Website Smackdown : Insurance Website Builder vs. WordPress

You have many options for your insurance agency website. A common question agents ask me is whether they should use WordPress (or a similar content management system) for their website or go with a product that is focused on the insurance industry like ITC’s Insurance Website Builder.
Before we break down the differences between Insurance Website Builder and WordPress, I want to cover a brief history about the Insurance Website Builder system. In 2003 (the first year of WordPress’s initial release), I was developing websites for multiple insurance agencies. I noticed that each website included the exact same features and decided to develop a content management system dedicated to building insurance agency websites. In 2005 after two years of development, we launched Insurance Website Builder.
From that point, the rest is history. Even though they were developed independently, at the core of both Insurance Website Builder and WordPress is a basic content management system. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages. Let’s break it down.

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Build an Awesome Website: 8 Things to Do Before You Get Started

When done right your insurance agency website can be the best tool in your marketing toolbox. When done right it can actually help you sell insurance.

I know what you're asking. How do you build a website so it's done right? First, you need to realize that a website is more than just a pretty design. You should first focus on why you need a website and what you want it to do instead of what you want on it.

Do you want a website that is basic and has your agency's information on it? Or do you want a website that allows you to do online quoting, generates leads and integrates with social media? In other words, do you want a website that is an integral part of your online marketing plan driving leads, educating prospects and communicating with customers?

Here are 8 things to do before you get started on building your website:

Do:

1. Set goals. Make them realistic and measurable. Here are some great ideas to get you started: Generate leads online. Increase brand awareness. Expand your market to surrounding areas. Improve conversions.

2. Learn SEO basics. You absolutely will want help in optimizing your website for search engines. But understanding the basics of search engine optimization is something you need to know too. Plus, when SEO starts working, you don't have to spend so much time trying to improve your website traffic.

3. Plan on creating a mobile version of your website. 25% of the traffic to our client's websites comes from mobile devices. This number will continue to rise as more people buy smartphones and tablets and start using their mobile devices to surf the Internet instead of their desktops or laptops.

4. Look at your competitors. Are they doing something right on their websites? What do you like? What don't you like? This is your chance to identify opportunities your competitors might be missing out on that you can take advantage of on your new website.

5. Develop custom content. One of the most important elements of online marketing is custom content. When done correctly, it improves the readability of your website and helps to optimize it for search engines. Custom content also differentiates your agency from your competition and can improve the time visitors spend on your website. 

6. Include calls to action. A call to action will clearly indicate what you want your website visitors to do. Offer online quoting? Don't just say "We'll give you a free online quote." Say "To get your free online quote, enter your information below and click submit." Have free reports to download? Instead of saying "Free report on the basics of a homeowners policy" say "Click here to get your free report on renters insurance 101."

7. Answer the "Why?"question. Visitors won't subscribe to your newsletter or follow you on social media if you don't give them a reason why they should. Don't just put up a subscribe box or follow buttons without explaining what visitors will get out of subscribing or following.

8. Trust your web designer. You've hired an expert because building websites is what he does for a living. He knows the latest trends and tricks to make your website great. Let him do what he does best, and he's more likely to not only meet your goals but exceed them.

Insurance Website Builder specializes in insurance agency websites and giving agents a strong web presence through quality insurance web designs. Every website from Insurance Website Builder is customized and optimized to sell insurance and help agencies get more customers.

Why People Leave a Website

Getting someone to visit your website can be challenging, especially with all of the posts, emails, tweets, etc. that are competing for attention nowadays. When consumers come to your website, the last thing you want is for them to leave right away. But if your website design doesn't provide a pleasant user experience, visitors can become frustrated and then quickly leave.

A good website design will keep frustration to a minimum, take the visitor deeper into your website seamlessly and show him the information he is looking for.

Here are some examples of website design that can drive your visitors away.

Source: What Makes Someone Leave A Website?