Online marketing, like all marketing, is about standing out. It’s differentiating from the crowd – showing off what makes your business and product unique.
Online insurance agency marketing demands time and resources to achieve this, yet agencies too often neglect marketing efforts. Independent agencies have distinct value points and culture, yet their online branding efforts take a backseat. With over 38,000 independent insurance agencies in the U.S., communicating your value proposition is critical. But, all value is lost in a cookie-cutter, template-based website. You’ve worked so hard to build your agency’s brand – why let it get lost in a sea of sameness?
Take a moment to make your agency website stand out.
Show off
Start by clearly defining your value. What is it that makes you stand out in your industry and locality? It could be a niche market, like serving small business owners or emergency service vehicles. Maybe you pride yourself in utilizing the latest technology, or you have great customer service stories. Whatever it is, make it front and center on your website.
Next, show your agency’s personality. Add elements to your site that show off not only what you do, but who you are as an agency. This can be candid photos of staff or even quirky “About Us” descriptions for your leadership. Show off your local team spirit or share a joke – something to show prospects that you’ve got a distinct company culture.
Once a prospect or customer finds your agency website, they shouldn’t have to fumble around to get connected. The first step is optimizing your site for all devices. Web searches are no longer confined to a computer: phones, tablets, and other devices now display web pages, too. Make sure your website is easy to read on each.
If you have a social presence (and you should!), integrate social media with your website. Have links to your social profiles on the footer of each page and include social sharing buttons on any relevant content.
Serve
Your agency website should also include intuitive, easy to find forms. Prospects and customers alike will appreciate simple, straight-forward methods to request information. Include ways to file a claim, request policy changes and ID cards, and access certificates of insurance. These easily accessible services not only streamline your operations, they boost your customer connection.
Get tips on how to organize your site for ease of use here
Update
Nothing is worse than a static site. The nature of the online world is that it’s always changing. Stay relevant with new content. Whether it’s sharing industry news or managing a blog, keep things fresh. Switch out photos and mix up your homepage’s featured content. These little updates show your agency is present and dynamic.
It’s also important to use the latest technology. This doesn’t mean you need a cutting edge, highly stylized site. Focus on elements like modern design, navigation widgets, and sticky menus. Look around at other agency sites for ideas and start integrating what works for you.
Is your website up to date? Find out if it’s time to update
Put in the time
Agency websites may be a common thing, but doing the common things uncommonly well is critical to your insurance agency website success. Give your virtual storefront the time and care it deserves. The payoff will be huge.
At SIS, we know and value taking time to craft a quality product that is uniquely “us.” That’s why we continually connect with our clients to improve our Partner XE management system. Each Partner XE update is full of enhancements requested and tested by our clients.
Want to find out what makes SIS and Partner XE unique? Check out our about us page or contact us at [email protected] to get connected today.
Your agency management system is a staple of operations, but is it living up to its full potential? Don’t get stuck in the routine or afraid to test out your system’s capabilities. Go beyond data entry to make the most of your management system and boost agency productivity.
Check out all the ways to utilize your system in our latest infographic, My Agency Management System Can Do That?!
Tap into more system-maximizing resources with our agency guides or contact us at [email protected] to find out how SIS and Partner XE can transform your agency.
As the holiday shopping season approaches, we’re bombarded with ads for new gadgets that will “change your life.” These devices might deliver on that promise – but often they don’t. A new phone, updated tablet, or surround sound speaker system can end up feeling, well, underwhelming. Why? Because we often don’t realize their full potential.
The same rings true for your agency management system and its potential for insurance solutions.
Are You Leaving Money on the Table?
If you’re like most agencies, you’re using your management system daily…but only to manage data. There is so much more your system can accomplish! Tap into your management system’s potential by utilizing its time-saving, workflow-optimizing features.
Use tailor-made workflows
Great management systems provide the ability to customize workflows, naming conventions, and reporting to reflect how your agency works. Take advantage of these opportunities to make your agency management system more in sync with your processes.
Create shortcuts, allowing users to jump right to the screen they need. Design workflows that match individual users’ daily processes. Make reports that give you the information your team needs, in the way they need it. These seemingly small changes can seriously overhaul your agency’s workflow.
If you haven’t yet, your agency needs to go paperless. The time and money saving benefits alone are huge.[bctt tweet=”If you haven’t yet, your agency needs to go paperless. The time and money saving benefits alone are huge.” via=”no”] Plus, documents and data stored virtually is protected from loss, damage, and theft in the security of the cloud.
Your management system is set up to run a paperless operation. Use email syncing to send and receive policy documents and attach them to customer profiles. Skip printing directions and documents when on the road with mobile access via your provider’s app. Take advantage of easy scanning and document management, transferring all your agency documents to one centralized location.
Sync with download
RealTime, personal and commercial lines, and bill commissions download were designed to speed up your agency’s operations – use them! RealTime alone can save hundreds of hours over the year, eliminating keystrokes and automatically updating customer information daily.
Personal and commercial lines downloads hold the same benefits. Your customer service team can skip hours on the phone with carriers and simply download their recent pricing and coverage updates. For producers, bill commissions downloads process “who gets what” in a matter of minutes. And each process reduces human error, upping your E & O protection.
Use reporting to monitor and grow your book of business. New business reports give an idea of your annual cycle and referral methods – that is, if you track referral methods in your management system (you should!). Retention reports provide similar information, giving a look at your annual and monthly rates and average length of retention. Pay attention to drop off patterns as they may signal gaps in your customer service.
Improve your retention and referral by building customer relationships. Your agency management system’s email integration and notes features can help you track customer engagement, growing your relationship with each customer. Calendar and reminder features allow you to track birthdays, anniversaries, or other important events and remind you to reach out. These small touches can make a big difference.
Many agency members will look at this list and think, “Great – but how do we start maximizing our management system this way?” The key is changing agency culture to focus on continual learning and improvement. Start by:
Accessing your provider’s learning resources
Providing time on the job to share best practices
Engaging your provider’s training teams
At SIS, we’re continually improving our Partner XE management system to meet our client’s needs and engaging agencies in ways to use Partner XE to the fullest. Through agency specific workshops, regional trainings, and online support, we’re committed to helping our clients maximize their Partner XE experience.
Want to learn more? Request a Partner XE demo and contact us with questions at 800.747.7005, Option 6 or [email protected].
Associated Insurance Agency Client Stories Getting Started Training Support Partner User Community Agency Information Based in Central Ohio (7 locations). Founded in 1923 30% commercial and 70% personal Bill Bishop “With our old provider, we felt like a number. It’s...
Strategic Insurance Software, LLC (“SIS”, “Company”, “us”, “our”, or “we”) respects your privacy and is committed to protecting it through our compliance with this policy.
This policy describes the types of information we may collect from you or that you may provide when you visit the websites www.partnerxe.net, www.partnerxe.com or www.sispartnerplatform.com (our “Website”) and/or use Partner XE™ and/or any web or mobile (including tablet) application, and any supplemental information, tools, programs, equations, algorithms, methods, ideas, or processes of any kind (collectively, the “Services”) that SIS has made available. This policy also describes our practices for collecting, using, maintaining, protecting and disclosing such information.
This policy applies to information we collect:
On this Website.
In connection with Partner XE™ and any mobile or tablet applications.
In e-mail, text and other electronic messages between you and this Website.
It does not apply to information collected by:
Us offline or through any other means, including on any other website operated by SIS or any third party; or
any third party (including our affiliates and subsidiaries), including through any application or content (including advertising) that may link to or be accessible from or on the Website
Please read this policy carefully to understand our policies and practices regarding your information and how we will treat it. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, your choice is to not use our Website or the Services. By accessing or using this Website or the Services, you agree to this privacy policy. This policy may change from time to time and your continued use of this Website or the Services after we make changes is deemed to be acceptance of those changes, so it is your responsibility to check the policy periodically for updates.
Children Under the Age of 13
Our Website and the Services are not intended for children under 13 years of age. No one under age 13 may provide any information to or on the Website or through the Services. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you are under 13, do not use or provide any information on this Website or on or through any of its features or the Services, register on the Website, make any purchases through the Website, use any of the interactive features of this Website or the Services or provide any information about yourself to us, including your name, address, telephone number, e-mail address or any screen name or user name you may use. If we learn we have collected or received personal information from a child under 13 without verification of parental consent, we will delete that information. If you believe we might have any information from or about a child under 13, please contact us at [email protected].
Information We Collect About You and How We Collect It
We collect several types of information from and about users of our Website, including information:
by which you or your customers may be personally identified, such as name, postal address, e-mail address, telephone number, credit card information, billing information, and any other identifier by which you may be contacted online or offline (“personal information”); and/or
about your internet connection, the equipment you use to access our Website and usage details.
We collect this information:
Directly from you when you provide it to us.
Automatically as you navigate through the Website. Information collected automatically may include usage details, IP addresses and information collected through cookies, web beacons and other tracking technologies.
From third parties, for example, our business partners.
Information You Provide to Us.
The information we collect on or through our Website may include:
Information that you provide by filling in forms on our Website. This includes information provided at the time of registering to use our Website or the Services or requesting further services. We may also ask you for information when you report a problem with our Website or the Services.
Records and copies of your correspondence (including e-mail addresses), if you contact us.
Details of transactions you carry out through our Website and of the fulfillment of your orders. You may be required to provide financial information before placing an order for the Services through our Website.
Your search queries on the Website.
Information We Collect Through Automatic Data Collection Technologies.
As you navigate through and interact with our Website, we may use automatic data collection technologies to collect certain information about your equipment, browsing actions and patterns, including:
Details of your visits to our Website, including but not limited to traffic data, location data, client data, logs and other communication data and the resources that you access and use on the Website.
Information about your computer and internet connection, including your IP address, operating system and browser type.
The information we collect automatically is statistical data and may include personal/company information. It helps us to improve our Website and the Services and to deliver a better and more personalized service, including by enabling us to:
Estimate our audience size and usage patterns.
Store information about your preferences, allowing us to customize our Website according to your individual interests.
Speed up your searches.
Recognize you when you return to our Website.
The technologies we use for this automatic data collection may include:
Cookies (or browser cookies). A cookie is a small file placed on the hard drive of your computer. You may refuse to accept browser cookies by activating the appropriate setting on your browser. However, if you select this setting you may be unable to access certain parts of our Website. Unless you have adjusted your browser setting so that it will refuse cookies, our system will issue cookies when you direct your browser to our Website.
Flash Cookies. Certain features of our Website may use local stored objects (or Flash cookies) to collect and store information about your preferences and navigation to, from and on our Website. Flash cookies are not managed by the same browser settings as are used for browser cookies.
Web Beacons. Pages of our Website and our e-mails may contain small electronic files known as web beacons (also referred to as clear gifs, pixel tags and single-pixel gifs) that permit the Company, for example, to count users who have visited those pages or opened an e-mail and for other related website statistics (for example, recording the popularity of certain website content and verifying system and server integrity).
Third-party Use of Cookies and Other Tracking Technologies.
Some content or applications, including advertisements, on the Website are served by third-parties, including advertisers, ad networks and servers, content providers and application providers. These third parties may use cookies alone or in conjunction with web beacons or other tracking technologies to collect information about you when you use our website. The information they collect may be associated with your personal/company information or they may collect information, including personal/company information, about your online activities over time and across different websites and other online services. They may use this information to provide you with interest-based (behavioral) advertising or other targeted content.
We do not control these third parties’ tracking technologies or how they may be used. If you have any questions about an advertisement or other targeted content, you should contact the responsible provider directly.
How We Use Your Information
We use information that we collect about you or your company or that you or your company provide to us, including any personal information:
To present our Website and its contents and the Services to you.
To provide you with information, products or services that you request from us.
To fulfill any other purpose for which you provide it.
To carry out our obligations and enforce our rights arising from any contracts entered into between you and us, including for billing and collection.
To notify you about changes to our Website, the Services, or any other products or services we offer or provide.
To allow you to participate in interactive features on our Website or through the Product.
In any other way we may describe when you provide the information.
For any other purpose with your consent.
We may also use your information to contact you about our own and third-parties’ goods and services that may be of interest to you. If you do not want us to use your information in this way, please contact [email protected].
We may use the information we have collected from you to enable us to display advertisements to our advertisers’ target audiences. Even though we do not disclose your personal information for these purposes without your consent, if you click on or otherwise interact with an advertisement, the advertiser may assume that you meet its target criteria.
Disclosure of Your Information
We may disclose aggregated information about our users, and information that does not identify any individual (or any individual company), without restriction.
We may disclose personal/company information that we collect or you provide as described in this privacy policy:
To our subsidiaries and affiliates.
To contractors, service providers and other third parties we use to support our business and who are bound by contractual obligations to keep personal information confidential and use it only for the purposes for which we disclose it to them.
To a buyer or other successor in the event of a merger, divestiture, restructuring, reorganization, dissolution or other sale or transfer of some or all of SIS’s assets, whether as a going concern or as part of bankruptcy, liquidation or similar proceeding, in which personal information held by SIS about our Website or Services users is among the assets transferred.
To third parties to market their products or services to you if you have not opted out of these disclosures.
To fulfill the purpose for which you provide it.
For any other purpose disclosed by us when you provide the information.
With your consent.
We may also disclose your personal/company information:
To comply with any court order, law or legal process, including to respond to any government or regulatory request.
To enforce or apply any Agreement between SIS and you for use of any portion or version of the Services and other agreements, including for billing and collection purposes.
If we believe disclosure is necessary or appropriate to protect the rights, property, or safety of SIS, our customers or others. This includes exchanging information with other companies and organizations for the purposes of fraud protection and credit risk reduction.
Choices About How We Use and Disclose Your Information
We strive to provide you with choices regarding the personal/company information you provide to us. We have created mechanisms to provide you with the following control over your information:
Tracking Technologies and Advertising. You can set your browser to refuse all or some browser cookies, or to alert you when cookies are being sent. To learn how you can manage your Flash cookie settings, visit the Flash player settings page on Adobe’s website. If you disable or refuse cookies, please note that some parts of this site may then be inaccessible or not function properly.
We do not control third parties’ collection or use of your information to serve interest-based advertising. However these third parties may provide you with ways to choose not to have your information collected or used in this way.
Your California Privacy Rights
California Civil Code Section § 1798.83 permits users of our Website that are California residents to request certain information regarding our disclosure of personal information to third parties for their direct marketing purposes. To make such a request, please send an e-mail to [email protected].
Data Security
We have implemented measures designed to secure your personal/company information from accidental loss and from unauthorized access, use, alteration and disclosure.
The safety and security of your information also depends on you. Where we have given you (or where you have chosen) a password for access to the Services or certain parts of our Website, you are responsible for keeping this password confidential. We ask you not to share your password with anyone.
Unfortunately, the transmission of information via the internet is not completely secure. Although we do our best to protect your personal/company information, we cannot guarantee the security of your information transmitted to the Services or our Website. Any transmission of information (including personal or company information) is at your own risk. We are not responsible for circumvention of any privacy settings or security measures contained in the Services or on the Website.
Changes to Our Privacy Policy
It is our policy to post any changes we make to our privacy policy on this page. The date the privacy policy was last revised is identified at the top of the page. You are responsible for ensuring we have an up-to-date active and deliverable e-mail address for you, and for periodically visiting our Website and this privacy policy to check for any changes.
Contact Information
To ask questions or comment about this privacy policy and our privacy practices, contact us at [email protected].
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