Why is it important to start an online insurance agency?
Remember the days when you called a travel agent to book that annual family vacation, your business trips, or just a quick getaway? Your favorite travel agent knew you, your preferences, and would even call you every once in a while with that “great deal.”
Where is this travel agent today? Well, the traditional travel agent is almost an extinct species. Between 1996 and 2006, travel agents saw airline commissions, their historical cash cow, all but disappear; going from 61% of their revenue to 7% of their revenue. Why? Internet and DIY sites like Travelocity.com and many other similar sites. Travel agents that didn’t adapt went out of business. By the way, that agent who called you with the special offer or got you a seat in the exit line is still working.
Today, with the growing number of online insurance quote and information sites, insurance agents are about to fight the same battle for survival that travel agents faced – and lost – 10 years ago. Fortunately, insurance agents still have time to contact their customers and buyers to avoid the same predicament that awaited the travel agent. However, between regulatory changes, government mandates and, most importantly, shoppers wanting to handle more of their interactions online, insurance agents have a relatively small window to proactively establish their online presence.
We know that customers of all ages are online – buying, researching, banking and networking. We also know that the “silver tsunami”—the massive wave of boomers retiring over the next ten years—is becoming increasingly comfortable doing more of their activities online. If insurance agents don’t adapt quickly, they’ll be missing out on a big opportunity – communicating with customers and prospects online. Why is this so important? Because current research shows that buyers are going online to check who they are doing business with. As a result, if the insurance agent does not have a high-quality website, there is a good chance that he will also lose the customer.
One of the best solutions for independent insurance agents, small agencies and insurance brokers is a website building platform that allows you to build, launch and customize a professional website in minutes. The advantage of such a platform is that the agent does not need to have any technical experience and can immediately start referring customers and potential customers to their website.
Agents who don’t have a solid internet strategy in place today are at risk of losing their clients in the near future. Simply putting your logo in a citation system is not enough. Having a high-quality website is an important part of the toolkit agents need to succeed.
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