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? Simply put, insurance and agency content. This column focuses on insurance-specific content. Next month we'll cover agency-specific content.
Insurance-specific content
While some visitors expect "free quotes," many others want much more. Here are some other insurance-specific content possibilities:
Insurance products: Your agency sells insurance policies. People want to know what kind of insurance policies — auto, homeowners, business, boat, RV, life, health, flood, etc. While most Internet users expect to find the basic kinds of coverage, perhaps your agency specializes in the not-so-obvious. If so, include them. When listing your products, don't assume that customers know a lot about them. Be descriptive and offer information they may not have considered. Auto insurance, for example, usually consists of six components. Describe them.
Services: Your agency does more than sell insurance policies, but also provides the services of a trusted advisor. If your agency offers annual insurance reviews, provides needs analyses, performs safety inspections, provides loss prevention and risk management programs, or offers educational seminars, say so. Specify the benefits, provide appropriate online request forms, and list dates, times, and locations for upcoming programs and seminars. Some customers perceive basic insurance as a commodity that they can buy anywhere. The services you promote may be the differentiating factor that causes them to buy from you.
Carriers represented: Multiple company sources differentiate independent agents from captive agents and direct writers. Emphasize the benefit and value of an independent agent. Point out that you can provide the right product for the right reason and at the right price for individual customers. List the carriers you represent. Include, with permission, company logos and links to company sites.
Claims education: Filing an insurance claim and receiving timely remedy is the tangible evidence that insurance works. Don't assume customers know what to do when they need to file a claim. Explain the process, offer a typical timeline for claims processing, define terms, and identify supporting documents and where to find information that they may need to complete the claims form.
Other insurance education: Compared to you, your customers know very little about insurance. They rely on you to provide information, advice, explanations, and answers to questions. Educational content can take on many forms — FAQs, definitions of insurance terminology, explanations of insurance processes (e.g., underwriting, certificates, binders, etc.), information about special issues (e.g., earthquake, hurricane, flood), ideas for getting discounts, and the like. Educational content demystifies the insurance process and builds your credibility as a knowledgeable resource.
Outfacing services: As part of Sounding Line's credo, we advise providing online interactivity options that can streamline the insurance process for the customer. Enabling customer access provides availability and promotes the notion that insurance needs can be taken care of any time of the day.
Content sources
Insurance content comes from three sources: 1) what you create yourself, 2) what you outsource for others to create, and 3) what you acquire from third-party sources that offer ready-made content. Regardless of where you get your content, adapt and edit it to maintain the editorial style and personality you want to convey.
If you're going to maintain a Web presence, don't disappoint visitors due to lacking content. Provide the information they want and need.
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