3 Customer Experience Tips to Boost Your Internet Conversion Ratios

The Internet has done wonders to the health insurance industry, but it's still a work in progress. A 2005 Shop.org research study found conversion rates for all retail websites averaged only 2.5%. And Forrester Research reported in 2006 that only 1 out of every 4 online consumer was satisfied with their shopping experience.

That means that 3 out of 4 online shoppers weren't satisfied.

It's a dismal stat. But it also means opportunities for greater conversion ratios and sales to producers who provide a better customer experience - especially if they deal with Internet-generated leads.

Here are 3 tips to improve the customer experience you give to your prospects, clients and website visitors.

Constant Touch

Although online health insurance buyers like the freedom of researching and shopping on their own, they don't want to be forgotten. Top producers understand that online shoppers take longer to make their buying decision; but once they do, they will act quickly.

The challenge for smart producers is to stay with their online shoppers as they use the Internet to educate themselves before making a decision - and then be there when that shopper is ready to complete an app.

That's easier said than done if you're dealing with dozens of new leads each week - unless you have an email autoresponder. An autoresponder is a top producer's best friend, because it allows agents and brokers to stay in touch with thousands of prospects and leads with very little effort.

It begins by sending out a welcome email to all new leads, preparing them for your initial call. It then follows up with weekly and later monthly emails to continue reminding them. But these should not be "nag" emails. Ideally, they should provide links to updated quote engine proposals and informational materials that can help the shopper make their decision.

Your emails should also have links to your quote engine and e-applications. So when the prospect is finally ready to buy, a couple of clicks will get them updated pricing quotes and into a secure online application.

What's a practical "constant touch" schedule? Here's one that many top producers follow:

• 1st day: call within 24 hours of receiving the lead.
• 2nd day: follow up with a thank-you email and info.
• 3rd day: follow up with a call.
• 5th day: send a follow-up email
• 7th day: email a marketing follow-up
• 10th day: call to check status and interest
• 14th day: email a marketing message
• 21st day: email a marketing message
• 28th day: call to check in

The second month, move to a weekly schedule of email marketing messages. After two or three months, you can switch to once-a-month emails. But semi-monthly messages are better.

Your email autoresponder can automate most of your email "touches." However, an integrated lead management system, like BrokerOffice, helps to track your autoresponder campaign with other phone calls and appointments you make with each lead.

Personalized Touch

Personalizing your marketing content sends an important signal to your prospects and clients. It tells them that they're more than a number for you. It also tells them that you care and can be trusted.

But personalizing to the hundreds or thousands of people in your mailing list is a daunting task - unless you have an integrated sales automation system that keeps track of each lead and remembers the details of their request.

For example, if a prospect comes to your website's quote engine and requests a pricing quote for a particular plan, an integrated email autoresponder will imbed current pricing information for that plan in each email it sends.

Personalizing your marketing approach also has a flip side. Before prospects and clients can trust you, they need to know you:

• Company contact information.
  Make sure your website and emails contain contact information for your company, including a physical address and phone number.

• Your story.
  Provide detailed information about who you are and why you do what you do. In addition to providing a mission statement or putting your vision into words, tell visitors more about the people who make up your company. Including pictures next to bios and statements is a big plus.

• Write conversationally.
  When you write your email message and even some of your website content, imagine that your client is sitting across the table from you. Write in a conversational tone and avoid formal 3rd-person styles.

• Provide references.
  Testimonials are powerful marketing tools. Collect testimonials from your satisfied clients and include parts of them in your website and emails. Again, adding pictures of the satisfied client will only make that testimonial stronger.

The more information you can realistically provide about yourself and your company, the more trust you can build with a prospect. And that trust is the crucial first step for building a relationship with that client.

Clarity

Finally, make sure that your website and emails are well designed and organized. The buzzword for websites and marketing emails today is "usability." Your website, in particular, should be easy to navigate and use.

In other words, visitors to your website should be able to find the information and answers they need, with minimal clicks of the mouse. Avoid needless clutter on your web pages, especially on your homepage.

A good exercise to improve your website's usability is to put yourself in your prospect's shoes. If health insurance shoppers come to your website looking for specific information, can they find it? And if so, how hard do they have to work to find that information?

Optimized websites are no longer designed like file cabinets, with everything in its place and a place for everything. Instead, they are designed with the user in mind. What does your user need to know and find? And how can you make it easier for them to find it?

When it comes to emails, don't try to sell everything. Focus on one product, element or message. If you want to mention secondary products, put it at the bottom and make sure it's not intrusive.

Nothing frustrates online shoppers more than being hit with poorly designed websites and emails that just end up wasting their time.

Putting It Into Action

Health insurance agents and brokers are finally waking up to the importance of designing their websites for their customers.

The Internet's novelty has passed. Positive customer experience isn't just expected in retail stores and regular offices. As more health insurance shoppers are turning online for their purchases, customer experience has become a driving force for producers going online to meet those valued consumers.

And if you're committed to long-term success, you need to have a similar commitment to improving your customer's experience.