Featuring Pricing on Your Website Sells Insurance!

    That is why it is very difficult for most brokers and agents to sell on the Internet. Most agent web sites are nothing more than glorified "calling cards" - with little or no pricing information. Price is such a "variable" you may think it would be an impossibility to provide this sort of information, however, there are many ways to provide pricing, even if you can't give the price!

    When a viewer lands on your web site it is because they are looking for something. Of course information is something that web surfers want - but when it comes to insurance, the thing they want most of all is to know "how much?"

   Web sites that can give instant pricing will land sales, even if their price is NOT competitive. That sounds hard to believe, but often, I sell insurance to customers when I KNOW that my price is higher than some of the competition, simply because I tell them what it will cost QUICKLY. Speed is what the Internet is all about - the people using it will sacrifice price sometimes (within reason of course), if they can get price indications fast, and purchase what they want without much trouble.

    So, when designing your web site keep this in mind: If you get a viewer to your site, don't let them leave without a price. Your question will be, "how can I give them a price when I don't even know their situation?" We can overcome this obstacle quite easily, and here's how to do it on your agency web site:

1) Focus on lines of coverage for which you CAN provide some type of instant pricing on line. Types of coverage for which this can be done easily, would be umbrella coverage; self-rater contractor and other liability programs; bonds; life and health insurance, and so on. If you have a rate sheet in your office - you can feature those prices on your web site (remember NOT to put the carrier's name on your site, and to post a disclaimer that says the prices only apply if the client qualifies for the product in question, etc.). How many policies does our San Francisco agency sell using this method? Dozens per month... and the number keeps growing. People who get quick answers, are most times also ready to buy!

2) When you can't provide a price - try to do it anyway! I say this in regards to auto, homeowners and motorcycle. I know that instant pricing may be an obstacle for these lines of coverage given the variables - but you have a few good alternatives here to give your viewers what they want:

First, you can subscribe to an instant rating service (like WebFSC, etc.) which allows your viewers to get a quote on line. However, even though we use such services because of the volume of visitors we have, I don't like them too much. The reason is that when a person goes through a rating script, you "lose control" of that viewer (because they leave your site to do the rating on their own, and they may never return!) Besides that, they can get the price and name of the company from you, and then contact another broker with that information. I would much rather do it another way.

    So secondly, instead of having a rating service (which is a sizable monthly expenditure besides), consider providing "pricing examples" on your website. That way a viewer can get an "idea" of the price from real life examples that you post. For instance, you can look at some recent sales you made, and give those examples on your site something like this: "28 year old male in San Francisco, with three tickets, needing an SR22 filing, and basic liability on a 1988 Ford Mustang, ONLY $88.00 per month! - CLICK HERE FOR A QUOTE" (with a link to your quote form). This "whets" the viewer's appetite, and even though their price will vary somewhat, at least they have some idea as to where they stand. If you give a handful of pricing situations, you are bound to appeal to most visitors. Remember though - after a visitor requests an actual quote using your form - you must get a response to them right away - no more than 24 hours.

    And thirdly, you can provide a "chart" for your clients, where they can look at a territory (let's say S.F./L.A.), and their driving time, and their driving record, and have rates mapped out - of course letting your viewers know these are "indications" only - and to call or e-mail you for an exact price.

    In conclusion - if you provide some actual pricing information on your website - regardless of how accurate it is - you will have viewers contact you, and hopefully, purchase their insurance from you, because YOU were the only one willing to tell them what they wanted to know!

(Gary Savelli is President of Internet Sales of Basic West Insurance Agency in San Francisco, CA, technology convention speaker, twice winner of the "idea of the year" award at the AAACO Convention, and professional html computer programmer. Gary's book "Selling Insurance on the Internet" originally published by IIAA/Rough Notes is available at his website for only $25.00 at: Selling Insurance on the Internet Book Purchase".)