Asset Management Firms Step Up Web Game

Goldman Sachs Asset Management takes the gold for the best asset management Web site, according to a new study.

In the past, the Web was seen by asset management firms to be an “extraneous element of institutional business,’ according to a report by kasina, an asset management consulting firm. Not so much anymore. Firms are now using it as a powerful prospecting and servicing tool, beefing up online reporting capabilities to satisfy demand from institutional investors. Firms have even jumped on board to provide commentary and information through new Web tools like blogs and podcasts.

“The importance of superior Web service has become particularly evident with the difficult market environment of the last 12 to 18 months,’ said Sean Carroll, a managing consultant at kasina, in a press release. “The trend towards providing superior reporting and other forms of online servicing functionality will only continue to grow over time, with younger generations of Web users already on the rise.’

kasina evaluated and ranked the top 10 institutional Web sites of 2008 based on categories such as branding, content, online services, usability, and Web technology. The firm also conducted interviews with the teams responsible for managing them. New players in the top 10 firm Web sites rated by kasina include AllianceBernstein, Fidelity International, ING Investment Management, and The Vanguard Group.

The top 10 sites were:

  1. Goldman Sachs Asset Management
  2. Pyramis Global Advisors
  3. Fidelity International
  4. AllianceBernstein
  5. Franklin Templeton
  6. The Vanguard Group
  7. ING Investment Management
  8. J.P. Morgan
  9. Barclays Global Investors
  10. Russell Investments

More information about purchasing the report is available at www.kasina.com.

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