A website is an investor's very first experience with your firm and its brand. So you better make a lasting impression! Increasingly, hedge funds, private equity, and traditional asset management firms are embracing modern website designs, thoughtful branding techniques, and meaningful storytelling to showcase their unique value proposition to website visitors. 

Factors like exceptional user experience (UX), inspired content and effective platforms to deliver said content, and web design that brings to life your brand's story are key to creating a meaningful web presence. Additionally, there are plenty of other behind-the-scenes elements at play including search engine optimization (SEO), page loading time, and security that can make or break the discoverability of your website.

Coupling all these factors together, I went on a search for 10 asset managers who absolutely nailed their website design, content, and structure. This is by no means a ranking or a complete list but rather a handful of asset managers who spent the time and effort to build their digital presence well. I hope taking a deep dive into the successes of these websites will help you in thinking about to improve your own digital web presence. 

1. Sphera Fund Management

Sphera's homepage and website design is modern and interactive. It promotes their firm's value proposition as soon as you land on the page. The parallax design makes it easy to scroll from one section to the next, keeping you engaged longer. You can easily find more details on their fund offerings, founding story, and key team members. Something I loved - they have an accessibility menu in the bottom corner that enables their website to adapt to any visitor's viewing needs.

2. White Square Capital

White Square Capital wastes no time in explaining exactly what they do, showcasing it at the top of their homepage. They strike a perfect balance of trendy and functional using a dynamic navigation menu to keep visitors flowing through their detailed content without bogging down load times or page requests.

3. Sculptor Capital Management

Yes, Sculptor Capital Management website's design is clean and modern, but what makes this website winning in my mind? The content. Sculptor did not shy away from sharing their firm's story, social responsibility policies They even use a mix of media like videos, press releases, and an interactive firm history timeline to convey their message.

4. Axonic

The SEO for Axonic's site is top-notch. Making sure your website is structured properly with meta descriptions, page headings, a site map, etc. ensures that search engines, like Google, can easily find and recommend your website to those searching for their next investment. Beyond website structure, Axonic showcases its expertise by making the research they conduct easily available. Providing this value-add right on their website helps differentiate themselves against other asset managers.

5. PIMCO

A responsive home screen coupled with a ton of relevant and actionable content earns PIMCO's site high scores. The ability to filter their insights posts and content not only by date but also by author is a user-friendly feature. Several search bars for their products and content make it easier for their investors and prospects to find the pages they are looking for.

6. Polar Star Global

Polar Star Global's unique color combination and bold imagery make their website truly memorable. They embrace a creative timeline approach to displaying the firm's history and accolades. Further, the ability to scroll through almost all of their content continuously is a very stylish and modern approach to web design.

7. Empyrean Capital Partners

Empyrean's clean, simplistic design frees visitors from distractions, allowing them to focus on their content and navigate their website with ease. The efficient use of space in their about us and our strategies sections makes for a quick read and value proposition that easily resonates. This website design is also responsive, meaning it perfectly translates to mobile, tablets, or any sized device you are using. 

8. Two Sigma

Two Sigma is able to pack a lot of engaging content into a small amount of space on their homepage.  They are not afraid to use color and big, bold imagery to highlight important firm updates. One of my favorite parts is the use of a call-to-action block, prompting visitors to sign up for email updates on new content posted by Two Sigma.  There's no better way to showcase your brand's thought leadership prowess than through a newsletter.  

9. ExodusPoint

ExodusPoint's website is one of the more modern designs we've showcased thus far. They utilize a parallax design, which makes it easy to learn about the firm and their investment approach as you scroll.  What makes them unique? Take a look at how they creatively display their website content from their leadership team to their value proposition to their firm overview information.

10. Beach Point Capital

Beach Point's website really embodies the concept of telling your brand's story through imagery and design. High-quality design elements and images scale perfectly on desktop or mobile, while well-executed compression means the site loads quickly and is very responsive. What's more, they're not afraid of calling out their competitive edge, designating a dedicated menu item for it. 

As you can see, the best websites utilize modern website design techniques, encourage interaction and exploration, and market the firm's value proposition and brand effectively. Utilize some of these website design and messaging tactics to take your own firm's digital presence to the next level.