How Attractive is Your Website?

I visit many agency websites as part of my daily routine. Candidly I would have to say there are very few that are inviting to the consumer looking for information and possibly an agent to help them with their insurance protection.

The worst are those that say very little and many times haven’t been updated in quite some time. If your website is a glorified business card of the agency with pictures you would be better off not having one. The total lack of commitment to having a decent website sends a consumer the message that you either don’t care or have very little information or knowledge to impart. You can be pretty sure they will be moving on quickly without a second thought.

Then there are those websites that are loaded with information on the main page that isn’t even close to what the consumer is looking for. Droning on an on about themselves, the carriers they represent and not being specific about what types of clients they focus on. Even if your agency is a generalist your main page should tell the consumer the client type you primarily cater to.

In designing a website think like a consumer surfing the internet for insurance information pertinent to their needs. They want to generally understand the types of coverage that are important for their needs. You want to highlight information but not turn them into a CPCU or CIC. Consumers want a general understanding but aren’t interested in analyzing the coverage details needed to properly protect them. It’s your job as the agent to do the detailed analysis.

Something that drives me crazy on a website is a link or tab to get a quote. Having that available just perpetuates the myth that the value of insurance protection should be determined by price. It screams all coverage is the same and so buy the cheapest protection you can. Instead of an offer for a quote why not take a few lines on the main page to make it clear to the consumer that having adequate protection that meets your needs and expectations is the key to purchasing insurance protection. Having a competitive price is a given.

Isn’t that what makes having a knowledgeable and professional agent so important. You should indicate that providing the right coverage at a competitive cost is always your objective. This is what makes the independent agent the best source for buying insurance – access to multiple markets allowing for the right coverage at the right premium.

Insurance is very important but pretty boring. No one likes spending money on protection but I think everyone wants to make sure they have the right coverage if they have a loss. The best website I’ve seen uses humor to get the idea of protection for various situations through to consumers. They also used it as a way to highlight the types of clients and coverage they focused on. Honestly I can’t believe any consumer visiting their site wouldn’t stay for a fair amount of time if for nothing else than to view the humorous scenes scrolling at the top of their main page.

I guess my message is take your website seriously and develop it with the consumer in mind. Make it interesting and helpful. Think about what you would want on the main page if you were someone looking for information. Things need to be easily found. Let client testimonials speak to the quality of your work – consumers value other’s opinion and experience.

Be different. Be genuine. Be creative. Put some personality into your main page. If you’re going to invest time and money into your website make it a place consumers want to visit and stay for more than a minute.