The insurance industry has long since ceased to be filled with stacks of paperwork and face-to-face meetings. Your sales agents probably have wide-open diaries but still, not enough time to finish all their tasks. This is because even though they are no longer meeting with customers in person as much, they must ensure that each customer goes on a digital journey with your business. This journey should take them from the point of interest through to electronically signing their policy documents.
Customers want a personalized experience through all the channels your agency provides. If you fail in this crucial aspect of your business, you lose customers to your competition. You must know how to build a digital customer experience to drive success.
Understanding Why Customer Preferences Continue to Change
The world is currently experiencing a digital revolution. This is impacting every business sector, including insurance. Customers have more choices and information, and nothing stops them from comparing quotes and signing up for policies on the same day.
This shift alone means your agency must offer a fully digital customer journey. You must be able to adapt this strategy as customer preferences continue to change. Customers demand different services and options because of the availability of different technologies. These include:
- Self-service: Modern insurance customers already use technology in every aspect of their lives. If they consider signing up with your agency, they do not want to go through a manual process. They want access to online information. They want an online calculator to determine how much an insurance policy will cost. They want to sign up online and know they can claim online, too. This means your agency must provide a well-functioning self-service platform that links to all your digital communication channels.
- Personalization: Customers want to know that your agency deeply understands their unique situation. They want you to prove that your products can solve their problems. They also want you to highlight how your insurance coverage will protect them in the worst-case scenario. You must create personalized products and services and adapt your standard insurance policies to cater to this demand.
- Convenience: Your customers are busy people. They have businesses to run, children to raise, and dreams to achieve. And, while they need insurance to buffer their life journey, you need to give them the convenience they need to sign up for insurance quickly. If you use an agency management system, you can set up a client service portal. This portal will allow customers to get quotes, ask questions, get insurance, and file claims 24/7.
How To Build a Digital Journey For Your Customers
Building a digital journey for your customers takes a lot of planning and insights. You must, however, have the foundation in place if you want it to work.
Optimizing Your Website
When a prospect does a Google search and your agency comes up on the first page, chances are they will click through to your website. This is where you will either lose or gain a potential customer at the start of their digital journey. Your insurance agency’s website must be user-friendly with easily accessible information. If the prospect struggles to find what they need, they will move on to another insurance provider.
To prevent this from happening, ensure that the most crucial information is on your home page. Consider implementing a chatbot for immediate assistance.
Creating Valuable Content
Most people search for specific content before they even bother contacting an agency. Your website should contain blogs, videos, and infographics about the insurance products you offer. There should be FAQs, case studies, and success stories that draw people in. The more relevant and valuable the information on your website, the higher the chances that a prospect will continue their digital journey with your agency.
Using Social Media
Use social media to build on your information offering. Share relevant news and answer all questions relating to insurance coverage. This will help you build a relationship with a prospect as they move toward becoming a customer.
Don’t forget to create a mobile-friendly version of your website so that people can access more information from their phones. Make it easy for prospects to switch from your social media profiles to your website by adding links.
Implementing Technology
Technology is the only way to streamline your customer’s digital journey. Once they sign up with your agency, you can use your agency management system to manage all interactions and policy data. Doing this will help you personalize communication and process claims faster. You can also look into digital claims management platforms and upselling tools to broaden your customer’s digital experience.
Building Trust in Your Agency
Throughout a customer’s digital journey, your agency must be transparent about data collection and security measures. Consistently communicate with all customers whenever laws and regulations change. Continue to work on building an exceptional customer experience. Doing this allows you to create trust in your agency as your customers complete their digital journey. And, even when their initial journey ends, keep providing them with after-sales service and prioritize their convenience and trust. This will allow you to retain more customers and build on your agency’s success.