How YOU are changing the way life insurance companies will do business

Life insurance companies must adapt to social media, Google and the Internet

So, you’re reading this article, consuming information on the internet. YOU are the reason why life insurance companies must change, and change quickly, or be left behind. The entire life insurance industry, and banks and investment companies for that matter, are so far behind the average Canadian it is scary.

The internet is changing everything. This article will explain how life insurance brokers are leading the way on the internet, giving online insurance shoppers what they are looking for. Are life insurance companies capitalizing on the huge amount of online traffic they could be getting from their websites? Do you find visiting a life insurance company’s website to be useful, informative and easy to navigate?

The simple answer for most of these questions is NO. Life insurance companies are still stuck in the era of the early world wide web, where companies put up glorified brochure websites and expected people to flock to them. The online life insurance shopper is looking for recent articles written for easy consumption where they can take away a useful nugget or two. Interaction with the company or a local life insurance guru would also be nice. Immediate tools for helping you do your online research would be highly beneficial also. Do you find the life insurance company’s websites afford you these things in an easy and friendly environment?

Life insurance brokers are ahead of life insurance companies on the Internet

Even though life insurance brokers are giving the online insurance shopper the best website experience, that is not to say things are very good in Canada. Website development for many life insurance brokers has stalled or been a half baked attempt at getting an online presence to meet customers. Life insurance brokers are generally not very internet savvy, and don’t know how much work and effort it takes to be fully engaged online.

Besides a very few online life insurance brokers (and I mean you can count them on one hand) there are no brokers who combine a complete online experience for their clients. A complete online experience includes the following:

• Have an informative, well designed website that engages clients
• Have new and fresh articles and content to encourage online shoppers to come back again
• Have a complete social media strategy that includes Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn as a minimum
• Optimize website to be found by search engines like Google, Yahoo and Bing
• Understand and optimize pay per click advertising for their online marketing efforts

Without doing all these things in concert an online presence will not be able to engage with all people across the internet. Life insurance companies have to be hanging out where YOU, the customers, are. And if that means being in multiple places at once, then so be it.

Engaging with potential life insurance customers on their terms

Everyone wants to do business on their terms. The days of cold calling for leads is dead (don’t know about you but I just hang up on telemarketers now). The internet has afforded people the power to shop for what they want, when they want it, and without the pressure of dealing with a pushy sales person.

This is where internet marketing has really begun to shine for both consumers and life insurance companies. People can find the insurance products and services they want quickly and easily. They can research., browse and quote to their heart’s content. Only when YOU, the online insurance shopper, are ready to make a purchase or proceed with the sale do you “click” through.

So, if the power is in the hands of the consumer, how do traditional life insurance companies compete. The theory has always been that life insurance is sold to people, and that they don’t go out looking to buy the product. This is not true! People will shop for the insurance they need when they make time to do financial planning. Internet marketing is about being found online by life insurance shoppers, and presenting useful information, tools and an interactive experience for them online. The power is in the hands of the consumer to move ahead with buying insurance when they are ready. Its all about trust.

This is a real win-win scenario. Clients aren’t harassed by life insurance agents looking to sell them when they are not interested in life insurance. Agents aren’t chasing after disinterested clients try to “educate” them about risk and sell an insurance policy. Life insurance companies and consumers can really use internet marketing to create a meeting of the minds – where buyer and seller are both interested and motivated through the process of buying life insurance.

Caution: Let’s not lose the personal touch when buying life insurance

On thing I would really caution against is trying to use the internet to complete the entire sale of life insurance and other health insurance products to clients. This is a real danger because only a few online shoppers will take the time to be fully informed about their options and their insurance needs. Providing tons of information for people to consume is great, but very few will spend the hours required to become an expert in life and health insurance.

Once YOU, the online insurance shopper, has found enough information to be motivated to proceed the next step, you should always meet face to face with an insurance advisor. The realm of life insurance and living benefits insurance is so vast and complex it takes an advisor/broker’s full time focus and continuing education to be ready to give you good advice and direction.

Buying online will result in only simplified and low cost products being sold. These online sales have begun in Canada but beware. You will be hard pressed to get ongoing service and advice. You might not get a life insurance policy that meets your future needs, just your immediate risks. Frankly, you might buy the wrong product.

Life Guard Insurance is the online life insurance company you need

At Life Guard Insurance we are focused on being Canada’s best online experience for the life and health insurance shopper. We can connect you to any number of local brokers across Canada who can give you qualified advice. On our website you will find a wealth of information about the right insurance products for your needs, tools to help you research, and the ability to quote life insurance rates to your hearts content.

Only when you feel informed, empowered and ready to proceed will you click through to contact a local Canadian broker. We look forward to helping you with your online life insurance shopping. Please feel free to post your comments below on how we can an even better online life insurance company.

The article was written by Mitch Reynolds+. If you found this article interesting or it made you think, please feel free to share your comments below. Liking us on Facebook, giving us a +1 on Google or Tweeting this article about life insurance companies online would also be very much appreciated.

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