Your insurance agency has grown and you’re ready to invest in a website for your business. But where do you start?
While there are many key factors to consider when creating a new website, the main thing to keep in mind is a positive user experience.
From providing ease of use to creating a sense of trust, you’ll find that with each step of the website design process leads to achieving a positive user experience.
Learn what you need to take into consideration when designing your insurance website in order for it to represent your agency as a trusted, professional resource.
Keep Mobile in Mind
Today’s consumers aren’t waiting until they are home sitting in front of their desktop computer to do their online research and shopping. The moment that the idea to look into a service or product strikes them, they are pulling out their smartphones.
When they come to a site that doesn’t display properly on their device, or is hard to use, they aren’t going to stick around.
Consumers shy away from websites with:
- font that is too small to read
- links that are too close together
- flash videos that don’t work on mobile
Not only does a hard-to-view site turn potential and existing clients away from your page, it communicates to them that your agency is outdated and unprofessional.
To assure that it will display and function across all devices, regardless of screen size, you need an insurance website created with responsive design that is mobile friendly.
A responsive website will automatically adjust to the size of device it is being displayed on, from the largest desktop monitor to the smallest smartphone screen.
Responsive design assures that your insurance website will be viewable and functional regardless of screen size, keeping potential and existing clients on your site longer.
But those are not the only benefits of responsive design. It also assures that your site will load quickly, which is another important feature insurance websites need in order to keep potential prospects – including local leads – from leaving.
Design for Speed
Get out your phone, open your web browser, do a search, and click on a site. How long are you willing to wait for it to load before you close the window and move on to the next search result?
Odds are, you won’t wait long.
In fact, if a mobile site takes longer than 3 seconds to load 53% of visits are abandoned.
If people aren’t staying on your insurance website then it isn’t capturing you leads.
Responsive websites load quickly by:
- Minimizing redirects
- Optimizing images
- Caching
- Eliminating unnecessary plugins
With a responsive design, websites are speedy regardless of the device they are being viewed on, something that today’s consumers have come to expect.
But functional design and fast speed aren’t the only ingredients necessary for creating a professional insurance website. You also need to keep a keen eye on the design aesthetic of your website.
Incorporate Modern Design
In the past, your business card served as the face of your agency. In today’s world, your website is the first thing people look to when learning about and sizing up your business.
Make sure your website communicates to potential clients that your agency is professional and modern.
A site that is overly busy or designed in an out-of-date style will make your business seem disorganized and out-of-touch.
Clean and modern websites instill trust in consumers.
A recent study revealed that 46% of participants in a recent study stated that they judged the credibility and trustworthiness of a website based on its overall design or look.
Modern design is essential to having your website function as the professional face of your agency. But remember, modern doesn’t have to mean complicated. Today’s consumers expect websites to be simple and predictable.
Keep It Simple
It may sound counterintuitive at first glance.
Why keep a site simple when you could have innovation, cutting-edge design and function that makes you stand apart from other agencies?
A site that is simple is a site that is easy to understand and use.
As a rule of thumb, people visiting your website should be able to understand what you are offering within five seconds of opening your home page.
It is essential that website visitors are able to navigate your insurance website with ease and predictability. If the design is too complicated or information difficult to find, they won’t stick around to figure it out.
No one visiting a website is interested in guesswork.
A website designed to achieve a predictable user experience will have menus that are easy to locate, simple, and straightforward.
This type of design provides the following benefits for consumers:
- A sense of control
- Trust and safety
- Reliability
Adversely, a website that is not designed with predictable use in mind can result in a user experience that includes:
- Uncertainty
- Undue stress
- Reduced sense of safety
- Lack of trust in provider
A simple and predictable website will not only keep readers on your site, it will instill in them a sense of trust.
Establishing your agency as a trusted resource can win you leads.
Creating a website for you insurance business is the right step to take when growing your agency, but be sure to do it with your best foot forward. A website that is fast, responsive, and designed to create a simple and easy experience for your visitors is a worthwhile investment as you grow your insurance business.