Mortgage Industry & Thoughtfulness: A Daily Work Habit Worth Cultivating

Each day you probably engage in dozens of habits that you don’t even think twice about. You wake up in the morning, shower, check your email, drink a cup of coffee, etc. And while you probably find those habits enriching in some way, there is one daily work habit that promises the most enrichment—thoughtfulness. By cultivating a habit of thoughtfulness, you can experience greater happiness, better relationships, and more business success. If you are in the mortgage industry, having your past clients refer business is an important part of cultivating new business.

What do we mean by thoughtfulness? The Mirriam-Webster Dictionary defines thoughtfulness as “showing concern for the needs or feelings of other people.” In essence, thoughtfulness means that you place a value on treating the people who you encounter throughout the day with kindness.

To make thoughtfulness become a habit, we recommend setting an intention. In the morning before you leave for work, remind yourself of your goal to be thoughtful throughout the day. You can also place reminders in locations you’ll be likely to notice them such as your bathroom mirror, car, and office phone.

As you go about your day, look for opportunities to respond thoughtfully. This might mean maintaining a positive demeanor—rather than rolling your eyes—when you’re in a long line at the gas station. Or maybe you remember a client’s birthday with a card. It could mean realizing that someone might be having a bad day and showing more patience with their behavior than you typically would.

When you begin to cultivate an attitude of thoughtfulness, you’ll find that people start to respond to you differently. They’ll often be more engaging and kind themselves. In turn, you’ll find that you enjoy your interactions more which will help you to maintain a positive attitude throughout the day. This will only add to your professional success.

Celebrating 15 years in Business!

Titan List is a full service Advertising and Design agency specializing in Direct Mail, Mortgage Marketing, Search Engine Optimization and Website / Graphic Design. Titan List has been around since 1998, and has a team of highly qualified individuals with experience in the marketing trends that fit your business. Unlike other agencies that source their work out, Titan List & Mailing handles the entire campaign in-house. Looking for a special list of data for your business? We can customize any data list for your company.

Six Important Landing Page Design Tips

People spend an average of 3-5 seconds viewing a landing page and if something doesn’t strike them as interesting, they move on. That’s why it’s so important to create an effective landing page that appeals to your customer base at first glance. And it goes without saying that the better your landing page is designed, the more conversions you’ll gain.

So before creating your next landing page, keep these considerations in mind:

Visual Appeal. Think carefully about the design of your landing page. Avoid creating a page that is cluttered with too many graphics. The design should be clean, well-thought-out and attractive. Arrange information in a way that is easy to read by using bullets, call-outs, and the like.

Direct Language. Now is not the time to be wishy-washy. Use personalized, action-packed language—the type of direct verbs that you would use on a resume, for example. Think in terms of phrases like, “Sign Up Now” or “Download Here.”

Don’t Bury Your CTA. The call-to-action (CTA) should be clearly visible and above the fold i.e. no scrolling required. Most people who visit your landing page will be reviewing its contents quickly. Don’t bury the CTA by forcing viewers to scroll for the “Sign Up Now” button.

Consumer Focused. Your landing page should focus on what you can do for your clients. Remember that your goal is to get a conversion. So, focus on the services that you provide and how you can help them meet their goals. In the process, avoid language that could be construed as pushy or condescending. Instead, aim to be personable and helpful.

Clearly Identifiable Contact Info. Be cognizant of the fact that not everyone is comfortable signing up for things online like newsletters. Make sure that your landing page indicates other ways that potential clients can reach you—for example, by telephone or email address.

Use A Testimonial. In the mortgage industry, trust is crucial. One way to earn trust is through the usage of testimonials. If you have a glowing testimonial from a former client, consider using a call-out and sticking it above the fold on your landing page. This is an effective way to sell your services without bragging directly.

Titan List is a full service Advertising and Design agency specializing in Direct Mail, Mortgage Marketing, Search Engine Optimization and Website / Graphic Design. Titan List has been around since 1998, and has a team of highly qualified individuals with experience in the marketing trends that fit your business. Unlike other agencies that source their work out, Titan List & Mailing handles the entire campaign in-house. Looking for a special list of data for your business? We can customize any data list for your company.

Get More Bang for Your Buck with Marketing Automation

In the mortgage industry, how well you market yourself can be the difference between achievement and lackluster results. And while marketing automation makes selling yourself easier, there are some key things to consider if you want to be successful with it.

But before we go any further, let’s clarify what automated marketing is. Quite simply, it’s software coupled with marketing tactics to deliver customized content to clients to increase sales. If you’ve ever placed an order on a website that recommended items to buy based on past purchasing history, you’ve been on the receiving end of automated marketing.

Perhaps you’re already using automated marketing in your business. If so, the following suggestions will help you to increase your success with it, ultimately getting more bang for your buck:

Evaluate. Based on past experience, what marketing tactics have you used that were most effective in generating new leads? Did you, for example, use content that emphasized your experience in the industry? Or perhaps you highlighted your ability to get loans for people who are traditionally difficult to obtain funding for. Your marketing strategy should focus on the selling features that have been most successful for you in the past.

Test. Before sending out any automated marketing pieces, you should always test them to eliminate errors. You don’t want to send out a piece, for example, that is addressed to “Dear FirstName LastName.” Also, you can test not just for errors but for content as well. To try this, create 2 automated marketing pieces. Send one to half of your contacts and the other one to the remainder of your contacts. See which one garners greater success and use it as the basis for developing further marketing materials.

Time Appropriately. Think carefully about when you want to deliver your message. For instance, a message delivered Saturday at midnight is likely to go straight into the trash bin. Instead, time messages for weekdays during business hours for maximum efficacy.
Share with Social Media. Some marketing automation systems have social media sharing built in. If your system includes this, make sure that you are taking full advantage by scheduling regular updates to your social media accounts.

Be Patient. As with any marketing initiative, you need to give automated marketing time to see results. Trust that if you pay regular attention to maintaining your strategy, the effort will pay off, resulting in more leads and greater revenue.

Titan List is a full service Advertising and Design agency specializing in Direct Mail, Mortgage Marketing, Search Engine Optimization and Website / Graphic Design. Titan List has been around since 1998, and has a team of highly qualified individuals with experience in the marketing trends that fit your business. Unlike other agencies that source their work out, Titan List & Mailing handles the entire campaign in-house. Looking for a special list of data for your business? We can customize any data list for your company.

Mortgage Broker: Using Your Website to Make a Statement

In the mortgage industry, your website should be a source of information and education. Customers are most satisfied when you keep them filled with information about real-estate terms, credit score do’s and don’ts, and other ‘universal’ information that would benefit them when thinking about their mortgage situation. This information tends to be more generic and less personal, but still essential for your readers.

But one place that should be personal and customized is the content on your home page. Why you ask?

⦁ This is your one chance to impress a site visitor and share with them why you are themortgage broker they should work with.

⦁ It may be the only page on your site that they visit.

⦁ It gives you the opportunity to differentiate yourself from your competitors.

⦁ Search engines will rank you higher if your content is more unique. 

A personalized home page is a must. Here are some tips to make it the best.

⦁ What is your brand? Start with three things that you want your clients to know. This is your chance to define yourself through your messaging. How many loans have you closed? Brag about it. Do you specialize in specific financing markets? Talk about each one. Are you great to work with? Let them know why. If you don’t tell your readers about the things that make you unique than they won’t know.

⦁ If you have taken our ‘We’ test than you know the importance of making your customer the subject of your content. This is no different when it comes to your homepage. People like to talk about themselves, and they like when you talk about them as well. Avoid using ‘I’ and ‘We’ in your content. Instead use ‘You’ and ‘Your’ to identify with your customer. Talk about their problems and how you can help.

⦁ Don’t waste their time. When someone visits your site, you only have seconds to capture his or her attention. A ‘welcome to our website’ is not going to help you prove to them to stay on your site. Instead, something along the lines of “With 15 years of customer-focused mortgage experience, ABC company can help with your mortgage needs’ would be better and more to the point.

⦁ Use keywords in your content. If your prospective clients are searching for your services, what type of words or phrases would they put into a search engine? Are these words and phrases on your home page? If they don’t fit naturally into your messaging, be sure to include them in your page’s keywords.

⦁ Break up your content with bullet points. No one wants to read paragraph after paragraph of information. They want to be able to quickly scan your website to determine if it’s worth their time to stay and learn more about you. By using bullet points, you help your reader digest important information about you more quickly.

⦁ Use images and graphics. People are naturally drawn to pictures and it helps break up content. Make sure the images are relevant to your business and include them on your home page.

⦁ Review your home page and then have someone else review it. Have someone that you trust to give honest feedback, both good and bad, look over your home page. They don’t have to be mortgage experts either. The more people you have look at your site, the better it will be.

⦁ Make your home page a continuous project. Customizing your homepage is not a one-time gig. You should come back to it often and re-evaluate its relevance and appeal. You don’t need to make changes every week, or even every month. But don’t assume that just because it worked in the beginning that it will work all the time. Keep your look and information current to ensure you are representing yourself accurately.

If you follow these simple tips, you are one step closer to engaging with your prospective clients and proving to them that you are the best to work with.

Titan List is a full service Advertising and Design agency specializing in Direct Mail, Mortgage Marketing, Search Engine Optimization and Website / Graphic Design. Titan List has been around since 1998, and has a team of highly qualified individuals with experience in the marketing trends that fit your business. Unlike other agencies that source their work out, Titan List & Mailing handles the entire campaign in-house. Looking for a special list of data for your business? We can customize any data list for your company.