Launch: 300Financial.com

As previously mentioned, CWS has been working the past few months with 300 Financial, an organization providing services to financial advisors, on a variety of applications. Last week the company's public website was released along with a number of private web-based tools.

One of these tools allows advisors to collect some basic financial information from a potential client and automatically determine both things that are done well and potential trouble spots. The web-based application considers such variables as asset allocation, exposure to interest rate volatility, the impact of account expenses over time, and estate planning needs.

This system automatically assembles a report for the client in the form of an 80-page PDF document, with options that the financial advisor can tailor as needed to the client's unique situation. Armed with this information, advisor and client can quickly identify areas to target for improvement and make intelligent decisions together.

Another set of calculators helps those nearing or in retirement to design a series of structured investments that will provide the correct mix of portfolio growth and monthly income for their needs, again based on the individual's situation.

CWS has enjoyed developing these tools to help deliver the right knowledge to financial advisors and their clients, giving them the insight needed to make wise choices for the future. We look forward to ongoing development with 300 Financial.

How to Create Buzz for your Website Launch

Over the past few months, we've been working with 300 Financial, Inc. on the launch of their new company (which happens tomorrow at 11am CST). As part of this launch, we've set up a pre-launch website to help create buzz around the event. The website itself is small but includes a few key features to create the right atmosphere. Every pre-launch website must include the following elements:

Date/Time of Launch: It's pointless to create a pre-launch website if you don't tell your visitors when you'll be going live. In this case, we created a countdown clock to the exact time of the official launch. This is important because it lets people know when they can expect to see your new website online. In addition, it forces your staff to commit to a specific date for website completion. This is the most important element to any pre-launch website, so don't forget it!

Create Excitement: In this case, the official website (soon to be unveiled) will allow a limited number of people to register for an informational meeting in Scottsdale. To handle the influx of questions about the new company, a blog was set up at 300financialnews.com to field some of these questions. This allows the pre-launch website to remain focused and uncluttered. It also allows people to start interacting, blogging, and talking about your new company before you officially "go live."

Email Signup Box: Since registration space is limited, people need to know the exact time of launch so that they can return to "reserve a spot in history." But why make them try to remember it? Instead, you can give them a simple way to sign up for notification when the site is available. Then on launch day, you can send an email message letting them know that your website is live.

Logo: Finally, placing your company logo somewhere on the page is an important element for any new launch. Building an identity for your new company can't start soon enough, and your prelaunch page is an excellent place to start establishing your brand.

We hope that you've found these tips helpful in creating your own pre-launch website. Following these simple steps can create some buzz for any new site and get you started in the right direction to a successful future.