ACT co-sponsored this agency website survey that ACT member Strategic Insurance Software conducted through its affiliate Agency Marketing Partners in the Fall of 2013. We thought it was important to generate more data on the features and functionality agencies were offering to consumers and clients on their websites.
My major take-away from the survey is that many agencies are leaving a lot of opportunities on the table when it comes to the features and functionality they are providing on their websites. Too many agencies still see their website as a cost rather than as a necessary investment in their future, given changing consumer shopping and servicing behavior. The results certainly point to the need for the industry to provide more education and services to assist agencies in creating more effective websites. In this vein, it is very positive that IIABA and several carriers have formed Project CAP to provide agencies with hands-on assistance with their websites and other online strategies. Agency consultants and marketing firms also will continue to play a critical role in convincing agents to make these investments and then helping them with implementation. ACT also has some very useful resources available to agents to help them with their online presence at this link.
I found these survey results to be relatively positive:
· 88% of the respondents have an agency website; and most of the 12% without a website plan to have one in the next 12 months. (pp. 6-7 )
· 62% of agency websites link to social media sites. (p. 15)
· 62% of agencies have a person or team that takes ownership of the website and that percentage increases to 76% of those who link to their social media sites. (p. 23)
The survey also produced some good information on what percentage of their overall budgets agencies dedicate to marketing, broken down by agency size and focus. (See p. 9)
The following survey results point to areas where many agents can improve their websites and online positioning:
· 39% of agencies still do not use Local Search. (p. 24)
· 62% of agencies do not offer online quoting. (p. 10)
· 54% of agency websites are not mobile ready. (p. 11)
· 65% of agency websites do not have customer ratings and testimonials. (p. 12)
· Only 44% of agencies provide in-depth insurance content on their websites. (p. 18)
· Only 38% of agencies speak to their community involvement on their websites. (p. 19)
· 42% of agencies do not include pictures of their staff and other aspects of their agency on the website. Those involved with social media, however, are also more likely to include pictures of their staff on their website. (p. 20)
· 67% of agency websites do not have a blog; however, agency sites linking to their social media are more likely to have a blog. (p. 17)
· The percent of agency websites that offer client self-services (such as to make a payment, make a change, secure auto ID cards, obtain certificates, secure billing or policy information) range from 9-12%. (p. 14)
· 83% of agency websites do not have password-protected portals where clients can access their documents. (p. 13)
· Only 14% of agents maintain multiple websites to target particular industry segments. (p. 16)
· 76% of agencies do not provide links to other businesses on their website, although those involved with social media are slightly more likely to provide these links. (p. 21)