A fee only wealth manager has launched a purely online version of its advice offering, as it aims to reach more investors.

Savant Capital Management is aiming to become one of the first fully online offerings for financial planning and investment, whereby each client will receive a dedicated team.

Firms such as FutureAdvisor and Personal Capital have pioneered a purely online approach to wealth management. However, unlike Savant – a traditional firm entering the online marketplace – these firms were founded with this purpose.

Savant already has nine offices in three states and has been in business for over 26 years, adhering to the fee-only RIA model. Its new offering, eSavant Advisor, aims to reach more clients outside of the areas where it has a physical presence. The firm is also hoping it will resonate with busy people and retirees, who may spend a lot of time traveling or splitting their time between homes. With eSavant Advisor, each client will work with a financial advisor and client service representative.

The move to develop a fully online offering follows Savant’s acquisition of InvestSimply last year. InvestSimply was, at the time, a start-up, internet-based RIA. Its founder, Steven Geri, joined Savant, bringing his tech expertise to the firm.

There has been an onslaught of reports and surveys over the past year arguing that wealth management firms must embrace technology. Particularly, using video technology to communicate with clients and using technology to make financial reporting relevant and accessible have been touted as ways to improve client service.

There is also the issue of cost: with fees under pressure in recent years technology offers potential ways to reduce the cost of delivering a service.

However, as Brent Brodeski, chief executive of Savant Capital Management, pointed out, this is in many ways the formalizing of an offering that has developed organically, as the firm has been servicing clients remotely for many years.