As more and more consumers turn to the Internet as their first stop in answering Insurance-related questions, insurance agents have focused their online marketing efforts to draw these consumers in and convert them to leads. While this is a valid approach, it is not the only benefit your agency can see from a high quality website.
One strategy I’ve seen used successfully is to use your agency website as a door opener to other businesses that could become referral sources to your agency. Here’s how you do it:
1. Link to other businesses in your community that could be potential referral sources. Create a page on your site titled “Useful Community Resources”, “Recommended Businesses”, or “Our Partners” and link to businesses from this page. Don’t be afraid to cast a wide net – you can add anything from accountants to car detailing services.
2. Contact these business owners to let them know about the link. While talking to them, ask them to tell you about their business. Use this as a chance to get to know them and build a relationship with them. If they want to talk to you about insurance, feel free, but do not try to push your services on them!
3. Regularly promote your page linking out to your new partners. You can add it to your email signature, send it to new customers, or even use it as a “Welcome” letter to new arrivals in your community.
4. Occasionally reach out to the business owners listed on your page to let them know you are promoting the page. Do this continually and they will begin to see how you are helping them.
5. Over time, you’ll establish a pattern of helping other businesses. They’ll likely want to return the favor by sending business your way. You can gently nudge them along the process by asking if they can link back to you from their website. In my experience, they almost always happily do so.
If you follow this process with 15-20 businesses in your community, you’ll develop new relationships with businesses that are likely focusing on the same prospects as you. And best of all, it costs you nothing more than the time it takes you to update your website!
Looking for more information on ways to use insurance websites? Visit the AgentMethods blog on insurance website marketing and download my free eBook “Make Money While You Sleep: A Step–by-Step Guide to Generating Leads from Your Website”.
