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For insurance agents and financial advisors, your website is a key tool to attract new leads. A well-optimized site helps you rank better in search engines. It also turns visitors into clients and boosts your online reputation.
Your website is often the first impression for potential clients of your insurance or financial advisory business. It can greatly affect your credibility.
A slow, outdated, or confusing website drives visitors to your competitors. This can cost you valuable leads and long-term trust.
By improving your site’s speed, usability, and professionalism, you attract more visitors. This also shows search engines and clients that your business is modern, trustworthy, and ready to help.
Why is an Online Presence Important?
Prospects look for businesses and experts online. Therefore, solid digital marketing is a must. Create a professional-looking website that builds trust and helps solve customer problems.
Some benefits of a great advisor or agent website:
- Increased brand awareness and trustworthiness
- An increase in organic traffic and potential prospects
- Lead generation 24/7
- Cost-effective marketing
But how do you ensure your website is optimized to the best of its ability?
Common Mistakes (and How to Fix Them for Better SEO)
The digital marketing team at Senior Market Sales® (SMS) has audited plenty of agent and advisor websites, and we have gathered a list of common mistakes. They’re compiled here to help you audit your website and encourage prospects to use you for their financial, insurance and retirement solutions.
Mistake #1: Slow Website Speed Hurts Your SEO and Client Trust
High website load time refers to how long it takes for a website to load for a user. Ideally, your page should load in four seconds or less and should be no more than three megabytes. You can learn more about website load times, courtesy of HubSpot.
Large images can cause slower download speeds. To fix this, use an image optimizer to resize and compress images. Typically, you should use JPG file types for photos, and PNG file types if transparency is needed. If you want to test your website’s loading speed, try tools like Google’s PageSpeed Insights or Pingdom’s Website Speed Test.
Improving your website's loading speed will create a better experience for users. It will also help with search engine optimization (SEO). This can lead to more conversions and a lower bounce rate. Bounce rate refers to how quickly a user leaves your website after entering it.
Mistake #2: Poor User Experience Drives Away Prospects
Does your website:
- Have a menu that is easy for prospects to use
- Load correctly
- Have buttons that are accessible and the right size for easy clicking and tapping
You need to ensure your website visitors are getting a good experience when they see your site. Testing it is key. Access your site using many screen sizes, including tablets and mobile phones. If you find it hard to navigate or view information, your clients and prospects probably feel the same way.
Mistake #3: Failing to Claim Your Google Business Profile Hurts Local SEO
We highly recommend that agents and advisors claim their profile on Google Business Profile (formerly “Google My Business”). This is especially important if you have a brick and mortar location. Neglecting this step means you’ll be missing out on potential favorable search results, reviews and photos. Plus, your business may not show up in local Google Maps.
To claim your business, you will need to enter the business name and address. If your business name doesn't appear, you can add your business. Next, you will need to verify ownership of your business with a phone, email, or postcard.
When filling out your Google Business Profile, be sure to complete all fields to the best of your ability. This includes all social media links, business hours, categories that apply to your business and more.
Mistake #4: Ignoring Above-the-Fold Content Weakens Conversions
“Above-the-fold” refers to the space at the top of a webpage that a user sees before scrolling down. This is the first part of your website that a prospect or client will see and should be optimized. Also, it should apply to all website pages, not just the homepage.Does it give clients a good first impression? Does it capture their attention? Do you clearly explain what you do and why your business is the best option? Does it guide the user to the next step with a compelling call-to-action?
Need inspiration? Here are some of examples of great “above-the-fold” content that can be applied to your own webpages.
Mistake #5: Combining Too Many Services on One Page Confuses Visitors and Search Engines
The best practice is to create a separate webpage for each product or service as opposed to having them all on one page. Search engines can understand webpages better if they contain just one product or service. Plus, humans prefer shorter, focused content.
Be sure to separate each of your products and services to their own page. Then, include your pages in the navigation menu so that visitors can easily locate them.
Mistake #6: Not Showcasing Reviews and Testimonials Reduces Credibility
Prospects value reviews. So, if you have online reviews, share them on your website. Sprinkle them throughout your content to build credibility and trust.
Build a review process, and make sure it’s consistent. You can even work it into your digital marketing efforts and ask your current clients for reviews.
Mistake #7: Using Generic Stock Photos Makes Your Website Forgettable
Are you using common generic stock images on your site? Don’t look like everyone else. Using custom images and video can set you apart from the masses.Mistake #8: Ignoring Website Accessibility (ADA Compliance) Risks SEO Penalties
Make sure your website is accessible to those with disabilities. Body copy should never be smaller than 16 pixels, and buttons should be at least 44 X 44 pixels. All pages should have clear contrast and utilize closed captioning on videos if possible. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) offers guidance and requirements on web accessibility that you can reference.
Ensure website buttons have enough contrast.
Mistake #9: Weak About Page Fails to Build Trust and Authority
“About“ pages receive a lot of website traffic. Effectively tell your story by building out your “about” page with credentials, awards, stats, employee images, reviews and verbiage. Make sure this page is also included in your website’s navigation menu.
You can find tips on how to write a compelling “about us” page from Printful.
Mistake #10: Overcomplicated Contact Forms Lower Conversions
Aim to make your forms easy to understand and use. Think about what information you can gather later in a client meeting. Some best practices for a contact form include:
- Use a single column
- Keep the form to six fields or less
- Don’t use placeholder text in the fields
- Don’t use reset buttons
- Button text should highlight the benefit, not the commitment. For example, “Get My No-Obligation Quote” is better than “Submit.”
Single column form layouts are easy to scan and complete, especially on mobile devices.
Final Takeaway: Turn Website Fixes Into More Leads and Clients
By avoiding these common mistakes, you’ll create a superior user experience for your website traffic. That's a good thing because better user experiences make it more likely that a prospect will become a client.
This list is only scratching the surface. There is so much more you can do. For example, you can boost your sales with these top marketing tips. Or, you can dive deeper into generating more prospects using local SEO.
The Ultimate Marketing Support for Agents and Advisors
SMS can help not only with your digital marketing needs, but with other media as well. From done-for-you compliant content to website and branding solutions, SMS has it all. It even makes Client Stream®, a total marketing solution, available to its agents. Complete with multiple proven client acquisition channels and a platform to nurture leads and engage them, this turnkey marketing system won’t disappoint.
Speak to an SMS marketing consultant by calling 1.800.786.5566. We are happy to answer your questions. We would love to help you save time, earn more money, and stand out from the competition.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most common website mistakes insurance agents make?
Many agents overlook technical SEO, slow website speed, confusing navigation, and outdated designs. Failing to claim a Google Business Profile or neglecting accessibility can also hurt rankings and client trust.
How can insurance agents improve their website SEO?
Focus on optimizing each page for a single service, improving load speed, writing keyword-rich content, and earning quality backlinks. Adding reviews, metadata, and schema markup also helps your website rank higher in search results.
Why is having an optimized website important for insurance agents and financial advisors?
An optimized website attracts more organic traffic, builds credibility, and improves user experience. It helps prospects find you online, engage with your services, and ultimately convert into clients.
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