Building upon previous versions, Advisernet includes additional features and functions and costs £49 per month.
According to The Exchange, the service includes:
- The ability to customise each page
- Unlimited additional pages for text, graphics and documents
- No charge for editing content, adding pages or uploading documents
- On-screen editing of content, with snapshot archiving facility tracking all amendments
- Full compliance audit trail
Advisernet also comes with a Disabilities and Discriminations Act compliance feature. Intermediaries can now fulfil their requirements under this act by providing a website that it can be read and understood by visually impaired or even blind users.
Other ecommerce tools can also be added to the site. The services which clients can access direct include: buying general insurance, trading endowment policies, protection quotes, lifetime mortgage research, mortgage research, retirement planning and investments. There is also a utility checker so clients can compare energy, water and phone suppliers.
In addition, networks, service providers and compliance groups can set up and control their own branded version of the service. Not only does this reduce compliance costs by offering sites with pre-approved content and by enabling central checking, it also allows the organisation to improve their brand and customer offering by extending their services offered to customers.
Keith Bonner at Pembroke Financial commented: “When we first looked at getting ourselves a website we scanned the market and Advisernet stood out from the competition - the site was fully editable, as much or as little content could be added. The customer service has always been very good, with quick responses to any queries you may have.”
David Child, managing director at The Exchange, commented:
“Building and maintaining a professional site may seem like a daunting prospect for intermediaries and networks. Advisernet takes the pain out of the process and can deliver significant value without the heavy, up-front investment. While 45 per cent of intermediaries have yet to the embrace the internet as a sales channel, both the technology - and the 52 per cent of households who are using it regularly - are moving on. The new, more savvy ecommerce revolution is here and we plan to make it easier for IFAs, whatever their size, to embrace the power of this 24/7 marketing channel.”
