Safeco
Tests Tablet PC for Claims Applications The Tablet PC, introduced last
year, seems to have promise for insurance industry use, but the only way
to know is to try it out. Safeco recently spent some time studying the appropriateness
of the technology. by John Ashenhurst
Bill
Tedrick, Interface Expert, Sees Future in Remote Web Services First
we had paper, then batch/EDI, now followed by real-time and hybrid interface.
What’s next? Agency, carrier, and other systems talking to one another
through the emerging channel of remote Web services. by John Ashenhurst
The
Online Do-It-Yourself Web Site Builder Option: Pros & Cons There
are many reasons why thousands of agencies still do not have a Web site.
For many, the prospect of doing all that work getting a Web site is a task
that many prefer to avoid. Online do-it-yourself site building services
certainly can simplify things, but there are limitations. by Steven Brightbill
Risks
and Rewards of Offshore Software Development Vendors, carriers, brokers,
and perhaps even agencies are beginning to outsource some technical and
call center work to offshore service suppliers. Though potential cost savings
are attractive, does going offshore make sense? by John Ashenhurst
Five
Trends Insurance Professionals Cannot Ignore Yes, trying to keep up
with new and emerging technology can be an overwhelming and never-ending
chore. But regardless of how you try to keep pace and look ahead, keep your
eyes on these five trends which will impact how your business operation
sooner or later. By Steven Brightbill
Business
Plan Pro 2004 How to succeed in writing a business plan without really
trying. by Vicki Brightbill
What
to Make of Spam Hoopla Spam-related headlines, news articles, and hysteria
reached a crescendo during May and June. Some predicted that the projected
volume of spam would eventually shut down the Internet. While 79 percent
of Americans say they want some kind of federal spam legislation, nearly
half of business people say they do want to receive e-mail advertising despite
their disgust with spam. What should we think about all this? by Steven
Brightbill
Hybrid
Management Systems Part Three: Evolving Agency/Carrier Relationships.
Hybrid management systems have the potential to dissolve perennial interface
problems and create an environment that's customer focused. But making hybrid
management systems work presents some challenges – among them sorting
out the contractual relationships and interdependencies between agents and
carriers. by John Ashenhurst
Trying
to Find an Independent Agent Online in St. Louis. In 1996, key voices
within the independent agent ranks urged agencies to jump on the Internet
bandwagon, get listed in directories and on locator services, and hang out
their Internet shingle — all of which would drive insurance hungry
consumers to their agency. What happened? What I found in St. Louis, Missouri
is not encouraging. by Steve Brightbill
Analysis
of a Lost Marketing Opportunity. Marketing savvy agents everywhere would
probably jump at an ideal opportunity to draw visitors to their Web site
and potentially write new business. Learn from one agency's failure to capitalize
and what might have been done instead. by Steve Brightbill
Linda
Rollings, AMSUG Industry Advocate, Discusses Her New Rolgency Automation,
and What Lies Ahead. In last month's news, we reported that longtime
agency technology manager Linda Rollings was appointed to the new AMSUG
position of Industry Advocate, a position for which she is well qualified.
As she begins her new assignment, Rollings reflects on her career, her plans,
and where she thinks insurance technology is headed. by Steve Brightbill
The
Chicken or the Egg? The Service Management and Systems Equation. The
early 90s ushered in the service management movement. You could hardly go
to an industry event that didn't feature some kind of service management
guru. Several years later, businesses discovered that they needed improved
systems to manage service. Are we getting things figured out yet? This experience
might make you think twice. by Steve Brightbill
Managing
Marketing Campaigns: SaleSource Re-written, Offered as an Internet Solution.
Marketing campaigns can be very effective, but only if professionally designed
and consistently managed, a difficult proposition for busy agencies. SaleSource
automates the process, doing most of the grunt work and reminding humans
when they need to play a role. By John Ashenhurst
Is
SEMCI Really a Serious Goal of Independent Agents? Considering the issue’s
history, effort expended, and the results achieved, it seems appropriate
to think out loud and wonder whether or not SEMCI is a problem that agents
are genuinely intent on solving. New realities beg us to shed our long-held
notions and look elsewhere for more attainable solutions. by John Carmody
Hybrid
Management Systems, Part Two:Inherent Problems, Potential Solutions.
Last installment we looked at how hybrid management systems could overcome
the problems inherent in computer-to-computer interface - by removing the
very need for interface. This installment we’ll look at one critical
objection to hybrid management systems and show the objection masks an important
and persistent misunderstanding about why interface has been such a problem.
by John Ashenhurst
Applied
Systems’ Doug Johnston Compares Transformation Station, Hybrid Interface.
Applied to continue with Transformation Station and the emerging world of
Web services while adding Hybrid Interface to its management systems for
carriers that so far can’t or won’t implement Transformation
Station solutions. by John Ashenhurst
How
to Build a Better Password. Threats to communication, network, PC, and
Internet security abound. Better passwords are a frontline defense. by Steven
Brightbill
Does
Open Source Software Have Value for Agents? Open source is beginning
to give Microsoft a run for its money — at least in certain areas
— and IBM has put its considerable heft behind this technical and
social phenomenon. Is there something here for agents? Can they save money
on software? Can they get functionality they now don’t have? Maybe
today; almost certainly tomorrow. by John Ashenhurst
Bill
Wilson: Director of IIABA’s Virtual University. The first working
version of the Virtual University Web site was launched in September 1999.
Since then, it has gone through several iterations and has matured to become
one of the best agent resources I’m aware of. This online education
source for independent agents is the “baby” of its director,
Bill Wilson, who is justifiably proud of an effort about which he says,
“I could do this twenty hours a day and still feel like I haven't
accomplished enough.” by Steve Brightbill
The
Tablet PC — Part Two. Last issue we looked at the Tablet PC and
the three ways manufacturers have chosen to architect them. This issue we’ll
look at what makes the Tablet PC different from existing PCs and Notebooks
and how Tablets hold promise for the insurance industry. We’ll also
cover some personal experiences with this new computer and what one major
vendor is up to with this new technology. by John Ashenhurst
Does
Your E-Mail Address Appear Professional? While seemingly basic, having
an e-mail address is an important service to your customers. Why not make
sure it apppears professional? by Vicki Brightbill
Why
Agents Should Collect E-mail Addresses. There’s a gold mine of
opportunity in those e-mail addresses, but many agencies don’t take
the time to look for it. by Steve Brightbill
Hybrid
Management Systems, Part One: The Real Solution to Interface Problems
Even after a 20-year effort, agency/carrier interface hasn’t become
a practical solution to the interconnected problems of agency/carrier database
synchronization and multiple-data handling. Perhaps we’ve been looking
in all the wrong places. Fortunately a real solution is at hand. by
John Ashenhurst
Spam
vs. Legitimate Mass E-mail The growing spam problem has sparked an equally
growing anti-spam movement. Does that mean that the days of mass e-mail
are numbered? by Steven Brightbill
The
Tablet PC -- Part One Last fall a new kind of personal computer,
the Tablet PC, entered the marketplace. For the first time, it’s practical
to think of using a full-featured computer without needing a keyboard. The
Tablet PC may have application in insurance, especially for producers, adjusters,
and other peripatetic personnel. What is the Tablet PC? Does it really work
as advertised? Should agents and carriers adopt it? by John Ashenhurst
Delaware
Valley Underwriting Agency Though this MGA initially created
its site as an online brochure, the site now plays a major role its sales
process and competitive strategy.
by John Ashenhurst
INTERVIEW: John
Carmody, SAFECO Veteran and Agency Automation Advocate According
to Carmody, agents now enjoy the greatest opportunity they’ve ever
had for turning carriers and technology in directions that serve their interests.
But he’s afraid agents fail to understand the complexity of the problem
and the investment the solution will require — and may lack the strong
leadership they need. by John Ashenhurst
More
Agencies Than We Thought Is there any truth to the conventional
wisdom that there are about 40,000 agencies?
by G. Barry Klein, CPCU, CLU
Fighting
America’s $80-billion Rip-off The Coalition Against
Insurance Fraud leads the charge. A content rich Web site, including some
free resources for agents, makes this site worth a lingering visit. by
Steven Brightbill
Carrier
Web Site Review: Progressive Expands Its Agency Portal Offering with
Server-based Rating, Agency Software Interconnectivity Innovative personal
auto carrier describes direct sales/agency sales Web strategies and demonstrates
its Web-based successor to ProRater. by John Ashenhurst
Editorial: Feeblemindedness,
Laziness, or Good Management? by John Ashenhurst
Sound Design: How
Much Does a Web Site Cost?
Many different activities and tasks go into creating a Web site. But like
everything else, you end up getting what you pay for - whether in dollars
and cents or in time and effort expended. by Steven Brightbill
Review:
Choosing and Using Insurance-specific, Self-service Software to Build and
Maintain Your Agency Web Site
Norvax and Business Web Builders provide online services that let an agency
build and maintain a credible Web site, while requiring little time, effort,
or expense. by John Ashenhurst
Re-evaluating Your Web Presence: by Steven Brightbill Typography Basics for Web
Sites
Visitors come to your Web site for information, which is mostly in text
form. Because the poor presentation of text content can detract from a Web
site's usability, those responsible for the site should understand typography
basics.
Sound Tools: Too Much Information: Web
Site Statistics and How to Use Them
How do you make sense of the "too much information" that you get from your
Web site statistics program? by Vicki Brightbill
Interview
XDimensional Technologies CEO Reflects on Nexsure, Future Insurance Technology
Craig Fuher, CEO, describes how and why XDTI is building a brand new, native-Internet
agency management system, The Hartford as an investor, and where he sees
the market headed. by John Ashenhurst
Editorial: Things
Are Looking Up: Wheeled String Trimmers & Innovation by John Ashenhurst
Sound Design: What
Is a Web Strategy and How Do You Develop One?
Any serious Web presence must start with a reason, a purpose, and a plan.
Overlooking these essential elements is the root of most Web site failures.
by Steven Brightbill
System Review: XDTI's
Nexsure, a Next-generation, Internet Hosted, Agency Management System
XDTI aims at the next generation of independent agencies who sell a wider
range of products, are eager to provide online self-service to their customers,
and happy to let someone else manage the technology to do it. by John
Ashenhurst
Product Review: Stamps.com
— Web-based postage an efficient alternative for some. by Natasha
Ashenhurst
Sound Tools: Encourage
Visitor Interaction with Online Surveys An online survey or poll can
allow your visitor to interact with your agency and enable you to gather
useful visitor information. This article describes surveys in general and
reviews one particular online survey product. by Vicki Brightbill
Carrier
Case Study
Penn National Insurance: Regional Carrier Connects Agency Management Systems
to Carrier Web Site
This regional carrier has a vision to connect agency management systems
to its online commercial lines agency rating, automated underwriting, and
policy issue Web-based system - as well as provide a rich offering of information,
inquiry, and functionality to consumers and agents.
Sounding Off: by
John Ashenhurst, Editor
The Open Society and Its Enemies
Sound
Design Agency Web Site Self-Evaluation
This simple, easy-to-answer questionnaire will help raise awareness about
your Web site and identify areas that should be re-evaluated and improved.
Interview
AMS President Moves On: Loren Parsons Comments on Tenure, Interface Issues
Productivity
Tools StarOffice Provides Alternative to MS Office
By some measures, Microsoft owns 95% of the office productivity software
market. Sun Microsystems, with StarOffice, now offers a lower-priced alternative
that is both rich in functionality and easy to use.
Agent
Profile Carl Gaspar: Agency Owner-Manager & Industry Leader
Moving back and forth between agency activities and industry involvement
provides perspective and insight for this agent.
Collaborative
Computing Case Study: Worldwide Broker Network Uses Technology to Provide
Global Solutions
How can local brokers provide multi-national insurance solutions? By becoming
part of a worldwide network that uses collaboration technology to work together
across the planet.
Perspective
he Truth About Interface: What It Means and What to Do About It
en years ago the industry converged on a shared interface vision but the
Internet, new technology, and changing business strategies make that vision
increasingly untenable. This article provides suggestions both for a new
view and how to succeed with it.
Editorial Hybrid
Interface: A Win for Customers, Agents, Carriers, and Vendors. O.K. So we
need a new vision for interface, a picture that will bring significant benefit
quickly, given the current technical environment and the interests of participating
parties. What is it?
Sound
Design How to Prepare for a Web Site Makeover
Many agencies are discovering that their current Web presence is not doing
the job they expected and realize it's time for a site makeover. But how
to go about it? by Steven Brightbill
Interview
Ebix Builds a New Web Site for ACORD
Every Web presence is a work in progress and ACORD takes the next step by
having their site rebuilt by an industry veteran. by Steven Brightbill
Sound
Tools Norton Internet Security
A feature-rich firewall and anti-virus program from a respected industry
source. by Vicki Brightbill
Re-evaluating Your Web Presence: by Steven Brightbill,
Assistant Editor Web-based Newsletter
Options
Newsletters are a time-honored business-to-customer information medium...
Interview:
Ebix CEO Explains Business Strategy
Ebix has released its brand new, made-for-the-Internet agency management
system and has ambitious plans for the future. In an April interview with
editor John Ashenhurst in Atlanta, Robin Raina, ebix CEO, described what
the vendor is up to and why.
Communication
E-Mail Versus Me-Mail
Has the convenience of e-mail dulled our ability to effectively communicate?
by Wanda Shumaker
System
Review ebix.ASP: Next Generation Agency Management System
Early this year ebix released its native Internet-based software. How does
it compare to conventional, Windows-based systems? What does it do that
even the best legacy systems can't? What's missing? What's coming? by John
Ashenhurst
Commentary:
Why Many Agency Web Sites Have Failed
Seven years ago Internet fever struck the insurance industry. Now, many
agencies suffer from Web site malaise. by Steven Brightbill
Management:
Policy Automation and MGAs. Internet-based policy rate and issue systems
are coming into their own. by Erik Pedersen
Company Review Zurich Small Business: Carrier
Uses Agent Portal as Engine of Growth
Zurich Small Business went to the Web early and hit a home run, pleasing
agents and seeing 40% growth rates while improving its expense ratios. by
John Ashenhurst
Management: Re-Thinking
the Outsourced Customer Service Model
Customers who need service have certain expectations. But is the industry's
current fascination with outsourced customer service what they want? Does
outsourcing make sense for the majority of agencies? by Steven Brightbill
Analysis & Commentary: AUGIE
Survey Results Throw the Ball Into the Companies' Court. Companies wanted
to find out about agent concerns. Now that nearly 9,000 agents told them,
the industry awaits the company response. by Steven Brightbill
Interview: Betagraph
Integrated Information Solutions: Marketing Communications Help for
Smaller Agencies
Agencies need to promote themselves, but often lack know-how and resources.
Here's some insight from a provider that can help. by Natasha Ashenhurst
Sound Tips When Good Computers
Go Bad
It's not your fault. Computing is not an exact science and things will go
wrong. Here are suggestions for making things right again. by Vicki Brightbill
Re-evaluating Your Web Presence: by Steven Brightbill,
Assistant Editor Reducing Web Site
Time Wasters
Make sure your site is free of barriers to quick access.
Sound Strategy: Ten
Tips for Separating Insurance Technology Reality from Fantasy. Conventional
wisdom, public relations propaganda, and egos with axes to grind generate
any number of claims purporting to be descriptions of reality on the one
hand or ideal insurance technology states on the other. Here are ten claims
you probably already know to discount. If not...
Marsh-Berry's
Online Value Estimator
An online number crunching tool that enables owners and managers to estimate
what their agency is worth. by Steven Brightbill
Get Rid of
the Pesky Pop-Ups
Annoyed by all those ads popping up all over your computer monitor? Try
these utilities to make your browsing experience less cluttered. by Vicki
Brightbill
Sounding Off: Editorial by John Ashenhurst, Editor
Vendors Support Transformation Station
but Interface Utopia Still Far Away. Applied Systems, AMS Services, and
DORIS have all agreed to use IVANS' Transformation Station to facilitate
agency/company real-time and batch interface. Is SEMCI just around the corner?
Not quite
Future One - Commentary Future One 2001 Technology Study:
Carrier, Agent Ideas Don't Match Consumer Concerns. Though carriers and
agents may converge conceptually on what they consider key technology and
Internet issues the IIAA study suggests consumers have a different perspective.
by John Ashenhurst
Interview: Mark
Parrish Explains ASPs, Ajasent
Recently we had a chance to catch up with Mark Parrish, long time industry
consultant and now founder of Ajasent, a Vertical Service Provider that
hosts a variety of agency management systems and other agency software.
He explained how the ASP (application service provider) concept applies
to this industry, when it makes sense for an agency, what to look for, and
what Ajasent is up to. by John Ashenhurst
Sound Design: Potential
Value in a Personal Web Site
Agency producers could enhance their prospecting efforts and build strong
relationships via a personal Web site. by Steven Brightbill
Sound Tools: Of
Hoaxes, Urban Legends, and Other Online Annoyances
Do your well-meaning friends and associates send you unnecessary email?
Are you concerned about spy programs watching you surf? by Vicki Brightbill
Re-evaluating Your Web Presence: by Steven Brightbill,
Assistant Editor Check Your Site for
Copyrighted Content
Re-using another Web site's material without permission is both questionable
and unprofessional.
Strategy: Ten
Tips on Home Page Usability
Your homepage is the most important one on your Web site. It's where visitors
form first impressions and it's the entry point to marketing, sales, and
service content.
An Internet Perspective:
The Need for Vision and Leadership in 2002
The Internet offers an unprecedented opportunity for agents to re-intermediate
themselves and to become more efficient, but few are responding. At the
same time, too many carriers are creating operational chaos for agents —
and no one is providing the leadership needed to make things right. by John
Ashenhurst
Sounding Off: Editorial by John Ashenhurst, Editor
Taking Advantage of the Internet Isn't Optional
Conventional wisdom was wrong when it wrote off agents. And conventional
wisdom is wrong now when it declares agents the winner. It would be closer
to the truth to say that agents have an advantage today but that it will
be compromised unless they begin to use the Internet successfully to market,
sell, and service insurance.
Sound Check – Web Site Builder Artizan Computing: a Builder
of Higher-end Custom Agency Web Sites. If you’re serious about a high-functioning
out-facing Web presence, here’s a custom site builder that can deliver.
by Steven Brightbill
Sound Design Options for Building Your
Web Site - Part III
Hiring a Web site builder may be an easy and convenient option, but it requires
a different kind of involvement on your part. by Steven Brightbill
Sound Tools: Macintosh
Redux: Is Windows the Only Viable Business Computing Platform? With
application software increasingly running on the Web, perhaps the Mac is
a reasonable choice for an agency workstation or portable. by John Ashenhurst
Re-evaluating Your Web Presence: by Steven Brightbill,
Assistant Editor Ten New Year’s Resolutions
for Neglected Agency Web Sites
I looked at nearly 500 agency Web sites last month, and, boy, was I disappointed.
Most showed signs of significant neglect. If these 500 or so sites are any
indication of a general trend, it appears that most agencies view their
Web presence as a “once-and-done” project and expect things to run on autopilot.
That’s unfortunate, because a Web site can and ought to be a well-crafted
marketing communications tool.
Sound Tools: AllWebMenus:
Fast and Easy Drop-Down Menu Creation Tool. Cross-browser compatibility
and ease of use make this utility an excellent addition to your Web development
tool box. by Vicki Brightbill
Strategy: Ten
Tips for Finding and Working With a Web Site Builder
Most agencies will probably want to hire someone to build their Web site.
It can be a lot easier than doing it yourself. But before you start looking,
there are a number of things you should consider and be prepared for.
Sounding Off: Editorial by John Ashenhurst, Editor More Matter with Less Art
Too many sites just aren't going to deliver the goods — whatever they're
intended to be by agencies, wholesalers and carriers. And that's an unnecessary
waste of time and money.
Sound Check: Vendor Silver
Plume Offers Sage It's especially noteworthy then when a new technology
product is focused on sales, and in particular, on helping commercial lines
producers put business on the books.
Sound Design: Options
for Building Your Web Site - Part II
For some agents, online site building services could provide a suitable
alternative to developing a beginning or intermediate Web presence. The
hard stuff is already figured out, and you can get some satisfaction that
you built it.
Sound Strategy: Ten
Considerations for Using an Online Web Site Building Service
Online Web site building services offer a different approach. Like building
something from a kit, someone else does the hard part and provides the pieces,
but you get the satisfaction of assembling it yourself. If this alternative
seems appealing, consider these points before starting.
Association Case Study CSIO Internet Portal: Canadian Brokers,
Carriers Cooperate on Internet
Our northern neighbors are actually solving Internet problems we just talk
about. Increasingly, independent agents are being asked (or required) by
their carriers to use agency self-service Web sites. These carrier Web sites
often provide quoting/rating, underwriting reports, submission support,
and binding, as well as direct bill, claims, product and commission information.
Because the rates, rules, and information are current and accurate, agents
and carriers benefit. This new approach is an improvement over estimated
quotes, delay, and paper. But it creates new problems as well.
Out-facing Services: Comparing
Five Vendors: Web-based Self-Service Via Management System Extensions
Vendors offer relatively painless ways for agents to provide customer self-service
through their Web sites. Web-based self-service is increasingly popular
in banking and investment services. Allstate and some independent agency
carriers are investing heavily in Web-based self-service. An IIAA survey
suggests that more than 70% of the public wants Web-based self-service availability
for at least some of their insurance transactions.
Sound Design: Options
for Building Your Web Site Once the idea is hatched and the decision
has been made, executing almost any project takes four basic ingredients:
know-how, tools, skill, and time. If you personally have these four ingredients,
you may want to attempt the project yourself.
Re-evaluating Your Web Presence: by Steven Brightbill,
Assistant Editor Rethinking your Insurance-specific
Content Without content there is no reason to build a Web site. Visitors
come to your Web site expecting to find meaningful and useful content. But
what kind of content should you include?
Agency Web Site Case Study -- Thousand
Islands Agency: A Small Agency Uses Technology to Level the Playing
Field. Imagination, some hard work, and practical use of Internet and other
technologies can bring competitive advantage and efficiencies to small agencies.
Sounding Off: If You
Build It, Will They Come? Maybe Not. Producer associations, agency management
system vendors, user groups, and publications (including this one) have
decried the proliferation of agency self-service Web sites being fielded
by carriers. The problem for agents is obvious.
Vendor Review: e-Sher
Underwriting Managers / e-Business: a Source of Risk and Opportunity.
What's especially interesting about e-business exposure is that your business
customers face it as well. They need help understanding the risks, how to
minimize them, and coverage to insure against them. E-business exposure
is a two edged sword. On the one hand, it's a bother; on the other, an opportunity
to create new value and new sources of revenue.
Carrier Review:
Republic Group of Insurance Companies: Sometimes Less Is More. Some
carriers have elaborate Web strategies and visions for the future. Republic
listens to its agents and is taking a simpler, though practical, approach.
Sound Design: Your
Web Site's First Impression. Despite the cliché, your Web site's first
impression may make the difference between whether visitors stay or leave.
Re-evaluating Your Web Presence:
Do You Have Contingency Plans for Moving Your Web Site? At some point
in the life of your Web site, you will likely need to find new service providers.
Regardless of the reason, you do not want to be left in the lurch with little
or no control over the management of your Web site. What, then, can you
do?
Carrier
Review: Safety Insurance. While some carriers search for an Internet
strategy, Safety has been clear from the beginning. They supply technology
and services to make it much easier for agents to do business with them.
Sounding Off: Customer
use of agent's web sites and call centers
Sound
Design: Content is what Web site visitors expect, but developing it
may be more challenging than you'd imagine
Sound
Tools: Firewalls - protecting your computer while online
Vendor
Review: Riskclick. Finally, something for the producer. This ASP uses
Internet technology to improve the commercial lines sales and placement
process
Case
Study: A recent agency Web site evaluation reveals several reasons why
one agency site is not producing the results hoped for with ideas and insights
for making sure your Web site is doing its job.
Sounding Off: "Proprietary"
Carrier Web Sites: Good, Bad, Indifferent, or Temporary?
Vendor Review:
CSR24: idNET " Online service via agents' Web sites and an
outsourced call center provide customers with more control and the agency
with more perceived value.
Sound
Tools: Tracking software lets you know who visits your Web site.
Vendor
Review: Direct 121: Direct121, a well-rounded package for generating
sales leads and managing appointments
Vendor
Review: Claims Master: Claims Master, a claims management solution that
agents can offer to their insureds.
Revolution, Evolution, or None of the Above:
Editorial - What's needed is a new, comprehensive vision of the role
technology can play in the insurance world.
Online
Certificates - vendors offer alternatives to what has traditionally
been a time-consuming and costly agency processing and servicing task.
Online
Customer Self-Service - Why, What, and How: Allowing you customers to
serve themselves through your Web site can save you time and money and improve
their satisfaction.
City-Quote
- Turnkey Quoting Web Sites for Agents - Here's a clever idea that not only
provides online quotes, but helps agencies stand out in their local community.
Size
Matters: When visitors come to your Web site, they expect it to download
to their screen quickly. Here are good ideas for keeping file sizes smaller,
which enable faster download.
I-REP -
Internet Service Representative: If you're an AfW user, here's an online
customer service tool that integrates with your agency management system.
Web
Site Legal Issues - Privacy, Copyright, and Terms of Use: Your Web site
may expose you to some legal problems and its content may need protection.
This article provides a partial list of things to know to start a conversation
with your attorney.
WebFSC -
Comparative Quoting for Agents' Web Sites: Here is yet another auto and
homeowners quoting tool, but with a useful twist - it offers quotes in both
English and Spanish.
Resources:
Various vendors that provide online customer service, rating, and quoting
tools, plus four vendors that offer online Web site diagnostic services.
Ten Ways to Market
Your Web Site - Off the Web: a list of useful self-promotion tips.
Marketing
Your Agency and Web Site Through E-mail Publishing: Want to do controlled,
mass e-mailings? It can work but there are dangers. Here's how to evaluate
its appropriateness and then set up a process and put it to work.
A Look at the Newly Redesigned IMMS
Web Site: An updated IMMS Web site provides more information and better
usability - plus content that can be private-labeled into agency Web sites.
iKnack:
Providing your customers with self-service benefits administration: Benefits
can provide new sources of agency revenue and broaden agency service offerings.
iKnack helps agencies implement Internet-based benefits services their customers
can supply their employees.
Extraordinary
Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds: Misunderstandings about
the impact of the Internet on insurance and a more likely view of how the
Internet can be profitably be used by agencies, companies and customers
Elements
and Process of a Web Strategy: The preparation and process for creating
a successful agency Web site strategy
Moments of Truth:
Editorial - Vanity Web sites vs. customer-focused Web sites
Hockley
& O'Donnell of Gettysburg, PA: A focused and deliberative efforts
yields a valuable Web site that includes comparative quoting. Sidebar:Graphics
as Links: Pros and cons; what to do
QuoteNETWorks
Comparative rating plug-in from Rating Services
IIAA and Its "Find
an Agent"Service: What started out as a good idea has badly deteriorated
