CLIENT
IFA Outsource
SECTOR
Financial Services / Professional Services
THE RESULT
More inbound clients + team expansion
The problem
IFA Outsource provides specialist outsourced administrative and back-office support to independent financial advisers across the UK. Its founder, Joanne Pearce, has more than 30 years of experience in financial services, holds a CertPFS qualification and has developed particular expertise in Intelliflo, the software used by financial advisory businesses.
The business had the experience, specialist knowledge and satisfied clients. What it didn't have was a digital presence that communicated those strengths.
Joanne had built her own website using Wix. While it provided a basic online presence, it wasn't properly demonstrating her expertise or giving potential clients a compelling reason to choose IFA Outsource over other providers. The business was considerably more capable than its website suggested.
What I found
Looking at IFA Outsource, the biggest opportunity wasn't simply to build a better-looking website. It was to change how the business positioned itself.
There are plenty of virtual assistants and outsourced administration providers competing for attention online. Trying to compete against all of them using generic administrative support terms would have meant entering a crowded market with little differentiation. But Joanne wasn't a generic virtual assistant.
She had decades of financial services experience and specialist knowledge of Intelliflo, including income reconciliation and document management. These were valuable capabilities that addressed specific problems faced by independent financial advisers.
Rather than trying to compete for everyone's attention, I saw an opportunity to position IFA Outsource as a specialist solution for a clearly defined audience. The answer wasn't to make the business appeal to more people. It was to make it considerably more relevant to the right people.
What I changed
I started by developing a new brand identity that better reflected the professionalism, experience and specialist nature of the business. The objective was to create something credible and reassuring for financial services professionals, rather than another generic virtual assistant brand.
From there, I built a new website around the specific services and problems that independent financial advisers were searching for. Instead of presenting IFA Outsource as a broad administrative support provider, the website gave much greater prominence to Joanne's specialist Intelliflo capabilities. Individual service areas were structured around relevant commercial searches, including Intelliflo support, IFA income reconciliation and document management.
I also developed the search strategy around the terminology financial advisers actually use when looking for specialist support. The website incorporated client testimonials, clearer service information and straightforward routes for prospective customers to arrange an initial conversation. The result was a digital presence built around a much stronger commercial proposition.
The outcome
IFA Outsource now has a professional brand and digital presence that properly reflect the specialist business behind them. More importantly, that stronger positioning has translated into business growth. Inbound enquiries from new clients have increased, helping Joanne grow the business to the point where she has employed an additional member of staff to support the expanding workload.
For me, that's the result that really matters. More website traffic, better search positions and increased visibility are useful, but only if they ultimately help the business grow. And the work hasn't stopped there. I'm now working with Joanne on the next stage of that growth, widening IFA Outsource's exposure across traditional search and AI platforms so the business can reach more of the right potential clients and continue expanding.
What started as repositioning an experienced professional and rebuilding an underperforming website has developed into an ongoing growth programme. Because ultimately, business growth isn't about getting more clicks. It's about creating enough opportunity to build a bigger business.
“What a wonderful experience! I've thought about changing my website for a long time and got in touch with Ollie who guided me through the process. Ollie was incredible with suggestions and really brought my website to life! I would strongly encourage you to get in touch and let Ollie "work his magic."
Jo Pearce, Founder
IFA Outsource
