Remember the days when you called a travel agent to book that annual family vacation, your business trip or just a short getaway? Your favorite travel agent knew you, your preferences and would even call you from time to time with that “great deal”.
Where is that travel agency today? Well, the traditional travel agent is an almost extinct species. Between 1996 and 2006, travel agencies saw commissions from air travel, their historic “cash cow”, all but disappear; going from 61% of their turnover to 7% of their turnover. Why? The Internet and DIY websites such as Travelocity.com and many other similar sites. Travel agencies that did not adapt went bankrupt. By the way, that agent who called you with the special offer or got you a seat in the exit row is still in business.
Today, with the proliferation of online insurance quote and information sites, insurance agents are about to face the same battle for survival that travel agents underwent 10 years ago – and lost. Fortunately, insurance agents still have time to contact their customers and buyers to avoid the same plight that awaited the travel agent. However, between regulatory changes, government mandates and, most importantly, buyers looking to conduct more of their interactions online, insurance agents have a relatively small window to proactively establish their online presence.
We know that customers of all ages are online – buying, researching, banking and networking. We also know that the “silver tsunami” – the huge wave of boomers retiring within the next decade – is becoming increasingly comfortable doing more of their activities online. If insurance agents don’t adapt quickly, they’re missing out on a big opportunity: communicating online with customers and prospects. Why is this so important? Because trending research shows buyers go online to validate who they’re doing business with. So, if an insurance agent doesn’t have a high quality website, chances are they will lose the customer as well.
One of the best solutions for independent insurance agents, small agencies and insurance brokers is a website builder platform that helps you build, launch and customize a professional website in minutes. The advantage of such a platform is that the agent does not need to have any technical expertise and can direct customers and prospects to his or her website.
Agents who do not have a solid Internet strategy today risk losing their customers in the near future. Simply putting your logo on a quote engine is not enough. Having a high-quality website is a critical part of the toolkit agents need to succeed.
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