How to Get Your Agent Website Done—Quickly and Easily
As an independent insurance agent, you need a website. Without one, you lose valuable opportunities to build your book of business. Your target clients, seniors and their caregivers, use the internet to find services like yours.
Maybe you’re putting off getting a website because you’re too busy or not tech-savvy?
The good news: Getting a business website has never been easier! Here’s a quick guide to get you started:
What should your website do?
Your website can do just about anything you can imagine. But it’s best to think about how your website can best serve you and your business. In our vertical, websites can be a great way to capture leads. But websites also help validate you in the eyes of your customer. They add legitimacy and a place to find out more about you.
Basic website: If you don’t want the added work of maintaining a complex site, a simple website might be best. It can help people find out more about you, how to contact you, and the services you offer.
Once your website is active, you can direct people to your site by adding your web address to your business cards and email signature. This shows internet-active seniors that you understand the importance of connecting with them where they are.
Business-hub website: If you’re willing to put in a little more time and/or pay an expert to help, you can build a website that can become a powerful lead gen tool. Besides being a place to help potential clients understand who you are and the services you offer, your website can become a resource with valuable information.
Maintaining an active blog, creating e-books, or making educational videos can be a great way to capture leads by providing them something of value in return for their information. This process can also help qualify leads for you, making your website even more valuable for you.
Generally, business owners build this type of website over time. As their website grows, they may hire specialists (such as a website manager, content marketers and writers) to help with or run their website.
Ultimately, whether you want a basic site or plan to turn your website into your business hub, you need to decide if you want to build your own site or hire someone to do it for you.
Build your own agent website
You do not have to be a tech expert to create your own website. There are online companies that allow you to build a site using their click-and-drag tools.
Some of the popular sites include Wix, Squarespace and Weebly. These sites are geared toward business people (such as independent insurance agents!) who need a website that looks professional and is easy to create.
In fact, in a matter of hours, you can make a website and publish it for the world to see! In our next post, we’ll talk about getting a web address (AKA your domain name).
Are you familiar with WordPress?
The gold standard for website-building platforms is WordPress. Business owners, web developers and marketing agencies worldwide use WordPress to create their websites. While you can access templates to build a WordPress site yourself, there is a learning curve.
Hire someone to create your site
Whether you choose WordPress or one of the click-and-drag platforms, if building your own website doesn’t appeal to you, you can hire someone to do it for you.
Generally, you’ll hire a website designer. They might be a freelance designer or a web design agency. When hiring someone to build your website, talk to them about what you need, as well as what they provide. For example, if you want someone to build your entire website, do they provide design and content?
While they’re busy building your site, you can focus on other important things—such as your marketing plan!
Now is the best time to start
A good time to work on your website is during quieter times—for example, after AEP. The sooner you get your site done, the sooner you can connect with new and existing clients. What a great way to set yourself up for a successful selling season!
