Insurance Leads - The Internet Is Your Friend
Why do insurance agents disdain the internet?
I think the reason that insurance agents get frustrated with the internet is because it is not a magic bullet. You can't just throw up a website - no matter how wonderful it is - and expect clients to find it out of the several thousand other websites that advertise insurance.
A good website is a start.
Effective web pages don't try to be all things to all people. I know it's tempting to put everything you know about everything on a page, but in my considerable experience on the net, pages that convey one main message - with a few links to other related choices - perform the best for me.
You should offer something in exchange for your visitor's time. You can offer information, and of course that information should lead into the reason why a visitor should use your services. Give the internet surfer a reason to visit you, and then give them a reason to stick around, come back, and even pass your website on to their friends.
Capture Visitors
An internet site is almost a waste of time without some way to capture a visitor's contact information. A simple feedback form, with a reason for the visitor to fill it out, works well. Offer a free quote, a newsletter, or something in exchange for a name, email address, and better yet...a phone number! If you post it, they will come.
But what if I post it and nobody comes?
Of course, traffic is always the issue. It's relatively easy to put up a website, but it's not so easy to get noticed amoung the billions of other sites. Volumes have been written on traffic ideas, and this is not the post for that! However, the obvious routes to research are: offline advertising, paid online ads, and simply posting your website address around in a non-spammy way on related forums and groups.
Offline Ads: Have you turned on your TV lately. You can hardly watch a Gunsmoke rerun without seeing Geico or Esurance ads. Ads for annuities are more common. And of course, there's the old standby - Senior Life. I have heard that radio ads are very effective, and usually much cheaper than TV ads. If you don't have a budget for TV or radio, doing something as simple as putting your website address on your business card is a start. Fliers with an offer of information and your website address distributed in your superstore parking lot can work too!
Online Paid Ads: You may explore pay per click advertising, or paying for banner ads on other websites. This is a subject that I am not even going to deal with here, and I am not master.
Online Non Paid Ads: These take time, but they are free. Of course, make sure your site is submitted to major search engines. If you belong to any forums or online groups, putting your website URL in your signature is generally accepted. You can ask for link exchanges from related sites. If you concentrate on selling insurance in Michigan, then an insurance salesperson in Kentucky may be willing to exchange a link. If you sell life and health, look for property agents to partner with. You may also look for local realtors, mortgage brokers, etc. who would be willing to exchange local links.
I think the reason that insurance agents get frustrated with the internet is because it is not a magic bullet. You can't just throw up a website - no matter how wonderful it is - and expect clients to find it out of the several thousand other websites that advertise insurance.
A good website is a start.
Effective web pages don't try to be all things to all people. I know it's tempting to put everything you know about everything on a page, but in my considerable experience on the net, pages that convey one main message - with a few links to other related choices - perform the best for me.
You should offer something in exchange for your visitor's time. You can offer information, and of course that information should lead into the reason why a visitor should use your services. Give the internet surfer a reason to visit you, and then give them a reason to stick around, come back, and even pass your website on to their friends.
Capture Visitors
An internet site is almost a waste of time without some way to capture a visitor's contact information. A simple feedback form, with a reason for the visitor to fill it out, works well. Offer a free quote, a newsletter, or something in exchange for a name, email address, and better yet...a phone number! If you post it, they will come.
But what if I post it and nobody comes?
Of course, traffic is always the issue. It's relatively easy to put up a website, but it's not so easy to get noticed amoung the billions of other sites. Volumes have been written on traffic ideas, and this is not the post for that! However, the obvious routes to research are: offline advertising, paid online ads, and simply posting your website address around in a non-spammy way on related forums and groups.
Offline Ads: Have you turned on your TV lately. You can hardly watch a Gunsmoke rerun without seeing Geico or Esurance ads. Ads for annuities are more common. And of course, there's the old standby - Senior Life. I have heard that radio ads are very effective, and usually much cheaper than TV ads. If you don't have a budget for TV or radio, doing something as simple as putting your website address on your business card is a start. Fliers with an offer of information and your website address distributed in your superstore parking lot can work too!
Online Paid Ads: You may explore pay per click advertising, or paying for banner ads on other websites. This is a subject that I am not even going to deal with here, and I am not master.
Online Non Paid Ads: These take time, but they are free. Of course, make sure your site is submitted to major search engines. If you belong to any forums or online groups, putting your website URL in your signature is generally accepted. You can ask for link exchanges from related sites. If you concentrate on selling insurance in Michigan, then an insurance salesperson in Kentucky may be willing to exchange a link. If you sell life and health, look for property agents to partner with. You may also look for local realtors, mortgage brokers, etc. who would be willing to exchange local links.
posted by Mar at 9:41 AM
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