For insurance agents who specialize in Medicare, building a website is one of the smartest investments you can make. Constructed correctly, your website will work for you, 24 hours per day, 365 days per year. Even while you sleep or go on vacation, prospects will land on your website and begin the transition from lead to sale.
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. First, you must ensure that your website is rounded out with these seven essential features. They all complement one another and work together to attract leads and then direct them down the sales funnel.
A mobile-friendly website. More and more of the over-60 crowd are using smartphones and tablets these days. But with instant access to information comes impatience. Did you know that when your website takes more than 3 seconds to load, 57 percent of mobile users will navigate away?
A website that looks terrific on desktop might not appear the same way on a smartphone, so make sure to check it out. If it doesn’t load correctly or look just right, it’s time for a redesign.
Testimonials. A whopping 84 percent of consumers say that they trust online reviews as much as they would a personal recommendation. Even though testimonials might seem like one of those extra “bells and whistles” for a website, they can actually serve as essential functions in the sales process. Testimonials from satisfied customers build your legitimacy in the digital world.
Calls to action. Your website is designed to offer information to interested consumers, but how will they know what to do next? Strategically designed and placed calls to action will send a subtle but powerful signal to online consumers. Given clear instructions on what to do next, many will feel compelled to act.
Live chat. Once considered a fancy “extra”, live chat features have become a valuable component of website design. Research shows that 92 percent of consumers feel satisfied with live chat, a satisfaction rate higher than email, phone calls, social media messaging, and web form completion. Live chat allows your customers to get answers at any time, increasing their enthusiasm for your services. However, live chat is not for every agent or agency. If you elect to install live chat on your website, make sure that someone is present to answer questions during business hours. You can lose credibility by having an unattended live chat feature.
Gated content. Visitors will come to your website because they are searching for specific information. In exchange for high value information such as an eBook, webinar presentation, or educational video series, many will feel willing to exchange their contact information. Now you can follow up with them and stay in touch. Consistent and supportive contact will nurture promising leads through your sales funnel.
Lead nurturing. As we just mentioned, consistent, value-added “touches” will nurture your leads over time. This process is instrumental in converting website visitors and internet leads into future clients. Send targeted emails that deliver appropriate messages to your email list, and you open the door to conversations that eventually lead to sales.
Your website should be a Medicare Authority. Use your website to provide valuable and educational Medicare information that builds credibility with your audience, rather than simply pushing for a sale. By investing in your website and its visitors, you build trust… And trust is a “must” when you’re looking to generate sales.
Identify your target audience – in this case, those who are interested in Medicare – and develop content to address their questions and concerns. When prospects learn that they can count on you for answers, they spend more time on your website.
It might look complicated, but we’ve developed a dependable formula to help Medicare specialists succeed online. Contact us to learn more about our system, and we’ll demonstrate how the right website can become one of your most powerful marketing tools.
