What makes a successful website? Jeff Yates, executive director of the Agents Council for Technology, says a site should possess several key traits:

Rich content
Attractive and professional look
Online quoting
Links to social media
Blogs
Use of video
Online chats
Customer reviews and testimonials.

Here are four websites that include many of these features and which experts say are great examples of creative thinking when it comes to reaching clients and prospects online.

Vaughn Insurance Agency Co.
www.GoVaughn.com

If you haven't heard of Henderson, Ky. (population circa 27,000), it isn't because Nibby Priest isn't trying. Son of agency founder Norris Priest, Nibby has used social media to spread the word about Henderson, his love of Dolly Parton and the services his agency provides.

The agency launched its current site in 2008, and it's updated at least weekly with Priest's WordPress blog posts and other content. Based on page views, he says, “It seems like the most-often-visited pages are Contact Us and our Staff page. Clients really like our 'Chat Now' feature, too.”

And while he isn't sure the site directly helps the agency generate revenue, Priest notes that its effective use of search-engine optimization goes a long way toward spreading the word about the agency. “We get many visits to our site from Google and other search engines,” he says. “When you type 'insurance' and 'Henderson, KY,' we are always on top. We get high rankings by having an up-to-date site and by posting regularly.”

Kapnick Insurance Group
www.Kapnick.com

Adrian, Mich.-based Kapnick does employee benefits, and its website landing page says it all—with custom photos of the agency's employees; descriptions of its insurance specialties; a “My Benny Card” for clients to directly access their employee-benefits accounts; and a regularly updated blog column featuring entries on employee health, Workers' Compensation and other topics.

Corporate Communications Manager Renee Carpenter updates the blog daily and posts press releases and videos several times a week. The site's current version, launched last year, is more “informational” than its predecessor, “but the biggest improvement was adding the blog,” she says.

Carpenter estimates the agency's revenue has increased about 40 percent since the new site's launch.

Preferred Insurance Center
www.PreferredCenter.com

The landing page of this agency based in the small Ohio town of Coldwater looks pretty straightforward and businesslike, but click around a bit and you'll discover a creative blend of local and digital, with an active blog and a fun tie-in with flamingos.

And the agency's Facebook presence is “for more than just boring insurance junk,” says agency marketing consultant Peter van Aartrijk. Most importantly, the pragmatic/fun balance works perfectly for Preferred's targeted customers. “The main website is a little traditional, which probably works in their small town, but it features easy access to all of the fun stuff,” he says.

The site's basic format was launched in 2010 but is constantly changing, says agency partner Dan Muhlenkamp. Blogs are updated daily, and other items are changed on an as-needed basis. “The website is just one small link in changing up things that has our revenue up about 13 percent,” he adds.

NRG Insurance
www.NRGSeattle.com

How can a one-page website be innovative and “powerful”? The short answer: When it's perfectly targeted to its niche market audience.

Visit this no-nonsense site and you'll find everything you need without clicking tabs or being routed to other pages. Yes, there's a link to the agency's Facebook site, but other than that and an e-mail form, that's it. Even the verbiage is minimalist.

This design is far from accidental, says Michelle Rupp, president of this Seattle-based firm. The current site, updated in January, replaces a version that had all the usual bells and whistles. The redesign reflects what's going on in the agency itself, which is currently transitioning from a brick-and-mortar office to one where everyone works remotely. Rupp says: “The thinking behind the single page is that we wanted to simplify everything, including processes and customer service, to reflect what's going on with the agency.”

To Rupp, the most valuable aspect of the site is to “have people get a hint of who you are. People make emotional decisions; that identity should be an instant hit.”

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Key Ingredients of Four Successful Agency Websites

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