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 A survey recently done by Agent’s Sales Journal showed that 41% of agents still do not have a web presence; and, even more have a site that is due for a major update. With the explosion of the internet, many seniors are now online searching for products and services. Also, there is a distinct advantage in being able to give out your website address when selling Medicare Supplements over the phone, especially when your clients are not close enough for you to meet with in person. Creating and maintaining a website is nothing to fear. Here are some guidelines to help you start the process.
Commit. The first step is committing to either building or having built a website that will positively reflect your business. It is really important to remember that first impressions are everything and you should put the proper time and effort into making a site that really captures the professionalism you want to portray.
Decide on a Budget. Get a feel for what’s available for you to choose from. There are lower cost template-based sites to more expensive completely custom options.
Register a Domain. Do you want to choose a common search term, your name, your business name, or a phrase common to your industry? On GoDaddy.com and NetworkSolutions.com you can search to see what names are available, choose one, and register it to you.
Hire Professional Help. Once you determine what you want to spend, contact company whose portfolio contains sites you like and have a feel you are going for. If you aren’t sure, get a second opinion from family members and friends. Ask for reference and contact those people to confirm they were satisfied with the process. Or, if you decide to create the site yourself try a template-based site like Intuit or a service designed specifically for Insurance Agents like Norvax.
Develop Content. You may have heard the cliché, “Content is King,” and it still holds true. While your website is being developed put some time into writing the content that will be on your website to answer potential client questions about your service. Look at competitor’s sites and see what they are writing about and compare.
Launch the Site. Once the site is developed and has keyword rich content it is time for it to go live. Most website design companies will also offer hosting; however, if not you should ask them for references on where they recommend and who is easiest to work with.
Get the Site Found. Even once your site is up and running you cannot stop working with it. Include your web address on all your marketing materials and submit it to search engines. You may also want to start a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) campaign to get your site to appear higher in search results.
The process may seem overwhelming at first, but to break it down further the most important things to remember about making a website are to make the time commitment, write good keyword rich content, and develop a SEO campaign that will help your website be found in major search engines.
Please give us your feedback!
Are you beginning the process of creating an agent website? What are the challanges you are facing? Or, do you have a website already? What advice would you give those just starting out?
Source: Agent's Sales Journal
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