“The days of telephone books are gone,” mentioned Bryce Berkowski (pictured above), director of internet growth and search engine advertising and marketing at EZLynx. “If an insurance agency doesn’t have an internet presence, they’re just about a dinosaur at this level.”
Today, the query will not be: ‘Does my agency want a website?’ however quite: ‘How good does my agency website have to be? And what really makes a robust agency website?’ Insurance Business caught up with specialists at EZLynx, an business main insurance agency software program supplier, to get the next prime tips.
Make a superb first impression
“Think of it just a little bit like a primary date,” mentioned Lisa Woodward (pictured under), senior director of selling at EZLynx. “Part of the evaluation course of while you’re constructing a website needs to be: ‘What does the buyer see after they’re trying on the website? Is it straightforward for them to seek out what they’re trying for? Can they inform what insurance traces we provide and the way we love to do enterprise? Can they inform that we do it higher than all people else?’ You need shoppers to be excited to succeed in out and speak to you; it’s making that basically good first date impression in order that they arrive again for a second.”
A robust agency website ought to have an SSL certificates, it needs to be web optimization optimized, and it ought to include quick and snappy lead seize varieties. It should be straightforward to navigate, with clear calls to motion and apparent methods by which a shopper may contact the agency. It must also have a recent and interesting content material technique, and maybe most significantly at the moment, it should be cell optimized. It’s all about ease of doing enterprise.
A robust content material technique
Insurance brokers ought to replace their web sites frequently with recent content material that’s related to their native space and to the insurance prospects they’re making an attempt to seize. If shoppers are looking out for an ‘insurance agent’ on Google, this implies they’re not simply eager about worth; they’re trying for recommendation from somebody they’ll belief. Insurance companies can construct that fame by their content material methods.
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“People are trying for visually stimulating content material like images and movies,” mentioned Woodward. “They need to see your agency, they need to get to know your brokers, they usually’re trying for a trusted advisor relationship. People reply to tales. Agents can inform their tales and construct belief through their web sites with a mix of compelling info, articles, images, and movies. And it helps to share that sort of content material on social media as nicely.”
A robust content material technique needs to be supported by a content material administration system (CMS), in accordance with Berkowski. That approach, brokers can simply replace the content material and verbiage on the website pages as wanted.
Link your website with Google My Business
Berkowski advises insurance brokers to couple their web sites with a free Google My Business Listing. How robust and optimized a website is will straight affect its success on Google My Business. Without that itemizing, web sites is not going to present up in Google’s native search outcomes, and companies will miss out on potential market share. Agencies ought to have citations constructed into their web sites that confirm info similar to enterprise handle, enterprise hours, and class of enterprise, all of which ought to match up with what’s listed on Google My Business.
“It’s important that companies observe the opinions posted on their Google My Business itemizing, and they need to reply to opinions, whether or not they’re adverse or constructive,” mentioned Berkowski. “That ought to present that brokers are lively and engaged with their prospects, and in addition the evaluation depend helps enhance the itemizing’s rating.”
Focus on native search
Google’s native search could be an unbiased insurance agency’s finest pal in the event that they put it to use correctly. Berkowski defined: “Focus on native, ensure that your website content material and your social media is updated and related to your native space. Pay-per-click (PPC) is an effective on-line advertising and marketing technique, however the insurance business is essentially the most aggressive when it comes to any business in PPC; everybody’s spending huge cash, particularly the key carriers. But I might advise all companies to have a small funds for PPC as a result of that approach, they’ll present up in each natural and paid searches.”
Read extra: How can insurance agencies enhance client engagement in a digital world?
Get to grips with Google Analytics
Google Analytics is one other great tool for insurance companies as they give the impression of being to optimize their web sites. Agents can use Google Analytics to evaluate what content material is doing nicely on their web sites they usually could make good choices based mostly on the info they obtain. They also can use Google Search Console to see how shoppers are discovering their website, by what gadgets, and utilizing what search key phrases, they usually can use that info to higher their technique.
Get assist!
For many small, unbiased companies, constructing and sustaining a high-performance website can seem to be a mammoth activity – one that’s tough to navigate with solely a handful of workers and a really small funds. But assistance is at hand.
EZLynx Agency Websites brings all the above tips collectively for insurance companies. Its 4 website packages are all cell optimized, assure SSL certificates, embody a CMS known as EZLynx Website Editor, and include a number of design decisions and pages. The extra superior packages include further options like lead seize varieties, distinctive content material, social media help, multilingual choices, and website consultancy and evaluation.
“We need our companies to achieve success,” Woodward instructed Insurance Business. “The extra enterprise they write and the extra prospects they’ve, the extra that know-how enablement turns into an essential a part of their development technique – and we need to be a part of that journey with them.”
