There are lots of ways to differentiate yourself if you are an independent agency. Having a website and a presence on leading social media platforms is not one of them. Every agency does those things, or should.
If being on the web and social media does not offer a competitive advantage, having a good website and an engaging social media presence certainly does help you stand out.
While it may no longer be enough (if it ever was) to simply be online, digital media is still a great way to stand out from the competition.
In a recent blog, Insurance Technologies Corporation (
ITC) spells out 6 questions to ask when
creating your website. Mind you, most of these tips are also quite relevant to agencies that already have a website. It is, after all, never too late to get it right.
ITC’s first tip is to know who your audience is and to create your site to appeal to that audience. It seems obvious, but many sites do not seem to have a clear audience in mind.
If you know who your intended audience is, you also need to know what you want site visitors to do. Do you want to meet potential new clients through your website? Make sure your quote and contact forms are easy to find, easy to use and that the people you want to meet have a reason to use them.
The second question relates to color scheme. That may seem superfluous to some, but when it comes to branding, consistency is everything. The colors you use in your logo, on your business cards, and in other marketing materials should be repeated on your website.
Your site needs to be optimized for phones and other small devices. This is true regardless of your client base, but if you do a retail business with young consumers, it is absolutely essential.
“The number of people accessing the internet via their smartphones only surpassed the number of people using desktops in early 2015. And that number is continuing to grow,” said Becky Schroeder, ITC vice president of marketing. “This is important because you only get one chance to make a good impression with online consumers. If your website is not easy to use and navigate on a smartphone, they will leave and not come back. But if you have a mobile friendly website, you are far more likely to keep that visitor longer, which increases the chances that visitor will convert into a lead.”
You also need to link to your social media pages, or better yet have a social media feed right on the site. In a world where everyone has a website and a Facebook page, getting it right is the differentiator.
