In consulting, as in plumbing, sometimes a person comes to you with one problem (say, a bubbling toilet) and then you discover they have a bigger issue they’ll need to first address (say, a sewage backup). OK, I’m truly just not over the past summer of plumbing issues, clearly. But the metaphor holds true.
At the end of 2024, the founders of Thrive Financial approached Flicker Media with a need: to craft a new website for their newly launched business. But in order to craft a website, we needed to first create the foundation: a brand.
Founders Kelsey Snyder and Allison Walker met in 2023 through their work with Mutual of Omaha. They shared a desire to create a space where financial planning could feel deeply human and align with the lives people actually want to live. Their aim was to help and educate people at the beginning of their careers, who really needed to get their finances right from the start–not to woo traditional clients who were financially well off and decades into their careers.
We could’ve just jumped in and crafted a website that said, “Get your financial advice here! We’ll create a budget and you can pay us a fee!” But their position was unique, something that could really set them apart in the advisor space. So we spent the time necessary to craft a brand strategy centered on their mission…before we ever dove into website development.
Q. How do you create a brand for a website?
A. At Flicker Media, we start with a creative brief. Thrive already had someone help them with company logo design and brand guidelines (color codes, fonts, patterns). What they didn’t have was a clear outline of who they are and what sets them apart (i.e., a brand positioning statement or value propositions).
Through the creative brief, we sussed out the words that described them and their approach: comfortable, adventurous, restless, approachable. Together we identified the exact type of client they wanted to work with: people in their 30s who may be overwhelmed by money, have unhealthy financial habits they need to break, or want to align their now-solid income with their short- and long-term goals.
Something else happened during this phase: they taught a marketing consultant how financial planning actually works. And I got it! This was a light bulb moment. Thrive Financial is not just uniquely positioned to help a different audience, they’re also uniquely positioned to finally help them understand what financial planning is and why they need it. This became the basis for the new website.
Q. How do you set up a website for success with SEO?
A. From the outset we had search engine optimization (SEO) in mind, knowing they wanted to find and help people beyond their social circle. To expand their network and bring leads, they would need the help of Google.
We ran a keyword research study to ensure we were building content from the beginning that people were actually looking for. We aimed for a simple, clear navigation, knowing the site wouldn’t need a lot of pages but would need to do some educating. Then we drafted content that could answer specific questions: What is financial planning? What’s the monthly fee? Finally we crafted a linking strategy to make sure we were linking between pages and to relevant content, a small but important step in gaining Google’s attention.
Q. Did you ever finally dive into website design?
A. Yes, of course! But not until we had a clear plan based on a solid brand and actionable content. After that, it was just the build. We chose a content management system that would work best for their budget and capabilities. We drafted all new copy, cropped all new images, and incorporated design elements. We took the necessary steps to gain approval from Mutual of Omaha. And then we went live.
But it never stops there (it should never stop there). Once it goes live, it’s important to follow the necessary steps to alert Google through Search Console, set up Google Analytics, and gain additional traffic through Google Business setup. Then train the team so they can carry the site forward and update content on a regular basis.
That’s the lesson: Web design is never just a quick build, whether the site is one page or 100 pages. It needs a thoughtful strategy to make sure it’s reaching the right people with the right information.
Want some help with your site? Learn more about Flicker Media’s brand strategy services.
At the end of 2024, the founders of Thrive Financial approached Flicker Media with a need: to craft a new website for their newly launched business. But in order to craft a website, we needed to first create the foundation: a brand.
Founders Kelsey Snyder and Allison Walker met in 2023 through their work with Mutual of Omaha. They shared a desire to create a space where financial planning could feel deeply human and align with the lives people actually want to live. Their aim was to help and educate people at the beginning of their careers, who really needed to get their finances right from the start–not to woo traditional clients who were financially well off and decades into their careers.
We could’ve just jumped in and crafted a website that said, “Get your financial advice here! We’ll create a budget and you can pay us a fee!” But their position was unique, something that could really set them apart in the advisor space. So we spent the time necessary to craft a brand strategy centered on their mission…before we ever dove into website development.
Q. How do you create a brand for a website?
A. At Flicker Media, we start with a creative brief. Thrive already had someone help them with company logo design and brand guidelines (color codes, fonts, patterns). What they didn’t have was a clear outline of who they are and what sets them apart (i.e., a brand positioning statement or value propositions).
Through the creative brief, we sussed out the words that described them and their approach: comfortable, adventurous, restless, approachable. Together we identified the exact type of client they wanted to work with: people in their 30s who may be overwhelmed by money, have unhealthy financial habits they need to break, or want to align their now-solid income with their short- and long-term goals.
Something else happened during this phase: they taught a marketing consultant how financial planning actually works. And I got it! This was a light bulb moment. Thrive Financial is not just uniquely positioned to help a different audience, they’re also uniquely positioned to finally help them understand what financial planning is and why they need it. This became the basis for the new website.
Q. How do you set up a website for success with SEO?
A. From the outset we had search engine optimization (SEO) in mind, knowing they wanted to find and help people beyond their social circle. To expand their network and bring leads, they would need the help of Google.
We ran a keyword research study to ensure we were building content from the beginning that people were actually looking for. We aimed for a simple, clear navigation, knowing the site wouldn’t need a lot of pages but would need to do some educating. Then we drafted content that could answer specific questions: What is financial planning? What’s the monthly fee? Finally we crafted a linking strategy to make sure we were linking between pages and to relevant content, a small but important step in gaining Google’s attention.
Q. Did you ever finally dive into website design?
A. Yes, of course! But not until we had a clear plan based on a solid brand and actionable content. After that, it was just the build. We chose a content management system that would work best for their budget and capabilities. We drafted all new copy, cropped all new images, and incorporated design elements. We took the necessary steps to gain approval from Mutual of Omaha. And then we went live.
But it never stops there (it should never stop there). Once it goes live, it’s important to follow the necessary steps to alert Google through Search Console, set up Google Analytics, and gain additional traffic through Google Business setup. Then train the team so they can carry the site forward and update content on a regular basis.
That’s the lesson: Web design is never just a quick build, whether the site is one page or 100 pages. It needs a thoughtful strategy to make sure it’s reaching the right people with the right information.
Want some help with your site? Learn more about Flicker Media’s brand strategy services.