Web design for the financial sector
Financial services web design
A financial firm's website has two jobs that pull against each other: satisfy the regulator and persuade a cautious prospect to book a meeting. We design for both from the first wireframe.
Book a CallPeople choosing a financial adviser, wealth manager or investment firm are being asked to trust a stranger with something that matters a great deal to them. Their first impression is almost always the website, often viewed on a phone, often late in the evening, and often alongside two or three competitors. They are looking for signals: who these people are, whether they work with someone like me, what it will cost, and how hard it is to start a conversation. A site that answers those questions clearly earns the call. One that hides them behind stock imagery and generic reassurance loses it.
At the same time, every page of a regulated firm's site is a financial promotion or sits next to one. Risk warnings, status disclosures, past performance, and claims about outcomes all carry rules. Many agencies treat compliance as a final check that strips the life out of the copy, and many compliance teams receive sites that were never designed to accommodate what they need. NewGenTech is a UK agency registered in London that works only with financial and professional-services firms, so the regulatory requirements are part of the brief rather than an obstacle discovered at the end.
Our research into page-one financial planner and IFA websites in twelve UK cities found that fewer than a third show their FCA Firm Reference Number, and most publish no fees. See the UK Financial Planner Website Index.
Where financial websites go wrong
They say what every competitor says
Trusted, independent, bespoke, holistic. Prospects comparing firms read the same words on every site and stop noticing them. A clear statement of who the firm serves and what it does differently is more persuasive than any adjective, and it is also easier for compliance to approve because it is specific and verifiable.
Compliance is bolted on at the end
Risk warnings pasted into footers, disclaimers that interrupt every paragraph, and late rewrites that leave copy stilted. When regulatory content is designed into the layout from the start, it can be prominent where it must be and unobtrusive elsewhere, and the site reads as confident rather than defensive.
Fees and process are a mystery
Many firms avoid explaining how they charge or what happens in a first meeting. Prospects interpret silence as either high cost or something to hide. Plain explanations of fee structures and the steps from enquiry to engagement reduce anxiety and support the Consumer Duty expectation that customers can understand what they are buying.
The site cannot book a meeting
A contact form that drops into an inbox is still the most common call to action. It adds a delay at the exact moment a prospect is motivated, and the reply often arrives after they have spoken to someone else. A booking step with a few qualifying questions turns interest into an appointment immediately.
What goes into a financial services website we build
Positioning and copy written for your clients
We start with who you serve best and why they choose you, then write every page around that client, in plain English. Copy is drafted to be fair, clear and not misleading from the first version, so compliance review becomes a check rather than a rewrite.
Regulatory content designed into the layout
Status disclosures, risk warnings, complaints information and important notices are placed where the rules and good practice require, styled so they are legible without dominating the page. Templates for articles and fund or service pages carry the right warnings automatically, so new content cannot go live without them.
People, proof and process up front
Named advisers or managers with their qualifications and a genuine photograph, a clear description of the process from first conversation to ongoing service, and honest information about fees. Testimonials and performance information are only used where your compliance function confirms they meet the rules.
Booking and qualification on every page
A calendar link with a few short questions replaces the contact form, so prospects can book a first meeting the moment they are ready and advisers know who they are seeing. Out-of-hours enquiries receive an immediate, accurate acknowledgement rather than silence.
Fast, accessible and secure by default
Pages that load quickly on a phone, meet accessibility guidelines, and run on modern hosting with security headers and sensible cookie consent. Where investors or clients need a gated area for documents or reporting, it is designed into the architecture rather than added as a separate login later.
Connected to your CRM and back office
Enquiries and bookings flow into the CRM or back-office platform you already use, with the qualification answers attached and a timestamped record of each contact. Marketing pages can be edited by your team through a simple content system, with approval steps so nothing reaches the live site before compliance has seen it.
Financial promotions, Consumer Duty and data
Websites for FCA-authorised firms are subject to the financial promotions rules: communications must be fair, clear and not misleading, risk warnings must be prominent where required, and claims about past performance or outcomes carry specific conditions. The Consumer Duty adds an expectation that communications support customer understanding. We design with those standards built in, keep an audit trail of approved copy, and leave final sign-off with your compliance function or network, which is where the regulator places responsibility.
NewGenTech is not FCA-authorised and does not approve financial promotions or give advice; our role is to build a site that makes compliant marketing easy to publish and maintain. Enquiry data is collected under UK GDPR with a clear privacy notice, analytics only run after cookie consent, and contact details are stored in systems the firm controls.
Common questions
Who do you build financial services websites for?
Independent and restricted financial advisers, financial planners, wealth managers, investment and fund managers, family offices, and mortgage and protection brokers. Accountancy practices have their own requirements and we cover them separately. Our own demo site, Global Wealth, shows the approach in practice and is clearly labelled as a demonstration rather than a client.
How do you handle FCA financial promotions on the website?
We draft copy to be fair, clear and not misleading, design risk warnings and status disclosures into the layout, and build templates that add required warnings to new content automatically. Final approval stays with your compliance function or network. We keep a record of approved versions so you can show what was live and when.
Can you redesign our site without losing search rankings?
Yes. Before changing anything we map every existing page that receives search traffic or links and redirect each one to its closest new equivalent. Most ranking losses after a redesign come from deleted pages and broken links rather than the design itself, and careful planning avoids them. We also fix technical issues that may be holding the current site back.
Do you work with firms outside London?
Yes. NewGenTech is registered in London but works with firms across the UK, and the whole process runs remotely through video calls and shared drafts. If your clients search with a town or region name, we can build pages for the areas you genuinely serve and set up your Google Business Profile so local searches find you.
Can we include client testimonials and reviews?
Possibly, depending on your permissions and your compliance function's view. Testimonials in financial promotions must not be misleading and must reflect typical experience, and some networks restrict them. We design the site so testimonials or review widgets can be added once approved, and so it still persuades without them, using clarity about people, process and fees instead.
How much does a financial services website cost?
It depends on the number of pages, whether you need a gated client area, and how much booking and follow-up automation is connected, so we quote after a short call. We design your homepage first, and you only commit to the full build if you are happy with it, which lets you judge the work itself rather than a proposal.
The NewGenTech guarantee
We design your homepage first.
You only pay if you love it.
Tell us about your firm and we will show you what your new site could look like, before a single invoice.
- No cost to start
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- Live in seven days