Remember the days when you called a travel agent to book your annual family vacation, business trips or just a getaway? Your favorite travel agent knew you and your preferences and would occasionally even call you to offer you a “great deal.”
Where is the travel agency today? Well, the traditional travel agent is an almost extinct species. Between 1996 and 2006, travel agents saw air travel commissions, their historic cash cow, all but disappear. increase from 61% of their sales to 7% of their sales. Why? The internet and do-it-yourself websites like Travelocity.com and many other similar websites. Travel agencies that didn’t adapt went bankrupt. By the way, the agent who called you with the special offer or got you the exit row seat is still in business.
Today, with the increasing number of online sites offering insurance quotes and information, insurance agents face the same battle for survival that travel agents faced a decade ago – and lost. Fortunately, insurance agents still have time to reach out to their customers and buyers to avoid the same plight that awaited the travel agent. But between regulatory changes, government mandates and, most importantly, buyers wanting to conduct more of their interactions online, insurance agents have a relatively small window of opportunity to proactively build their online presence.
We know that customers of all ages are online – shopping, researching, banking and networking. We also know that the “silver tsunami” – the massive wave of baby boomers retiring within the next decade – is making it increasingly convenient to conduct more of their activities online. If insurance agents don’t adapt quickly, they will lose a big opportunity – online communication with customers and prospects. Why is that so important? Because trend studies show that shoppers go online to check who they are doing business with. Therefore, if an insurance broker does not have a high-quality website, there is a good chance that they will also lose the customer.
One of the best solutions for independent insurance agents, small agencies and insurance brokers is a website building platform that allows you to create, 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 knowledge and can immediately start directing customers and prospects to his website.
Agents who don’t have a solid internet strategy in place today risk losing their clients in the near future. It’s not enough to simply place your logo on a quote machine. A high-quality website is a crucial part of the toolbox agents need to be successful.
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