4 More "Powerful" Agency Websites

Read on to see another four powerful agency websites.

Vaughn Insurance Agency Co., Henderson, Ky.

If you haven't heard of Henderson, Ken. (population circa 27,000), it isn't because Nibby Priest isn't trying. Son of agency founder Norris Priest, Nibby has spread the word about Henderson, his love of Dolly Parton, and the great service his agency provides on the whole spectrum of social media. The agency launched its current website in 2008 and it's updated at least weekly with Priest's WordPress blog posts and other content. The site is designed to provide policyholders with information about the agency and partner companies, Priest said. And based on page views, they appreciate the personal touch: "It seems like the most often visited pages are 'contact us' and our staff page," he said. "Clients really like our 'chat now' feature, too."

And although he isn't sure the site directly helps the agency generate revenue, Priest noted that its top-ranked SEO goes a long way toward spreading the word about the agency. "We get many searches to our site from Google and other search engines," he said. "When you type 'insurance' and 'Henderson, KY,' we are always on top. Many agents pay lots of money to get that—and guess what. We don't! I have never believed in buying search placement. We get high rankings by having an up-to-date site and by posting regularly."

Kapnick Insurance Group, Adrian, Mich.

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. Agency marketing consultant Peter van Aartrijk praises the site for its strong use of the "health" theme around its benefits book.

Renee Carpenter, Kapnick's corporate communications manager, updates its blog daily and adds press releases and videos two or three times a week. "The blogs get a lot of comments, as do our videos on health and wellness," she said. Based on Kapnick's Google Analytics numbers, the site's home page with its news feed is also especially popular.

The site's current version, launched last year, is more "informational" than its predecessor, "but the biggest improvement was adding the blog," Carpenter said. "Where it's located on the page makes it high-profile and constantly changing. Plus it automatically posts to Facebook and Twitter, so there are lots of opportunities for lots of people to see it."

The Kapnick website's success isn't necessarily measuable in ROI, but "just like in advertising, if you're getting interaction with people you haven't in the past, there's the possibility for leads, so ROI happens without you even knowing it," Carpenter said. Even so, she estimates the agency's revenue has increased about 40 percent since the new site's launch. "Before our SEO wasn't really doing anything for us but because of the blogs, and keywords that I can enter on WordPress, it's been huge."

Preferred Insurance Center, Coldwater, Ohio

This small-town agency's landing page 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. The agency is even running a promo for a Las Vegas vacation to – where else – the Flamingo Hotel. And the agency's Facebook presence is "for more than just boring insurance junk," said 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 features easy access to all of the fun stuff," he said.

The site's basic format was launched in 2010 but is constantly changing, said agency partner Dan Muhlenkamp. Blogs are updated daily, and other items are changed on an as-needed basis. For Preferred, the site's most important aspect is "the blog, the community coupon page, and the interactive forms on every page," Muhlenkamp said. "The name recognition and social interaction has been awesome. The website is just one small link in changing up things that has our revenue up about 13 percent."

NRG Insurance, Seattle

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 email form, that's it. Even the verbiage is minimalist.

This design is far from accidental, said NRG President Michelle Rupp. The current site, updated in January, replaces a version that had all the usual bells and whistles. The rethink 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 said. "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," she said.

It also reflects NRG's targeted customers: sophisticated sustainable technology businesses in the progressive Northwest region. "We don't want to sell to people on the Web; that's not our audience," Rupp said. "We want to meet them face to face, but we need to be in on the online conversation, too."

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."

Think your agency's website is something special? Drop us a line at ltoops@sbmedia.com.