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Is you website working as hard as it could be? For financial services and finance SaaS companies, having a website that is fast secure, and optimised for both user experience and compliance is crucial to driving growth. This checklist will guide you through the essential steps to ensure your website meets the highest standards of performance, security, and regulatory compliance, while also setting you up for success in an increasingly competitive market.
1. Website speed and performance
✓ Load Time: Does your website load in 3 seconds or less? Slow websites lead to high bounce rates, especially in markets like the UK where user expectations are high.
✓ Mobile Speed: Are your mobile pages optimised for quick loading? More than half of all web traffic comes from mobile devices globally.
✓ Performance Monitoring: Are you using tools like Google PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix to monitor website performance regularly?
2. Mobile responsiveness
✓ Device Compatibility: Does your website automatically adjust to different screen sizes—smartphones, tablets, desktops? Mobile-first design is a priority, especially for financial services clients and international SaaS customers.
✓ Mobile UX: Are forms, buttons, and navigation optimised for mobile users in both local and international markets
✓ Touch-Friendly: Can visitors easily interact with your site using touch gestures on mobile devices?
3. SEO optimisation
✓ On-Page SEO: Are your titles, meta descriptions, and URLs optimised for keywords relevant to the UK and global finance markets (e.g., “financial advisor London” or “cloud accounting software”)?
✓ Content Strategy: Are you consistently publishing content that addresses the needs of different segments and making this relevant and specific to them, i.e., based on their location (UK-based clients vs. global SaaS users) or the products/services they have purchased from your company?
✓ Local & Global SEO: Have you optimised your site for local search (e.g., “best financial planner in Manchester”) and global search or specific markets (e.g., “financial software for startups”, "risk management & insurance for car manufacturers Germany")?
✓ Technical SEO: Is your site’s technical SEO aligned with best practices (sitemaps, schema markup, etc.) for global reach and higher rankings?
4. Security and compliance
✓ HTTPS & SSL: Does your website have SSL encryption to protect sensitive data for all of your users?
✓ GDPR Compliance (for UK & EU): If you operate in the UK or EU, does your website comply with GDPR data protection standards, including clear cookie consent, a privacy policy, and secure handling of personal data?
✓ FCA Compliance (for UK-based services): For UK financial services, are you meeting FCA standards for client data security, online transactions, and consumer protection?
✓ Global Compliance: Does your site adhere to relevant compliance standards in other regions, such as CCPA (California), PIPEDA (Canada), or APRA (Australia)?
5. User experience (UX)
✓ Navigation: Is your website easy to navigate, with a clear structure that meets the needs of all your users?
✓ CTAs & Conversion: Do your call-to-action (CTA) buttons guide visitors toward the next steps (e.g., Request a Demo or Speak to a Financial Advisor) effectively?
✓ Content Structure: Is your content organised to cater to different user personas—individual clients, businesses, and international users?
✓ Forms & Processes: Are your contact forms, sign-ups, or onboarding processes easy to use, with minimal friction for clients from different regions?
6. Design and branding
✓ Modern Aesthetic: Does your website feature a clean, professional design that aligns with your brand’s image?
✓ Consistent Branding: Are your website’s design elements (colors, fonts, logos) consistent with your global brand identity?
✓ High-Quality Visuals: Are you using clear, relevant visuals that resonate with your target audience in various markets, whether it's financial planners in the UK or global SaaS users?
7. Trust signals and social proof
✓ Testimonials & Reviews: Does your website feature client testimonials or case studies from both local and global clients to build credibility?
✓ Certifications & Accreditations: Are industry certifications (e.g., FCA for the UK, ISO, ISO/IEC 27001 for data security) clearly displayed?
✓ Social Proof: Are you using social proof to showcase media mentions, partnerships, and user success stories from around the world?
8. Integration and automation (for finance SaaS)
✓ CRM Integration: Is your website integrated with a CRM like HubSpot or Salesforce, so you can easily manage leads and client interactions?
✓ Marketing Automation: Are you using tools like email marketing, lead nurturing, and marketing automation to follow up on inquiries and increase conversions?
✓ Client Portal Access (SaaS): Does your site offer a secure, easy-to-use client portal for users to access relevant data, reports, and services?
✓ API Integrations (SaaS): Does your website integrate seamlessly with other platforms or tools (e.g., payment processors, analytics software) that are relevant to your business?
9. Analytics and reporting
✓ Google Analytics: Is Google Analytics or another analytics tool set up to track traffic, user behavior, and conversions for all website visitors?
✓ KPIs for Financial Services: Are you tracking key metrics like lead conversion rate, engagement, and sales pipeline performance for your financial services?
✓ A/B Testing: Are you running regular A/B tests on landing pages, CTAs, and other conversion points to optimise your website’s effectiveness?
10. Ongoing maintenance and updates
✓ Regular Content Updates: Are you keeping your website’s content fresh with updated blogs, financial resources, or service offerings for your clients?
✓ Bug Fixes & Optimisations: Are you regularly testing and fixing bugs, ensuring your website remains secure and high-performing?
✓ Continuous Compliance Monitoring: Are you auditing your website to ensure it complies with data protection regulations (e.g., GDPR, FCA, CCPA) in all regions where you operate?
Bonus tip:
A website redesign is an opportunity to align your online presence with global industry standards and meet the specific needs of your local and international clients. Whether you’re in the UK, the EU, or serving customers worldwide, a modern, secure, and user-friendly website is essential for growth, customer trust, and compliance in the highly regulated finance industry.
