Connecting with customers is an essential part of the insurance business, and, these days, texting is a universal way of connecting with anyone. If you’re in the business of connecting, shouldn’t texting be part of your insurance software?
Connecting with customers is an essential part of the insurance business, and, these days, texting is a universal way of connecting with anyone. If you’re in the business of connecting, shouldn’t texting be part of your insurance software?
Companies like Apple, Amazon, and Google are now
some of the world’s most recognizable names. Each serves customer needs in
multiple sectors, yet they all started with a single focus. Apple made
computers, Amazon sold books, and Google helped people find what they were
looking for online. Starting with that simple focus, they improved upon their
service and looked for organic ways to expand, serving new areas of their
customers’ needs.
You’ve got a great staff, excellent service, and a
customer retention record that would make any agency owner jealous. But you’re
still not bringing in new customers. Why? For many, the answer is your website.
You know your website is the new storefront and number one place to attract new
business, but no one new is visiting.
Industries worldwide have a lot to learn from the
unprecedented global pandemic that first hit the U.S. in early Spring 2020. The
virus’s impact will be widespread, and the insurance industry has been hit just
as hard as any other market.
Below are a few findings that speak to what we
know about the state of the digital insurance market almost six months into the
pandemic hitting U.S. shores.
Business owners know gathering information is only
the first step. Once you see the problem, what do you do about it? We suggest
insurance agencies consider the following.
Get on the cloud. A rise in work from home means you need secure, anywhere access to your agency systems. When your data and systems are on the cloud, employees can access them wherever there is an internet connection.
Provide mobile access. Both employees and clients need mobile access to your management system and agency website. State regulations are changing daily, and you must keep clients and employees alike informed. Mobile access means they can get the daily information they need instantly.
Diversify your markets. If you haven’t yet, it’s time to widen your service sphere. One thing the pandemic taught us is life is unpredictable. You need to have multiple market sectors to keep a steady income flow. Agencies servicing primarily travel or other hard-hit industries are feeling the pain. Don’t let your agency experience the same.
Leverage Artificial Intelligence. With more questions coming in due to the uncertainty of the pandemic’s impact, you’ll need more help prioritizing and addressing them. A.I. can provide answers to commonly asked questions, quickly decide who in your office should take a call, and provide an immediate response so the client or prospect feels heard.
Invest in paperless processing. When agencies moved to work at home, printing, and mailing, or even scanning and faxing, forms became near impossible. Those that invested in paperless were set-up to continue business as usual.
Bulk up cybersecurity. As more employees access systems at home, you need to increase your cybersecurity protection. Redundant back-ups, multi-character encrypted passwords, and regular staff training are all essential factors to keep your agency safe.
The Partner Platform team has worked to prep client
agencies and partners for the unexpected since the beginning. We strive to
equip Partner agencies with the best tools and systems to stay ready for any
change and provide
the community and service
they need to weather any storm.
Have you properly equipped your insurance website for sales? Almost three-quarters of insurance shoppers go online to do research and obtain quotes, so you need a quality website to attract those sales.
This shift to online prompted our Partner Platform team to think more about agency websites and how to optimize them for sales and service. We now work with agencies to help them create a custom site to grow their business after seeing several common mistakes. Here are some of the ways we saw agency websites missing the mark – and how we helped them correct their missteps.
Partner Platform announces seamless integration with Rocket Referrals – expanding marketing automation capabilities to send timely communications, cross-sell policies, and measure client satisfaction while building long-term relationships with their insureds.
How did the COVID-19 pandemic change your insurance agency management?
Most agencies are emerging from pandemic lockdown with their business still healthy – perhaps even healthier for those that benefitted from restrictions that reduced claims. An agency that emerges from such an immediate and drastic change with economic strength speaks to their resilience and preparation.