Upgrading a website may not be top of mind for the owners of most private lending companies, but it’s something you should do at least every three years.

Web technology is constantly evolving, and competition continues to increase in the private lending space. It’s critical to keep your website fresh so it makes a good impression on your visitors.

A “website upgrade” doesn’t mean you need a brand refresh, but that could be part of the project. The upgrade or rebuild is more about the structure, layout, messaging, content, user interface, and user experience. The extent of the project depends on how far behind your site is with current trends and how well it performs in terms of generating new business.

Let’s take a look at several web development trends that apply to private lending and a few tips to make the upgrade project more efficient.

Web Design and Development Trends

Of the many trends in web design, here are a few that apply to many private lending companies.

Motion UI. Subtle animations give websites more life and improve the user experience. Some examples include a scrolling welcome message, a button that moves after it’s clicked, or a moving graphic that loops on the homepage. There are many elements that can have motion, but the key is to not overdo it. Keep it subtle and simple.

Graphics vs. Stock Photos. Instead of stock photos, many lenders are now using graphics such as illustrations, line art, or abstract shapes. You can purchase graphics from stock image websites like iStock Photo or Adobe Stock. You can also hire a designer to create custom graphics that are quite reasonable in cost. You can find lots of freelance graphic designers on Upwork.com and Fivver.com. If you prefer to use photos instead of graphics, be careful with your selection. Poorly chosen stock photos can look too tacky and gimmicky, leaving your site visitor with a stale impression. If you want to show photos that include people, use your own people to be more authentic. Hire a photographer to visit your office to get some candid shots of your team during the workday.

Single-Page Applications (SPA). Most private lenders have a small and simple website with similar pages: homepage, loan programs, lending guidelines, about us, and contact information. Instead of having multiple webpages, consider using a single-page application that puts all the content on one page. The navigation links will move visitors to a section of the page, giving your site the appearance of having multiple pages. Using a single-page app is a great solution when you have minimal content; it frees you from needing to come up with lots of copy just to fill up a page.

One of the key benefits to SPA’s is faster load time. Using JavaScript, the entire page content loads in the background and instantly appears as you navigate or scroll. By contrast, a multipage site requires the server to fetch the pages and then load the content.

AMP. Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) is an open-source technology designed to enhance mobile content consumption by loading webpages instantly on mobile devices. Not having AMP could hurt your rankings in Google searches.

Additionally, Google will show a lightning bolt symbol associated with a result that lets users know a page will load faster than other non-AMP pages. If you have content-rich webpages,, it’s possible to create an AMP version of the pages just for search optimization.

AMP technology has been around for a few years, so most web developers should know how to implement it. Google Search Console offers tools to analyze your site’s performance and load time.

AI Chatbots. Many lenders already have a chat feature on their website to engage visitors, but the new trend is to increase efficiency by programming questions and responses. This improves the user experience and also helps filter out unqualified leads. Ask users what type of loan they are seeking, the loan amount, the location, and the loan-to-value, for example. You can program the chatbot to qualify leads before connecting them to a loan officer.

Some CRM systems like Zoho and HubSpot offer their own AI chatbot app, but there are many third-party apps that easily plug in to websites by copying/pasting a bit of code.

Data Collection and Integration. Every lender’s website should have a form for potential borrowers/brokers to inquire and provide a few basic details. If you already have a lead capture form, consider adding another one with a lot more data fields about the loan request. Some people are reluctant to provide a lot of information on the initial inquiry, while others are glad to share lots of details about their deal, credit score, and more. Once the lead has submitted the basic short form, offer them the option to continue on to provide more information.

There are many form builders you can plug in to your website. For websites using the WordPress platform, the most popular ones are Gravity Forms and Ninja Forms. Other content management systems typically have a built-in form system. Your web developer should be able to provide some recommendations and build the form for you. All modern form systems offer integration options to push the data directly to your CRM (customer relationship management) or LOS (loan origination software). If a direct integration is not available, you can use a third-party software like Zapier to scrape the data from an email.

Hiring a Web Developer

Finding the right developer or designer for your website can be a challenge. There are many options, and the pricing can vary widely. One easy way to find a developer is to reach out to business owners in your network to ask for recommendations. Another method is to find a few websites you like; then scroll to the footer to see whether there is a link to the web developer’s site.

Before engaging a web developer, plan the content of your new site and have a document ready with all the copy. Also consider hiring a writer to help with your messaging. The developer may have some recommendations, or you can use Upwork.com to find a marketing writer.

Getting started with your website upgrade project can feel like an insurmountable, time-consuming, and costly undertaking. It is, but it must be done. All private lending companies have to keep up with fast-changing web technology to stay competitive.