Your website is the most important sales tool you have, here are some easy ways to make sure it’s performing how it should.
Websites. Almost every business has one, but chances it’s not something you pay much attention to other than updating the odd telephone number or adding a new staff member.
62% of consumers will disregard a business if they can’t find them online.
Let’s face it, Insurance Brokers aren’t exactly considered a hot topic. Unlike clothing brands or the big 4 banks, there’d be very few people that can rattle off Insurance Brokers names off the top of their heads… so what do people do? They search. Being visible on search engines is the most important thing you can do for the benefit of your business.
“Being visible on search engines is the most important thing you can do for the benefit of your business. ”
If you opened Google right now and searched for ‘insurance brokers and your suburb’, how far down does your website display? If you aren’t in the top 3 or 4 we have a problem.
Here are the top 7 tips to get your website ranking better.
- Update your website regularly, at least once a week. Updating your website will force Google to re-index your website and push your site up the rankings. Here are some easy ways to update your site:
- Slightly changing wording on any of your product/services pages. Use common keywords searched across your pages to increase your ranking organically.
- Sharing news or information. Ausure shares relevant industry and consumer articles each week. Share these to your page for an easy way to keep your clients up to date on important insurance news.
- Updating your team page with headshots, photos or staff bios.
- Sharing client stories or successful claim outcomes.
- Add client testimonials or reviews to your home page.
2. Use meaningful image names. Ensure you don’t just save your images as ‘Shutterstock’, or ‘website1, 2, 3’. When possible, refrain from using generic images. Local or actual photos of your business, clients or staff are always best. NEVER use images off google, this is illegal. If you are part of Ausure, we can provide you with free Shutterstock images to use.
3. Ensure each page of your website has a clear and eye-catching ‘call to action’, also referred to as a ‘CTA’. Buttons like ‘Call Us’, ‘Get a Quote’, ‘Find out More’, are all considered CTA’s.
4. Add a google map to your ‘contact us’ page.
5. Refrain from using the below as these are frowned upon by Google and can affect your search ranking:
– Floating buttons
– Tabs that are clicked on to reveal different information
6. Ensure your website is mobile-friendly. Over 50% of searches for businesses are now down via mobile. Google now takes into account how mobile-friendly your website is when it comes to ranking you in the search results. When checking your website on your phone, look for the following:
- All phone numbers are ‘click to call’, so when a user clicks on the number it gives them the option to call you.
- The menu works correctly.
- Key ‘call to action’ is at the top, to reduce the need for scrolling.
7. Ensure your website is secure. This is extremely important. Aside from the obvious benefits, which is keeping your website safe from malware and viruses, Google and other search engines are more likely to rank your site higher if it is secure. You can tell if your website is secure by the padlock displayed next to your URL. If the padlock is shut, then it’s secure, if it’s not – the padlock will be open. If this is the case, make it your priority to ask your website builder or developer to have this fixed urgently. If you are part of Ausure, you can contact Steve Sloan for assistance in getting your website secure.
What else to consider?
Aside from getting your website updated regularly and in tip-top shape, there are also a number of other important tools you need to be aware of to ensure you are visible to clients looking for an insurance broker.
Google Business Listings
Does your business have a Google business listing? 86% of customers use Google Maps to find local businesses. Google uses a users location, or suburb searched, to display the closest relevant insurance brokers to them. Only businesses that have a Google listing will be displayed. Setting up your business on google is an easy process, you can follow the steps here to get started.
Once your business listing is created, make sure to do the following to increase your ranking:
- Logo, pictures of inside and outside your office as well as staff photos.
- Business hours, and areas/suburbs you travel to
- Office bio
- Services offered
If you are an Ausure Insurance Broker, Ausure can manage your google listing for you.
Reviews and Testimonials
If you are looking for a new service, are you more likely to use a business with positive google reviews as opposed to a business with no reviews?
88% of potential customers look for online reviews before choosing local services.
Many brokers don’t feel comfortable asking their clients for reviews or testimonials. Here are 3 easy ways to get reviews from your clients.
– Ask for reviews in your email signature. Adding a simple line such as ‘Happy with my service? Please leave me a review on one of the platforms below’ and linking to Google, Facebook, or Advisr makes it easy for clients to leave a review about your business. Click here to view an example.
– After a positive claim outcome. This is the best time to get a positive review from your client. They’re happy you have just assisted them in getting a positive claim outcome and will be prepared to share their positive experience. Here is an email template you can use to send to your clients.
– Just ask! Most brokers have a close relationship with a number of their clients, dating back many years. Reach out to them and explain you are looking to build your online presence and would appreciate a review. You will be surprised at how many clients would love to assist.
Sources: https://www.safaridigital.com.au/blog/local-seo-statistics/
https://afilias.com.au/newsroom/blog-posts/keeping-your-au-website-secure-and-seo-friendly