Five Essentials for a Successful Agency Web Site

By Brett Pierce | September 7, 2009

Every insurance agency can benefit from having a Web site. Even if it’s not selling a product over the internet, establishing an online presence is more important than ever. Shopping trends have changed drastically over the past few years with the number of consumers researching and purchasing items online steadily growing. People surf the net for good information as well as a good deal. Many visitors simply won’t buy a product from a Web site that looks unprofessional. And since there are countless Web sites dedicated to almost any given topic, yours must stand out.

A flashy site is not always the best solution. Spending more money does not always guarantee better results. Local, independent agents should use the Web to establish themselves as trusted advisers, insurance experts, and ultimately, the best people from whom to buy insurance. Give consumers the information they’re looking for and they will make your site the last one they visit.

A great site alone won’t generate one phone call, or one piece of business, unless people can find it. There are two main ways to drive traffic to your site — offline and online. Offline tactics include putting your Web site on business cards, yellow page ads and all other marketing materials.

The vast majority of online traffic comes from online sources, however. So agency owners should be mindful of taking the necessary steps to optimize their sites for online shoppers, and you need to do it well.

But don’t worry; it’s not as complicated as it sounds. Here are five tips that will help create a strong Web presence for any agency:

  1. Branding. When customers visit a site, they interact with your business and form strong impressions. Does your site reflect your agency value proposition? Does your messaging clearly and immediately deliver your strongest point of differentiation? If a visitor spends five to 10 seconds on your homepage, will they grasp who you are and what you do? Believe it or not, many online shoppers decide that quickly if they will stick around to explore your site further.
  2. Content. Content has two basic purposes: It explains what an agency offers and provides consumers with the information to move through the shopping and buying process. Quality content also helps improve search ranking for the keywords used to describe the products you offer. For example, the word “insurance” is an important keyword and should appear often in an agency’s content pages.
  3. Look and Feel. The interface includes the main navigation buttons and links that visitors use to navigate through a Web site. It should create a visitor experience that reflects a business, so be sure the structure of looks professional. All the buttons and links should be clearly labeled and put in logical order (for example — products, comparison, buying, managing your policy and about us). A site should be easy to navigate, so visitors are comfortable, not confused.
  4. Search. Search is a critical driver for an agency’s Web presence. It’s important to follow best practices to ensure a Web site is easily found by consumers searching for a local agent. There are a few simple steps one can take on one’s own to accomplish this task. These include adding invisible, keyword “tags” to pages (which may require the help of a programmer ) and creating a site Map to help improve how search engines “see” your Web site. Linking is good, too; search engines like Google look favorably on sites that have a high number of credible sources linking to them.
  5. Interactivity. Agency Web sites should provide at least one way for consumers to initiate a conversation with you. This can range from simple contact forms to more complex methods such as online quoting. Since consumers can reach out to you, make sure you can do the same: Let them enter their e-mail addresses on your site to receive a free, expert insurance tip of the week or e-newsletter. If someone trusts you enough to provide their personal e-mail address before they’ve even met you, they may already be sold. All you have to do is get in touch with them as soon as possible to thank them for the opportunity to earn their business and then close the deal.

Building an effective agency Web site is not that different from building offline business. Look professional, provide expert information and build trust. Keep it simple when it comes to design, but over-deliver when it comes to content, and soon you will have a thriving virtual agency to complement your existing business.

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Insurance Journal West September 7, 2009
September 7, 2009
Insurance Journal West Magazine

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