Common Web Site Myths and Mistakes

1. I'll get my IT guy to build me a site.
2. I need to display links to my carriers and the weather on my site to make it more interesting.
3. I'm ahead of the game because I have a web site and my customers can get ID cards and certificates.
4. My customers don't use the web.
5. People want a relationship, not a web site.
6. I have a web site and nobody uses it.

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1) I'll get my IT guy to build me a site.

The web is first and foremost a business tool and you need to make it work for your business by earning or saving you money.

Technologists are trained to make technology function, they usually don't understand what it takes to be more profitable and competitive in your business. You need to supply clear business requirements to technologists and those requirements need to have a direct tie to business results. Examples of results you might measure include number of site visits, number of quotes generated without missing information, growth in use of specific services, etc.

Remedy: Direct and manage your technologist; it's the only way to avoid a cool looking internet billboard that collects dust and cobwebs.

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2) I need to display links to my carriers and the weather on my site to make it more interesting.

Links, especially logos, can clutter a web site making the message and navigation confusing. Worse, consumers will exit your site. Links to third party sites need to be used judiciously.

Remedy: Avoid, wherever possible, third party links on main pages. Extract the most relevant information and make it your own. Before displaying links, consider if the convenience to consumers outweighs the loss of visitors; think through how third party links support or dilute your value proposition and brand message before placing them on your site.

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3) I'm ahead of the game because I have a web site and my customers can get ID cards and certificates.

You get little credit for doing transactions or fulfilling simple service requests. Completing basic transactions accurately, quickly and conveniently are simply table stakes. Fail and you find yourself out of the game, deliver transactions well and you can continue to play but you have not won. Consumer expectations are constantly growing due to technology advances and adoption and experiences they have with other, world class businesses.

Remedy: Constantly stay in touch with changing consumer expectations and evaluate ways to meet and exceed them. Be prepared to adopt new business tools and processes at any time.

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4) My customers don't use the web.

There are pockets of consumers who do not use the web but those pockets are dwindling. As long ago as 2001, the IIABA Future One Study noted that, 75% of consumers research insurance online. More recent studies, at least where personal auto insurance is concerned, suggest that that number has nudged above 85%.

Fact: Not having a web site that allows consumers to research their needs, satisfy concerns about protection and easily obtain quotes is a growing business vulnerability.

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5) People want a relationship, not a web site.

A relationship has two components: contact and value exchanged during those contacts.
A recent survey conducted by Confluency Solutions revealed this information about customers contacted by their agents:

• 12% received a newsletter of some type within the last year
• 6% received a calendar, holiday card or some other generic contact during the previous 12 months
• 82% had not heard from their agent at all within the last 12 months

Other surveys make clear what consumers value in a relationship with their insurance agent:

• 83% want their needs analyzed and reviewed, at least annually
• 95% want expert counsel, specific to their needs
• 90% want the assurance that they have the right protection

These relationship components are often missing because most agents simply don't have enough time.

Fact: A web site can fill the customer relationships void if web services are designed to deliver what consumers value in a relationship.

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6) I have a web site and nobody uses it.
This is what happens when we fall for the 'build it and they will come ' myth. The first step is to make sure a web site provides the kind of value consumers a looking for (see Myth Number 2.). You can't count on the search engines to get people to your web site. Google on 'insurance' right now and your search will return 152,000,000 possible matches. Google with the name and state of a small town and you will likely still get over 30,000 possible matches. Google 'insurance', your town and your own agency name and you are lucky if you come up in the top 50 or 100 matches.

Fact and Remedy: If you provide valuable web services consumers will use your site, if they can find it. Making sure your site is found requires a combination of strategies. Make sure you promote your site at every opportunity, find ways to seamlessly integrate web tools with your other service operations so your staff can rely on them, register with the Yahoo Local, etc. and make it easy and worthwhile for site users to refer your tools and services.