DataTrails, Inc. is a Web site builder located in Lowell, Massachusetts. With more than 50 agency customers on board, DataTrails (www.datatrails.com) is expanding its coverage into New York and other states. The vendor focuses exclusively on independent agents and understands the insurance business as well as the challenges of getting prospects to an agency Web site.
Typically today, agents sometimes see themselves as having four choices for getting a site put together: 1) they (the agency) can do it themselves; 2) they can use a friend or relative; 3) they can use a generic, template-based service; or 4) they can contract with a custom Web site builder. The first alternative may take too much time, the second not create an acceptable product, the third produce something mediocre and irrelevant, and the fourth be prohibitively expensive.
DataTrails concept
Ron Cavuto, DataTrails founder, believes he offers a fifth choice - professional, insurance-specific Web site building using flexible templates that provide the low cost of generic approaches with the flexibility of custom development.
DataTrails charges a one-time set up fee of $599. The agency also pays a fee for registering its domain name (if not already registered) as well a monthly fee to the hosting organization. AT&T, at $25/month, is recommended. DataTrails doesn't charge
a monthly fee and will do minor "tweaks" gratis, but reserves the right to charge $50/hour for custom work beyond the standard package.
DataTrail customers own the content of their sites and have direct FTP access to their host location, so they can make changes, move the site to another host, or even have someone else work on it. Once the site is up and running, DataTrails agencies can become self-sufficient and need not depend on DataTrails, though, of course, the vendor en-courages a continuing relationship.
The DataTrails concept is to provide telephone consulting for site design, a complete, rich insurance agency-specific Web site, all the leg work relating to registration and other administrative tasks, and promotional help to attract prospects to the agency site - all for a fixed, modest fee. In the near future, DataTrails intends to offer step-by-step seminars that will take agencies through the complete DataTrails site planning process all in one session.
Substantial services
A substantial number of services are provided with the DataTrails Foundation Web site package:
up to 15 pages of content (with suggestions on what to include)
eight different input forms (auto, HO, watercraft, life, and business contractor quote; certificate request, auto, and HO claims)
portal page with news, sports, weather, and financial information
file download utility (policies, information)
map and driving instructions
relocation/moving link page
back office page (private, administrative functions, lead download)
Site hosting set up, domain name creation, registration tasks
search engine submission
promotion through 1Source Insurance Agents Directory
Promotion service
The 1Source Insurance Agents Directory is a particularly interesting service and sets DataTrails apart from most other site builders. DataTrails is acutely aware of the difficulties independent agents face in being found on the Internet. Search engines aren't a reliable path. And getting a special listing with several online Yellow Pages services for multiple locations and categories can be expensive.
The DataTrails idea is to put all its subscribers together into one searchable list organized by state and city, and then promote that list as an agency directory. So, for example, DataTrails has made arrangements for 1Source agencies in eastern Massachusetts to appear in the Boston.com Yellow Pages listings with their Web addresses. In addition, DataTrails contracts with SuperPages.com (Verizon) to feature a link to the 1Source list in those regions where the 1Source agencies operate. By buying one listing that then points to multiple agencies, DataTrails provides broad geographic coverage efficiently.
SuperPages.com is the Yellow Pages source for AOL, Lycos, Excite, and other on-line portals.
Here's how 1Source works: if you go to AOL.com, choose Yellow Pages, then enter "insurance" as the category, "Waltham" as the city and "Massachusetts" as the state, the return list will feature 1Source on the first page (along with Allstate, State Farm, Farmers, and others). Clicking on the 1Source link or "mountain" logo takes you to the 1Source server where you choose a state, then optionally a city, to display a list of 1Source agencies and their physical and Web site addresses. It's a bit roundabout, but it does provide a way for consumers to find agents Web addresses through online Yellow Pages (as long as they are SuperPages supported).
For agencies that want to provide professional looking, useful marketing and information, oriented Web sites, DataTrails is an attractive approach. It's not very expensive. It provides knowledgeable, customized service. It leaves the agency in control of its site, with no lingering financial obligations or dependencies on the vendor. And DataTrails provides some promotional efforts for the agency site by leveraging its customer base to invite on-line Yellow Page links to agency sites.
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