The first contact you have with your customers is online. And these customers are choosier and more knowledgeable than ever before. If they can’t find your business or your website doesn’t pass the initial online “sniff” test, customers move on. Why wouldn’t they? There are so many options, literally, at their fingertips.
As we start the new year, it is a good time to conduct a thorough review of your company website. This will help ensure that the website is meeting the needs of both the agency and its clients.
If you’re not familiar with website performance reviews, it may be intimidating. However, there are simple measures you can take to improve your website’s performance. If you or someone in your office is not tech-savvy, you might consider working with a qualified web partner.
Here is a checklist of things you should consider when reviewing your website’s performance.
- Review the overall look and functionality of your site from the perspective of your customer. Your website is a representation of your business, and it needs to show that you’re experienced and qualified.
- Keep track of website traffic and engagement stats to see how they’re changing. Are you seeing more people coming to your website each month, or are you losing ground?
- Conduct user testing to gather feedback on the website’s design and user experience. A small number of people can be recruited to test how easy your website is to use. You may use staff, family, friends, or clients. All you are looking for is honest feedback.
- Review the website’s content and update any outdated or irrelevant information.
- Optimize the site for search engines by doing keyword research and implementing SEO best practices.
- Make sure the website is mobile-friendly and make any necessary adjustments.
- Check the website’s security measures to make sure they’re up-to-date so it is protected from potential cyber threats.
- Study how people are converting on the website to improve it.
- Check how the website aligns with and supports the agency’s other marketing and sales channels. Are your social media channels linked? Is your phone number clickable through a mobile device?
- Check to see if there are any updates or changes that need to be made to the website’s analytics and reporting tools. If you haven’t yet, it is time to switch over your Google Analytics to GA4, so your site will continue to collect data throughout the year ( Google’s Universal Analytics will sunset on July 1, 2023 ).
By reviewing your website annually or quarterly, you’ll keep it up to date and meet the needs of both you and your customers. By monitoring key website metrics and making necessary updates, you can incrimentally refine your site and make it a more effective tool for your independent insurance agency. Your website should never be thought of as finished, but rather a work-in-progress.