Think about the last time you had to find a local barber, repair person or handyman.
Where did you start? Did you ask friends and neighbors for referrals? Or do a quick Google search? If you started with referrals, did you still take a look at the website or Yelp page of the recommended merchant before hiring them?
The way people look for and evaluate insurance agents and advisors are no different – particularly among millennials. That means agents need to have a strong Web presence like never before – and a key element of that presence is having a prominent agent-specific footprint online.
Yes, some prospects may go to a firm’s corporate website based on an ad they saw or because of brand recognition, and they may fill out a contact form. But far more prospects want to find a local resource – backed by a reputable company name – with whom they feel they can develop a relationship and trust to know them and their needs.
So how can agent websites better attract and retain clients and prospects in an increasingly digital world? Below are five things every agent website should have:
1. Quality content:
What do your visitors find when they visit your website? Are there just a phone number, address and bio?
Do they find information on your experience and your approach to client relationships? Even better, do they find tools and resources to help them feel smarter about their own financial future?
Providing relevant, high quality content establishes one’s credibility and will help visitors quickly understand why you are the advisor with whom they should build a relationship.
2. Dynamic content:
While a library of quality content provides value to online visitors, regularly updating your website content will keep prospects and clients coming back while also ensuring that the information is timely and relevant.
Search engines also prioritize sites that frequently update their content (one resource can be found here) by crawling and indexing them more frequently, which increases your chances of being discovered.