There's a lot of noise right now around AI websites for RIAs. Faster launches, cheaper builds, instant SEO pages. Some of that is useful. Honestly, some of it just feels like firms skipping the harder work of building real credibility online.
In this episode of Craft on Tap, Stephen Beach and Faustin Weber talk through the real role of an RIA website today. They get into where AI tools can genuinely help, where firms should be careful, and why affluent prospects are still making decisions based on trust, positioning, and whether a firm feels credible once they land on the site.
👇 Watch the full discussion below:
Co-Founder Stephen Beach & Strategist Faustin Weber discuss AI generated websites, affluent prospect behavior, and what still matters for RIA websites in 2026.
Craft on Tap Ep 34 Podcast Takeaways & Summary
Key Takeaways:
- AI websites are starting to blend together. They help firms move faster, but a lot of them now feel interchangeable, and that's a real problem once trust and differentiation are on the line.
- Your website still shapes the first impression, even in a referral-driven business. Prospects check it out before booking a call, and team pages plus credibility signals usually matter more than firms think.
- Affluent prospects still buy on trust, not ChatGPT. Referrals, COIs, and reputation drive most advisor selection among high-net-worth households.
- Local search is still where RIAs win. Google visibility, niche service pages, reviews, and a clean site structure remain some of the most practical ways to get found.
- A strong website starts with strategy, not design. The firms that get the most out of a website project nail positioning, audience clarity, and business goals before they touch design or AI tools.
RIA Websites in the Age of AI
Why Websites Still Matter More Than Firms Think
Honestly, there was a period where we kind of viewed website projects as a necessary evil. They go over budget, they go over timeline, and most firms walk away frustrated. It's kind of like remodeling a house.
But after building 25 plus RIA websites over the last few years, I've come full circle on this. Your website is still probably your firm's biggest marketing asset. It's where referral prospects go after getting your name from a CPA. It's where COIs send people. It's where a prospect compares you against two or three other firms before deciding who they actually want to talk to. So even in a referral driven business, the website still matters a lot.
Where Firms Are Getting AI Websites Wrong
We're in this weird moment where AI website companies are everywhere. You upload a few prompts, answer a questionnaire, and you've got a website in a couple hours. And look, some of that is genuinely useful. For a solo advisor breaking away from a wirehouse, or a firm testing a new niche before fully committing, those tools can make a lot of sense. But there's an old saying about picking two out of three, good, cheap, or fast. With AI websites, you're picking cheap and fast.
The biggest issue I keep seeing is that they're all starting to feel the same, same layouts, same copy, same professional tone. It reminds me of the early ChatGPT LinkedIn days, when everybody started posting with the same cadence and you could spot it in three seconds. That becomes a real problem once a firm tries to move upmarket, because affluent prospects can usually tell when something feels overly templated.
Example of how AI generated websites are starting to feel interchangeable. Featured in Ep 34 of Craft on Tap.
Where the AI Search Hype Falls Short
There's a lot of noise right now around ranking in ChatGPT and showing up in AI Overviews. Some of that stuff matters. Schema, FAQs, and clean page structure can all help. But the data honestly doesn't fully support the AI search obsession yet, especially for affluent investors.
According to the Ensemble Investor Survey for $1M to $5M households, 23% of prospects start with friends, family, or colleagues, 18% start through a CPA or COI, 13% already know the firm beforehand, and only 11% begin with online research. So if 41% of prospects are entering through referrals and COIs, your website's main job is validating trust once somebody lands there.
How $1M to $5M investors start their search for a new advisor. Source: Ensemble Investor Survey, featured in Ep 34 of Craft on Tap.
Why Local Search Still Matters
Where search really does pay off is local Google visibility. One of our clients recently generated four strong leads in two days from local search alone, no paid ads. Two became clients almost immediately, one with about $250K to roll over and another with around $800K. That came down to strong reviews, a clean Google Business profile, and solid local SEO structure. You're probably not going to outrank Forbes or NerdWallet for broad retirement keywords, and most RIAs shouldn't even try. But searches like financial advisor in Tampa or niche-based local ones are still wide open for most RIAs.
What Good RIA Websites Still Need
When somebody lands on your homepage, they should immediately understand who you are, who you serve, what you actually do, and why they should trust you. A lot of RIA websites still don't do that well. Beyond the basics, firms need clearer niche positioning, a real explanation of their planning process, individual service pages, an investment philosophy page, stronger advisor bios, and easier ways to schedule a meeting. And one thing I'll just say, team pages matter way more than firms think. They're consistently some of the highest traffic pages we see across RIA websites. People want to know who they're trusting with their money, and that part hasn't changed.
BrooklynFI.com – Custom website by Craft Impact.
Shameless Plug for Craft on Tap
There's a lot of hype right now around AI marketing tools for RIAs. Some of it's useful. Some of it honestly feels like shortcuts packaged as strategy. Our take is pretty simple. If your goal is attracting more sophisticated clients, you still have to solve for the human side first. This conversation is only a starting point. For ongoing insights and practical marketing strategies for RIA growth, listen to Craft on Tap. Available now, wherever you find your podcasts.
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