Six Tips to Enhance Online Experience for Insurance Customers

When people are shopping online for insurance products, they’re not just making decisions about your products. They’re also making decisions about your website.

According to a recent LIMRA survey, insurance customers “expect their online experiences with agents and financial services companies to match their other online retail experiences.” In other words, if you want to capture new business, your website needs to look and function on a par with those.

“Consumers expect a website to be secure, be able to answer any questions they might have and be user-friendly, among other aspects,” said Denny Jacob at NU Property Casualty 360, citing research by Verint.

That’s a broad goal – and a high bar. But it’s also an opportunity. For P&C insurers, the challenge here isn’t just to squeak by unscathed somehow, but to rise to customer expectations, then exceed them. And to do that, you first have to understand the landscape. What’s normal for websites of this type? How can you stand out from that? Where’s the low-hanging fruit?

NU Property Casualty 360 contributor Frank Gehrig had some insight on those questions. “It is common when one visits an insurer’s website to realize that all visitors are receiving identical information,” he said. On one hand, this lack of differentiation “is alarming, especially in an age of rising customer expectations.” On the other, it indicates some clear steps you can take to position yourself as unique.

Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Think function. Is your website a digital brochure, or does it actually convert leads? Is it easy for customers to find what they need and to contact you? Does it speak to customers in their language? Are there videos and infographics to break down technical information? When users have questions, can they contact you via chat, or do they have to leave the website (moving to phone or email) to meet their needs?
Think mobile. According to Verint, more than half (55 percent) of users prefer to visit your website from a mobile device, not a browser. We’ve said it before, but it’s worth repeating: if your website isn’t mobile-responsive, you’re losing customers.
Know the need. Verint research indicated that the most common reason for users to visit an insurance website is to pay bills. Does your website make that process effortless? Is the payment portal easy to find at first glance? Is it user-friendly?
Be interactive. Instead of stuffing your site with static information, think about engagement, the back and forth. Maybe this is a coverage “fit-finder,” a “test-your-insurance-IQ” quiz, a calculator or a self-assessment. For his part, Gehrig proposed digital questionnaires, which are fun, easy and useful.
Avoid option overload. No matter how your website flows, it’s important to help users quickly advance to the most relevant offerings to avoid fatigue and overwhelm, as well as to serve their needs as seamlessly as possible. Faced with more than a few meaningful options, people are quick to disengage.
Escalate it. When the user needs to progress from a simple product purchase to a process that requires human expertise and a personal touch, can they do so? Make sure your website tools and information support an intuitive journey from A to B, whether “B” represents getting a quote or making a policy change.

How can Silvervine help? In many ways, including:

An innovative P&C policy administration system that supports direct-to-consumer sales.
A white-labeled P&C mobile app, that allows you to get a cutting-edge mobile tool to your policyholders quickly – even if you don’t use Silvervine’s policy administration system.
Tailored insurance payment services that help you reduce payment processing fees, get funding faster.