Many insurance agencies are now marketing their company online. The key to doing this correctly, without spending too much money is a challenge for many agencies to overcome.
Another key item to focus on when setting up a digital marketing campaign is search engine optimization (SEO). SEO is the method of affecting the visibility of a website in a search engine’s (such as Google or Yahoo) search results. The higher ranked websites appear not only closer to the top of the list of search results, but more frequently in a list of search results as well. Essentially, the higher the SEO the more clicks or viewers a website is bound to receive. Search engine optimization takes a lot of in-depth knowledge and you may need to hire a professional in the field to assist with an SEO initiative.
So how can you ensure your website is promoting a strong marketing message with a high SEO? Here are a few tips to assist you in managing these items.
Website Marketing Strategies
Spend Ample Time on your Home Page: Your home page is one of the most important marketing assets on your website. It is best to look at your home page as your calling card or face to the world. Many customers research their purchases online prior to making a decision. Make sure your home page is professional, informative, well-organized, and contains your contact information.
Follow the Rule of Simplicity: Making sure the design of your website is simple will make it easier not only for visitors to gather information, but for you to update information as well. A website that is easy to use with a clean design and simple navigation will be more inviting for viewers.
Build Your Business: The main reason for having a website is bring in business for your company. Viewing your website as a sales generating tool opposed to simply a flashy brochure will generate more web leads and business opportunities. Initially, you want to drive customers to your site, keep them there with a professional look, simple navigation, and compelling content, invite customers to join your email list or blog, and follow-up with them to build trust and business.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Select Your Keywords: The first step of your SEO process is deciding what terms you want to try to optimize for. Try to put yourself in the shoes of your potential customers and think what they are searching online. (Keep in mind many of their searches may include their city or neighborhood.) Once you have come up with as many potential searches you can think of, pick the most important phrases and words from those searches. These will be the keywords you will target on your site.
Incorporate Keywords into Your Page Titles: Write a descriptive title for each page using keywords you want people to find you with. (Your titles should be less than 70 characters long.) Page titles are the easiest way for you to target searches for specific keywords. Remove as many unnecessary words from the title as possible (i.e. as, the, and, etc.), however, ensure the title is still readable. This title will be your identity on the search engines, so try to incorporate your business type as well as your business name.
Make a Site Map: Creating a site map page with links to all of the pages on your website is not only helpful to visitors, but search engines as well. This is especially the case if your website is large and contains a lot of pages. There are free tools available such as www.XML-Sitemap.com that will assist your creation of an XML sitemap. Simply upload it to your website following creation and submit it to the search engine companies. Instruction on how to submit your sitemap is available on each search engine site.
Write Meta Descriptions: When you conduct a search online, the each result has a link and an accompanying description of that page. You can use tools like this one, Yoast SEO, to customize these descriptions. The tool you use to write these will depend on what you used to make your site. These descriptions serve as an ad for your pages, encouraging searchers to click on your page instead of the other search results.
Fine Tune Your Site: Once you have made an effort to increase your SEO, utilize software such as WebPosition to check your current ranking and compare your webpage against competitors. Based on the results and suggestions made by WebPosition, tweak and fine-tune your website to increase your SEO. Finally, keep in mind that the search engines decide what to list and how to list it. If you write page titles that seem to just pack keywords in without saying what’s actually on the page, for instance, the search engines are likely to pick their own title for that page. Think of the titles and page descriptions as suggestions to the search engines. If they are truthful and well-written, the search engines are more likely to accept them.
This means it is imperative that your agency stay on top of your marketing game by utilizing effective and innovative marketing techniques. One website marketing technique that we have found to be very successful is writing creative and helpful blog posts such as this one to provide our clients with the information they need to succeed. While not each blog that we write will apply to each of you, we strive to provide helpful insight that could be referenced, if not now, in the future as your agency grows. Building a similar relationship with your current and potential clients via blog posts on your website will not only convey your interest in their success, but will assist in building relationships as well.
Aside from providing a solid software platform to help agencies run better, we aim to provide assistance to our agency partners in every way we can. For that reason, we have taken the time to research and write about areas such as this that we feel would be of benefit to independent agents. In cases such as this we are able to draw from the knowledge of the marketing team at NuGrowth Solutions, our parent company, and Agency Marketing Partners, the insurance marketing arm of our business.
If you would like to find out more about our core competence – our Partner XE agency management system – and how it can help you as you strive to streamline workflow and build your books of business, please contact us at 800-747-9273 or [email protected].
Your insurance agency’s marketing goal is to stand out among the noise. Identifying and investing in serving a niche market is one of the most efficient and effective ways to achieve this challenging goal.
When you serve a niche market, you have less competition, making it easier to gain new customers in a specific arena. Your agency is set apart as providing “X” type of insurance, making you distinctive. PIA National’s 2022 Independent Agent Survey found that respondents devoted more than 20% of their book of business to a niche market. You, too, can capitalize on this valuable strategy.
Identifying Your Niche
The first step in capitalizing on a niche market is deciding where to focus. There are a few factors to consider when selecting a niche market, such as market saturation, agency expertise, and interests. It’s best to find a niche that has a low market saturation, is an area your agency has some knowledge about, and one that is particularly interesting to you or members of your team. With these elements combined, you are more likely to break into this niche area successfully.
One of the ways you can find your niche is by looking at your agency data. See if there is a specific area where you see a coverage gap or a pattern in your longest-standing customers. You can also talk with your team and see what problems they find interesting. From there, do research to identify the need for this particular niche in the markets you serve and gain some baseline understanding of what this particular area needs in terms of coverage.
Capitalizing on Your Niche
Once you know your target area, start gathering as much data as possible. Use your internal analytics to see who among your customers may have interest, and leverage marketing automation to serve them information about your new coverage. This data will also help you see how you can grow this niche area by identifying common coverage among this segment.
You’ll also need to grow your expertise in this specific niche area. While you should already have a baseline, you need significant depth to establish yourself as the go-to agency. Invest time in learning more about your niche market. Attend conferences and get involved in industry groups to get on-the-ground intel about what individuals or businesses in your niche want and need. Get endorsements from your current niche customers. The more you can show off your expertise, the better.
Marketing Your Niche
Your next step is to market your niche to customers and prospects. The only way you can capitalize on your target area is to let people know you’re an expert in that specific arena. Start by adjusting your SEO strategy, and adding keywords that pertain to your particular niche. Add those words to your website and, if possible, invest in online ads to pop up when individuals search for that niche within your coverage area.
Beyond SEO, you should also add a page about your niche on your website and, if you have a blog, add a category dedicated to it. Be intentional about producing content related to your niche and highlight it regularly on your social media. Another great marketing avenue is to provide informational sessions to local businesses or organizations that fit your niche profile. The goal is to get your name associated with your niche anywhere and everywhere.
Other Elements to Consider
A few other areas to consider when breaking into your niche are carrier coverage, staffing, and internal processes. Before diving into your niche, be sure you have at least one carrier that covers your determined area. Ideally, you should have three to five carriers available to offer some choice for customers.
You should also consider adjusting your team structure and internal processes to facilitate your niche coverage. Perhaps you have individuals who already have some expertise in the niche area you can move into new positions. Maybe you need to start looking for a new hire to manage your new specialty better. Consider the updates you need to make ahead of launching your new initiative.
Partnering with the Right Provider to Help You Find Your Niche
At Partner Platform, we’re constantly working on making it easier for our agencies to grow their reach. Our integrated data and analytics make it simple to gain the information you need to identify and capitalize on your niche. From there, our Marketing Automation Manager and Producer Results Manager CRM are designed to help our agencies get the word out and track engagement.
See how we’re working with our tech partners to stay on the cutting edge, keeping our Partner Platform agencies nimble and a step ahead of the rest. Fill out a contact form here or get in touch at [email protected] or 800.747.7005, Option 6 to find out more.
When Lara Moffitt began as CEO of MHJ Insurance, her first order of business was to find a new agency management system. She knew their old system was complicated, expensive, and had poor customer service. It was clearly time for MHJ to make a change.
So, Lara rallied her team to start their search for a new agency management system provider. The three-month-long project included a series of interviews, demos, and plenty of internal discussions about what was working and what wasn’t.
In the end, Lara’s team saw SIS and Partner Platform as the
best choice for their agency. Since signing on, they haven’t looked back.
In our conversation, we covered:
What Lara and her team looked for in an agency management system
How they conducted their agency management system search
What made Partner Platform and the SIS team stand out
Mike Maranda has been in the insurance business for over 40
years. He’s guided his agency through many seasons, but his recent journey to
find the right agency management system for his team was one of the most
painful.
After many years with a system they loved, Quality Insurance Service was forced to make a change when one of the big-name providers acquired their original system. Mike and his business partner decided to pick one of the big-name systems to avoid needing to make a change again anytime soon.
Yet, after selecting one of the dominant providers, they were frustrated to move through a cumbersome system with unresponsive service. After four years, they’d had enough and started searching for a new system, eventually joining the Partner Platform community.
We asked Mike to share his journey, telling us how Quality
Insurance Service came to Partner Platform and how the partnership has grown
over the years.
In our conversation, we covered:
What Mike and his team looked for in an agency management system
How and why they chose Partner Platform
What their conversion experience was like
Where they see the industry going in the next five to ten years
As the insurance industry grows more competitive, the particulars of your specific insurance agency management will make your business stand out. Those particulars could be location proximity, ease of doing business, or even something as simple as how your website looks. Though price still matters, changes in cost can only go so far.
The true test of what makes your agency the best choice is the overall customer experience. Seemingly small touches that make each interaction easier, more personable, and leave each customer with a positive feeling have a real impact. Today it’s about more than the best price and the latest tech; it’s how you use these tools to empower, differentiate, and create the best experience in your agency.
Stick with the Fundamentals
Whether your agency has been around for five years or 50, there are some fundamental core elements your customers value. Those are:
Knowledge
Service
Relationship
An old adage says, “You lose a customer for the same reason you won them.” These three areas are those reasons: your agency stands out because of your niche knowledge, speedy and effective service, and the personal relationships you build with customers. Big-name providers simply can’t offer these to the same degree as you, an independent agent. Focus on holding fast to these fundamentals, and you’ll gain more customers than you lose.
Blend Tech with Human Interactions
One of the biggest mistakes newer agencies make these days is to rely too much on technology to get work done. Though insurtech has its place in increasing efficiency, it doesn’t replace the power of human interactions.
Focus on finding that balance between using tech
for its speed and accuracy while keeping human-driven avenues open for service
and support. Look to tech to streamline routine claims and policy processing,
but leave space for in-person meetings or phone calls to walk customers through
more complex issues. The tech/human balance is an essential chord to strike to
keep your agency growing.
Grow Your Expertise
Your deep knowledge of the industry and its nuances is why customers choose you over big-name providers. However, the insurance industry is changing due to technological advances, new ways of doing business, and changes in regulations. You need to keep your team up to date on the latest in the industry with regular continuing education sessions and by gaining additional professional accreditations.
Streamline and Personalize Communications
If your agency has been around for a while, you likely grasp what it means to personalize your communications. Yet, it may become more difficult to keep up that personal touch in your usual ways as you grow. Tech can help by leveraging data to customize your email, social media, and text outreach. Look into tools like marketing automation and an integrated customer relationship management (CRM) to get the personal connection and efficiency you need.
Expand Ways to Get Service and Support
Your customers’ service experience is vital to your agency’s reputation. As a new generation of individuals enters the insurance market, they have different service expectations. Though all your customers will want personalization and a human-driven experience, they’ll also want the option to communicate in different ways. Expand your communication offerings with texting, a branded agency app, an easy-to-navigate website, and an online customer portal. The more choices customers have when it comes to service, the better.
Stay Nimble to Stay Relevant
In a recent conversation with one of our Partner Platform agencies, we talked about the importance of being flexible in order to respond to unexpected changes in the market. Disruptors like the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2008 financial crisis can be hard to prepare for, but you can react quickly if your agency has a culture of trust and flexibility.
Equipping your agency with more tech efficiency is
part of that nimbleness. When you have systems that can automatically operate
without much effort, you create the time and space to think about what
adjustments you need and how to make them happen – fast. Large, complex
agencies simply cannot make the quick adjustments your agency can to provide speedy,
personal service and communications during uncertainty.
Partner Platform is the Independent Agency’s System
When we created our Partner Platform agency management system suite, we designed it with the independent agency in mind. The easy-to-navigate system has room for personalization bolstered with the latest tech efficiency. We regularly consult with our Partner Platform Community to find ways to make our system work better for our independent agents.
Discover more about our system, community, and commitment to independent agents. Visit us at sispartnerplatform.com and get in touch with our team today.
Digital insurance options opened up new markets and improved communications for agencies worldwide. However, this growth goes hand-in-hand with the rise in cyberattacks over the past few years.
Recent reports estimated cyberattacks increased between 200% and 300% in 2020 and are doubling again. Similarly, ransoms from cyberattacks are rising by between 50% and 80%, making it a more attractive scheme for cybercriminals.
Labor market changes contribute to increased cyber-vulnerability as well. More people are working remotely, and their home offices may not have the same security measures as their company. Similarly, the recent labor shortage means companies are hiring more people more often and, in their haste to fill positions, may not provide ample cybersecurity training for new hires.
Independent insurance agencies are starting to feel the heat. Though independent agencies provide a level of personalized service and care big names never can, insurtech’s sophisticated insurance software is beginning to bridge the gap.
According to experts at PropertyCasualty360, “With increased competition from insurtechs and rising labor costs, in order to stay competitive, companies need to…provide a seamless omnichannel experience.” That means broadening how you’re serving your customers, keeping up with evolving customer demands.
Do you have the right insurance software to meet these growing customer needs?
Digital insurance is the future. According to Reuters, over $10 billion were invested in digital insurance technology in the first nine months of 2021 alone.
But, a rise in digital insurance tech use doesn’t mean a decline in demand for people in the industry. J.D. Power found that agencies that increased their “digital offerings” didn’t necessarily see a boost in customer satisfaction. While customers value the speed and efficiency digital tools offer, they also need that human connection.
Many insurance agencies are now marketing their company online. The key to doing this correctly, without spending too much money is a challenge for many agencies to overcome.
