A Customer Relationship Management solution comes in a variety of designs, with varying levels of functionality.

A CRM acts as the central nerve hub of your brokerage business. You collect all your client information and open clients' files on the CRM system, allowing you to manage every aspect of the client relationships from the open to the close.

Advanced CRM solutions integrate with various useful tools, helping with the automation of workflows and marketing strategies. The system takes care of redundant tasks that take up your time, increasing employee productivity and engagement.

With a CRM for your mortgage loan business, you can manage prospects, clients, and referrals from one platform. The intuitive navigation of the platform allows you to check on every stage of the sales process.

The CRM links to your sales funnels, showing you the real-time position of all your prospects as they move through the process.

A CRM offers technological solutions that streamline and automate repetitive workplace tasks like object and character recognition, loan fee recalculations, automatic-generation disclosure policies, and more.

Sales funnels are another example of a digital workflow that benefits your company. A sales funnel receives fresh marketing leads from your lead magnets. When the prospect enters the top of the funnel, they progress through a series of specially-designed emails designed to convert them into a client.

You'll get access to see where all your prospects are in the funnel. You can link your sales funnel to analytics tools to see how each stage is performing. If you notice you're getting prospects exiting the funnel at a certain stage, you adjust it to create the performance you desire.

Sales funnels ensure there's no more cold-calling in your business. Instead, the leads come to you. We're sure you'll agree that it's much easier working with a qualified prospect that cold-calling a number.

#4 Mobile-centric design

More than 50% of all the inquires to your mortgage broker website come from mobile devices. Mobile traffic is key to online success, and without it, you're losing out on clients.

Therefore, you need to ensure your landing pages are mobile-friendly. If a client uses their phone to navigate your site, and they must pinch-and-zoom to move around the page, they'll bounce back to the search results.

It's frustrating dealing with templates that aren't compatible with mobile devices, and you'll end up losing more than 50% of your inquiries. Mobile is the way the world is moving, and you need to get on board the mobile train with your website design.

What are the functions of top mortgage broker websites?

Browse through your competitor websites, and you'll notice that they all have useful features on the site for prospects. When a candidate lands on your homepage, your job is to keep them there. You achieve this strategy by offering value on your site.

The following examples of mortgage broker websites are essential for your platform's functionality. Features work in driving engagement with home buyers, helping you take your best shot at converting them into a customer.

#1 A real estate mortgage calculator

A mortgage calculator is an excellent example of a handy web tool to have on your site. The mortgage calculator takes information from your prospect. The program uses it to determine their credit score and the terms they can expect from taking a mortgage.

The calculator is an excellent qualifying tool for your site. It's the first touch-point with the prospect, and if your candidate doesn't qualify, it doesn't waste your time drafting a proposal. The calculator links to your website, triggering automatic home loan denials for any ineligible applicant.

When the prospect lands on your homepage, they enter their details into the calculator to receive the loan information. However, at the same time, they're unknowingly entering your sales funnel.

If the client comes back as a qualified prospect, the system alerts you of a new candidate, showing you the data they requested in the calculator.

As a result, you get a qualified prospect, and you know what they're looking for in a deal. You have the option of letting your sales funnel do the work of converting them into a client, or you could reach out to the prospect using the information you collect through your calculator.

#2 Banking platform integrations

Your mortgage broker website needs to integrate with third-party banking APIs to produce up-to-date information. Whether your prospect is looking to refinance or take a new home loan, the calculator needs access to the latest market data to produce accurate results.

With open-banking integrations, your mortgage company gets access to your prospect's financial data, including their monthly income, tax information, credit score, and social security information.

Open banking allows your site to make fast, precise decisions about issuing loans.

#3 KYC (know-your-customer) verification

Mortgage professionals understand the importance of KYC and AML legislation. KYC protocols are a must-have integration to your site, ensuring that your business remains compliant with all banking and lending practices.

KYC policies help you check on the legitimacy of your prospect's identity, preventing any fraud. Some systems can identify candidates through facial recognition software, scouring identity resources online to verify your new client.

Along with these features, KYC procedures allow for automated checks while facilitating risk scoring of your prospect.

What does it cost to create a mortgage broker website?

If you're taking the traditional route with a WordPress website design, your site costs could range between $2,500 to $25,000, depending on the level of functionality you require.

Mortgage website design is expensive. The costs of building your site, making the necessary template customizations, and buying a domain name, add to your budget.

You'll also need to get components like SSL certificates and have someone install them on your website. Building the site costs money, but it takes money to make money, right?

Do I need to work with professional design teams?

Chances are you know nothing about website design. Sure, you could try and learn it yourself to save your company a few dollars on your budget.

However, you're not a designer, and even using free solutions like a Wix web-builder won't get you far in your site design.

You'll need to consult with a qualified and experienced design team. The team handles every aspect of your website build, working with you to ensure you get the site design you want.

A professional design team can help you launch and maintain your site, ensuring that it's always up and running and secure.

Your design team builds custom and attractive mortgage website templates, elevating your status as a service provider. You can include any design features you want on your site, including calculators and banking API solutions.

Why should I choose B12?

If you're looking for a professional website design for your mortgage broker business, reach out to B12. B12 is a leading design team ready to take your business to the next level.

B12 will build you a fully-functional website that's a marketing machine for lead generation.

AI-driven design – B12 utilizes artificial intelligence and machine-learning algorithms to create template designers for your company. Visit the site, and take a brief questionnaire about your company. The intuitive AI comes up with a draft proposal for your site design in less than 5-minutes.

Access to a real design team – While B12 utilizes AI processes, you also have a capable and experienced design team working on your website's look and feel.

Fast turnaround – Most website design firms take two months or longer to build your mortgage broker site, depending on the functionality required. With B12s AI-assisted design service, you get your website ready for launch in half the time.

Affordable subscriptions – B12 offers you a subscription service pricing structure, allowing you to tailor your package to your company's needs.

Managed platforms – B12 manages every aspect of your site, ensuring that it's optimized and working efficiently. If your site needs any fixes, the B12 team notifies you through your dashboard, giving you one-click approvals for the changes.

Third-party integrations – B12 integrates with CRMs sales funnels and other third-party tools to enhance your website functionality.

SEO and marketing tools – Your B12 website comes with custom lead capture forms and marketing tools to help you launch email campaigns and optimize your site. The SEP Pro subscription even includes a monthly SEO blog for your website.

Visit the B12 website and get a free AI-assisted draft of your loan officer website in less than five minutes.