After reviewing the various reverse mortgage-related websites out there, I wanted to stand out from the crowd and offer something different — see my website at http://www.tlgreverse.com. I decided to work with a local ad agency that specializes not only in website design & development, but they helped me with Search Engine Optimization, which I soon discovered is the single most important factor in getting recognized by strangers who may be shopping for a reverse mortgage. Your site can look like a million bucks, but if people can’t find you when doing a Google search, what’s the point?

Don’t forget that the sole purpose of having a website IS TO GENERATE BUSINESS, and if you’re not using your site to create leads, you are wasting your money.

I have no problem with the turn-key sites reviewed here and they do the trick if you are on a shoestring budget or just want to add a little credibility to your business, but if you really want to stand out from the pack and compete with the larger firms then you should expect to fork over a considerable amount of money to whoever you are working with. I also suggest working with a full-service agency in your area that you can develop a relationship with, so when your budget allow you to do other “branding” efforts (media advertising, business cards, apparel logos, etc.) they understand your wants & needs.

Reverse Mortgage websites:
The rest of the story

Having read some earlier posts about Reverse Fortunes new website offering for originators I wanted to clear up some confusion and provide another perspective for producer’s to consider.

The customized reverse mortgage web sites are offered by Reverse Fortunes.com, not Reverse Vision. Reverse Vision provides some of the industry’s best software for loan origination and calculation. Similar names, but different companies.

As far as the templates go they are not completely static, but updated with new and fresh content as dictated by the market. Case and point, we just added a new page and front page button for the HECM purchase program. Some other company offerings are not able to update their user’s templates so quickly or at all. If you buy a “template” for a lesser cost versus a “service” you may find yourself spending hundreds of dollars for a developer to update your source code. Differentiating yourself in the marketplace is a concern, but remember you are marketing your website address (url) in your community. If you are creating a national brand, then your website must be completely unique.That being said, I would disagree that “all the reverse mortgage websites look alike”. I have seen several offerings and each may be presenting the same information but with an entirely different look and feel which gives the consumer some choice.

Pricing…herein lies the real rub…You will get what you pay for. When considering any website service or template ask yourself, “does this site look like it was professionally developed or done in an amateur fashion?”. Whatever your choice make sure the site service you use screams “quality” and is easy to read and navigate by the senior and their children. The term reasonable price is hard to quantify, but the appearance and results are not.

Costs in developing a site include, programming, graphic design, reverse mortgage calculator licensing and updating the site. A new company is offering a free RM calculator but the service could become fee-based in the future. Consider the costs of personally getting a site that is high quality on your own and you could be looking north of $5,000.

One word on calculators. If you advertise a true reverse mortgage calculator you better be sure that’s what the seniors are getting. If the “calculator” requires a submission of name, address, etc, then you have a lead submission form. Seniors will opt out and move onto the next site for their numbers.

I would agree that buying any website template or service in itself does not mean your phone will begin ringing off the hook with interested clients, however it is an effective and professional means of branding yourself in the community. You must promote your website’s URL. Many of our users have their own domain names forwarded to the agent websites. In addition we optimize each user’s site to rank in the search engines for searches in their geographic region.

Hopefully this clears up some misunderstandings. Happy originating!

My own agency will not be providing our search engine marketing or PPC services directly. However, Reverse Fortunes Members will get our years of experience for FREE through articles and other resources that we will be adding to Reverse Fortunes in the months ahead to help them use a combination of search engine marketing and other marketing vehicles to drive customers to their website. As with everything on Reverse Fortunes, we will pay close attention to requests from our members as we continue to refine all elements of this resource.

The goal of Reverse Fortunes is to be the ultimate resource for reverse mortgage originators. As part of that mission, everyone on our team is constantly vigilant about anything that can be added to the website that will help our Members be more successful. As with any of my clients’ websites, we do not just put it up and consider it ‘done.’

Our plans include constant improvements to the templates (including content, features, additional design options, and more control over the site). We also will be providing information and resources to help our clients get the most out of their site as a marketing tool.