As we recently explained, the habits that both agents and their clients developed during the COVID-19 lockdown will continue well after we return to the office. Specifically, people are now accustomed to shopping online, so there will likely be less demand for face-to-face meetings in the months ahead.

We therefore wanted to share two important resources with you:

  1. The first is a website building platform called AgentMethods that offers discounts to AHCP agents.
  2. The second is an article from the Quotit Blog about four ways agents can improve their existing websites.

If more customers will be shopping online for insurance, it’s critically important that agents make it as easy as possible for prospective clients to run a quote, compare their options, and sign up for coverage. Without a great website, brokers are at risk of losing business to online vendors who likely know more about technology than they do, but far less about insurance.

AgentMethods

For brokers who would like to outsource the task of setting up their websites, AHCP has partnered with a website-building platform called AgentMethods that our agents can utilize. Both AHCP and Quotit agents will receive 50% off the setup cost and a 25% discount for the first four months.

 Here are some highlights of what AgentMethods has to offer:

  • Quotit ePro can be integrated into the site to create a seamless selling process while also allowing clients to browse insurance on their own.
  • The site can manage the agent’s social media accounts.
  • Agents get access to a vast library of content on many different insurance topics that they can add to their site.
  • Brokers can schedule email blasts through their website.
  • The tool is very easy to use, even if you’re not great with technology.

If you’re interested in learning more, you can go to https://www.agentmethods.com/quotit to schedule a demo.

4 Ways to Improve Your Website as an Insurance Agent

Last October, Quotit published a blog post entitled “4 Ways to Improve Your Website as an Insurance Agent.” The article explains that a website is no longer an option for agents; it’s a necessity. Not only that, but this web presence must “meet and exceed client expectations.” So what are these client expectations, and how can agents meet them? Keep reading to find out.

(Reprinted with permission from Quotit)

Ten or 15 years ago, simply having a website might have done the trick for insurance agencies and brokerages.

But over the last several years, in the age of mobile devices and ubiquitous connectivity, the average person’s expectations for how a website should look and feel have changed dramatically.

It’s no longer enough to simply have a website; agencies and brokerages need web presences that meet and exceed client expectations. Generally speaking, this means they need to be pleasing on the eye, fast to load, easy to navigate, optimized for each device, and helpful.
Need a little more convincing that web design is more important than ever? Consider these stats:

Has your agency’s or brokerage’s website evolved alongside the technological revolution? If it’s been a while since you’ve refreshed your website, now may be the perfect time to give it a face-lift.

The good news is that—with the right resources in place—doing so isn’t anywhere near as hard as it might sound. With that in mind, let’s take a look at four things to consider while you improve your insurance agent website.

1. User experience

In the world of web design, the user experience refers to how a person interacts with your site and whether that leaves a favorable impression on them.

If, for example, a visitor lands on your page and doesn’t understand how your site works or how to navigate from one part to the next, you likely have a poor user experience, which is churning clients and would-be prospects away.

On the flip side, if a visitor likes what they see on your site—if the design is pleasing, the architecture is intuitive, and the pages load quickly—you have a strong user experience. The better your user experience is, the more likely your website will be to help you meet your business goals.

2. Fast load times

Your website visitors expect your site to load quickly. That shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. But you might be surprised by what they mean by quickly—which is less than two seconds.

If your website takes a good while to load, you can be certain that a good number of visitors will give up and look for information elsewhere.

As you go about redesigning your website, be sure that all components—your home page, blog, client portal, and quote and enrolling tool—load lightning-fast. Otherwise, you’re leaving money on the table.

3. Mobile-friendliness

By the end of 2019, it’s predicted that mobile devices will account for a whopping 63 percent of all web traffic. As such, it’s more important than ever for websites to deliver a mobile-optimized experience. In fact, 43 percent of consumers are unlikely to return to a slow-loading mobile site, and 40 percent will seek a substitute following a bad mobile experience.

How exactly do you make sure your site is mobile-optimized? It starts with picking a responsive web design that automatically scales to accommodate the size of the screen being used to access the site. You also need to compress images and remove images that aren’t mobile-friendly. For even more ways to optimize your mobile site, check this out.

4. Easy-to-access quotes online

In today’s digitally driven world, users expect instant gratification. Simply put, they don’t have the patience to wait around for any extended period of time to find the information they need or sign up for a service.

To this end, one of the more important things agencies and brokerages can do while redesigning a website is integrating real-time quoting and enrolling functionality into it. That way, potential prospects can enroll in the insurance plans that work best for their specific situation at the most convenient times.

As an added bonus, your team members won’t have to manually process every application that comes in. As a result, they will be able to reclaim a good chunk of time each week, which they can then invest in other revenue-generating areas of operations.

Are you ready to take your insurance agent website to the next level?

With the right approach, redesigning your website can pay tremendous dividends for your agency or brokerage. By improving the user experience, ensuring your website loads quickly and is mobile-optimized, and packing tons of useful information and features into your site, you can go a long way toward attracting new prospects and keeping existing clients engaged. Over time, this translates into happier website visitors, more conversions, and a healthier bottom line.

For more information on how you can transform your agency or brokerage with modern tools, read our new CRM Productivity Report.