Building trust is a key aspect of customer retention and success for independent insurance agents. Insurance clients want to work with someone who they can rely on and who is honest. One way to foster trust in the industry is with a user-friendly insurance website. 

Trust-building in insurance requires many steps; the first one should be your website. A user-friendly insurance website shows potential clients that you are serious about winning their business and helps to build credibility. It will also help your independent insurance agency get seen online. 

Trust is what is known as a “non-renewable resource,” which means that once it is gone, you cannot get it back. Let’s talk about building trust with clients: how a user-friendly insurance website makes a difference.

First impressions matter: A professional website design

In order to understand the importance of a user-friendly insurance website, start by considering how we build trust. Trust begins with our eyes. Studies show that we assess trustworthiness in under a second with our eyes. This is why having a visually appealing, clean, and modern website for your independent insurance agency is paramount to your success. 

Branding consistency is also an important insurance website feature. Branding consistency is important because it leads to brand consistency, which leads to trust. You want clients to see the correct branding for your agency on every page of your website. 

Finally, your user-friendly insurance website needs to be usable across all platforms, including desktop and mobile devices. A responsive website design will optimize user experience by giving them the freedom to access your website anywhere on any device they prefer.

Benefits of easy navigation and intuitive site structure

Online customers overwhelmingly want to be able to navigate your insurance website features with ease. The clearer the paths are to your products, the better chance you have of making a sale or capturing a lead. 

A user-friendly insurance website needs to have an organized site structure so clients can find the information they need as well as discover your contact information. Your insurance website features should also include search functionality and breadcrumbs for ease of navigation and SEO. 

Valuable content on a user-friendly insurance website

A major part of trust building is establishing expertise. Customers want to know that you understand the business and will lead them in the right direction when it comes to their insurance. A user-friendly insurance website should feature up-to-date, informative content that clients and potential clients can use as a resource. 

Content can also be a lead-generating tool. One of your insurance website features can be a downloadable guideline or checklist to help potential clients better understand their insurance needs. The only cost of the download will be an email address, which independent agents can add to their email list. 

The blog on your website should be maintained regularly and updated with new material that is informative and engaging. It can feature topics like industry insights, advice, insurance changes, or anything else you would like to cover. 

Your insurance website design should include testimonials

Testimonials, Google Reviews, social media posts, and any other positive public reviews of your independent insurance agency are valuable to the trust-building process. Part of your insurance website design needs to feature quotes and testimonials from clients that showcase your value and their customer satisfaction. 

Here are a few other features your insurance website design should showcase:

  • Industry awards
  • Recognitions 
  • Logos of partners or affiliations
  • Certifications

Your website is your virtual storefront, and you should show off all of your accreditation, testimonials, and awards as part of your trust-building efforts. 

Offer easy-to-use quote and claim tools

You know how many insurance companies promote the time it takes for customers to receive a quote because the information is featured prominently in ads. Featuring a simple online quote tool or premium calculator as part of your insurance website user experience has multiple benefits. As an SEO tool, it will drive traffic to your website. It will also serve as a tool your customers can use to understand your insurance products and their cost.

Claim tools need to be part of your user-friendly insurance website as well. Customers today demand digitization and 24-hour access to their policies and claims. You can give that to them using claim submission and claim tracking tools. 

The importance of data privacy and security

To learn more, check out one of our latest blogs: “The Importance of Cybersecurity in the Insurance Industry.”

Along with the digitization demand from insurance customers comes an increased risk of data breaches and cybersecurity attacks. Agents need to prioritize data privacy and security in their user-friendly insurance websites because an attack could cost them more than a loss of reputation. Many state and federal governments are holding businesses accountable for data breaches, and the fines and liability can be staggering. 

Here are some steps you can take to maintain data privacy and security on your insurance website: 

  1. Clearly display privacy policies and data protection measures
  2. Implement SSL encryption for secure data transmissions
  3. Display trust seals, like from the BBB (Better Business Bureau) or TRUSTe
  4. Practice password safety
  5. Train employees on phishing, ransomware, and malware prevention

Accessible and responsive customer support

Perhaps the most effective trust-building tool in insurance is customer support. Your clients need to feel that they can communicate with you whenever they need to. A section of a user-friendly insurance website should display your contact information prominently and include information for multiple communication channels. 

A live chat or chatbot function provides customers with quick assistance and easy communication. It also will retain customers on your site longer while also providing them with valuable information and assistance. 

Insurance customers value fast response times and personalized customer support. If you can connect with your customers on a human level by knowing their names and needs personally, it will go a long way toward building trust with them. 

Insurance professionals should invest in a user-friendly insurance website

As we mentioned earlier, trust is a non-renewable resource that needs to be preserved in order to succeed. Independent insurance agents rely on customer retention and building strong relationships with their clients to prosper. The best way to do this in our digital age is by investing in a user-friendly insurance website that features everything we mentioned above. 

A positive user experience on your website will generate long term business and repeat customers better than any other tool. If you would like to learn more about the benefits of a well-designed insurance website or schedule a free consultation, please contact us here