We are all guilty of judging a book by its cover, but when it comes to your health insurance agency’s website, consumers will form an opinion in a matter of seconds. In a market flooded with competition, an insurance website needs to make a strong impression immediately, or a potential sale will simply move on. That puts a lot of pressure on an agency’s website design for insurance sales, but investing time and money into desktop and mobile platforms can pay off with increased lead generation, higher conversion rates, and improved sales.More than 80% of consumers will research products online before making a purchase, and when it comes to success in health insurance sales, attracting consumers to your agency’s site and keeping them there is essential.
Tips for Insurance Websites
How can you update your website design to maximize its impact on lead generation and conversion? Let’s discuss some game-changing insider tips for insurance websites that can help you expand your business and increase sales.
Keep It Clean and Compelling
Before any potential clients get to know you or the insurance products you sell, they need to have a positive, emotional response to your landing page. If the appearance of your site is crowded, confusing, and doesn’t immediately tell a consumer why they’d benefit from your services and products, you’ll lose any chance of a sale.
How can you capture the attention of prospects and keep them interested?
1. Modernize. If you have an older website, take a step back and look at it objectively. Compare it to competitors’ sites and explore industry design trends. Do you need a new, fresh look? Your insurance agent website design should reflect your relevance and expertise in the industry. Research colors that test well in your specific market. Choose modern fonts that are visually appealing and will immediately capture a prospect’s attention. Inexpensive insurance website templates, stock images, free icons, and free fonts make it easy to update the look of your site without spending a lot of money.
2. Unclutter. Simplicity can be very effective in creating a clear path for your prospects to learn what you do, why you do it, and and how you can help them. Consumers can be overwhelmed by a crowded page with too much content. Introduce yourself without trying to put all the information on one page. Make sure they can easily identify:
- Who you are
- General information about your agency
- What types of insurance you provide
- How they can get real-time insurance quotes on your site
3. Craft a compelling headline. Express why you are uniquely positioned to provide the insurance products and services they need. If a consumer feels a connection to you, they are more likely to stay on your site and explore your products and services.
4. Choose meaningful graphics. Carefully select photos and graphics that will appeal to your target audience. For example, if you are focused on the Medicare insurance market, include photos of active seniors who your prospects may identify with.
5. Use innovative contact points. “Click to chat” buttons and prominent clickable phone numbers are very effective. Make it easy for your clients to contact you with any questions and concerns they may have. Consider investing in auto-response technology for times when you are not immediately available to let your clients know how important they are to you, and that you will get back to them within a specific time-frame.
Embracing a clean and modern look doesn’t have to mean changing your agency’s overall vision or tone. Making small adjustments will keep prospects on your site to search for healthcare coverage options, compare health insurance plans, contact you with any questions, and ultimately enroll in a plan.
Don’t Neglect the Mobile Market
Why should you be concerned with your site’s mobile capabilities? Let’s take a look at a few staggering statistics:
- Over 50% of website traffic is conducted from mobile devices.
- More than 50% of internet users won’t recommend a business with a poorly designed mobile site.1
- People are 5 times more likely to leave a website that is not mobile friendly and over half of mobile users leave a website that takes longer than 3 seconds to load.2
Strategically focusing on website design for insurance that works on both desktop and mobile platforms can be critical to your success. Give your agency a competitive edge by keeping up with these mobile design elements:
1. Create a mobile site that’s efficient and accessible from all types of devices, including smartphones and tablets. The user-experience should be seamless across all platforms.
2. Mobile-optimized design includes page structure, appearance, and usability compatible for smaller screens. If a user has to pinch the screen or scroll from left to right to see parts of your site, frustration may quickly set in. Responsive design allows for flexibility and adjusts the elements to screen size.
3. A call to action should be well-defined, and complemented by easy navigation, intuitively-placed links, and relevant and informative content.
4. Mobile sites should be touch-friendly and forms should be short. Use social autofill to allow prospects to input basic information with less typing, increasing lead generation simply by making the process easier for consumers.
5. Timing is everything! Your mobile site should be quick to load. Consumers are busy, and if your site doesn’t pop up immediately, they will move on to another site.
Take Advantage of Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Eighty percent of internet users rely on search engines to find local products and services, so make sure your site gets the attention it deserves. If your agency’s site isn’t showing up for relevant search results, consumers will end up on your competitor’s site.
How can you boost your SEO?
1. Create custom content. Search engine optimization demands original content. Website pages should cater to your insurance products and services, but blog posts and articles containing relevant information for your clients can boost your SEO. Content on lifestyle, legislation, or market changes can all contribute to higher SEO rankings.
2. Claim your listings. Local directories like Yelp, Google, or Bing, probably already have your business listed, but claiming the listings puts you in control of the content. Make sure consumers are seeing accurate contact information and have easy access to your website.
3. Hire an SEO specialist. Hiring someone with expertise in this area can make a huge difference in the number of visitors to your site. An SEO audit will evaluate your site and help you build it up with components to boost your rankings.
Website Design – An Investment in Your Business
Redesigning your insurance agency website will be worth your time and effort as you see an increase in site visitors, lead generation, and sales. Don’t miss out on potential customers. Invest the time and effort it takes to modernize your digital platform, creating a functional, mobile-friendly, optimized website.
1 “The 5 Mobile Marketing Mistakes Infographic;” Bryan Ruby; 2016; socPub; socPub.com
2 “SEO in 2017: Mobile optimization as a competitive advantage;” Marcus Miller; December 23, 2016; Search Engine Land; serachengineland.com
