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Mobile devices (smart phones) now access the Internet more often than computers. Mobile has taken over and will continue to outshine computers in the content delivery marketplace. If your agency isn’t  ready for mobile, you’re already losing out on potential revenue. Most agencies are lagging behind in this area, but the time is now. We need to stop procrastinating and get into the world of mobile. For many agents, being ready for mobile means building a responsive website, the next thing is to determine how to monetize mobile for your insurance agency.

Understanding What Mobile Means:

Anything that can access the Internet “on the go” constitutes mobile, this incorporates smart phones, tablets, smart watches, and anything else that’s out there. It’s very important to understand the difference between “optimized for” or “accessible to” mobile. Many agencies get this mixed up, so take a minute to understand the differences. You don’t need to be optimized for mobile to be available and usable on mobile devices; you just need to be accessible for mobile. Think of mobile as simply a new tool/browser to view your agencies content and or offerings your agency may have out there, instead of a whole new internet environment. Your agency will need 2 things: First is to have your agency website optimized for the mobile world, and secondly your agency needs an Agency App.

Yes, both are a necessity.

Make Your Content Mobile Ready

If you website is based on a responsive design (this is a must have for your agency), it should work across all devices. If not, your agency will be looked over and you will be missing out on many great opportunities. Ensure that any additional plugins, applications, and changes you make are also usable on mobile devices. I’ve seen otherwise responsive designs broken by the addition of poorly implemented “features” that simply don’t work on a mobile device. This happens more often than you’d think so save the trouble and hire a professional!

If your website isn’t based on a responsive design, find a different one that is. Without it, you could be losing over half of your audience. If you don’t believe me, check your website’s bounce rates on Google Analytics. If these have increased over time chances are your mobile audience is simply leaving you in droves. Take the time to review and understand the reports that are available to you in Google Analytics. Google Analytics is very helpful for you to understand and track what is going on with your agencies website traffic.

Release Your Own App

Your agency’s mobile insurance app should consist of three main features. First, it should have the ability to push notifications to your clients.  Second, it should have the ability to see who has downloaded your Agency’s App. Third, it should give the user access to their insurance cards.

My agency uses www.goinsuranceagent.com and we have had great success with it and love the fact we were able to cut down on some service work through this App.

Increase Social Media Activity

Mobile users spend an enormous amount of time using social media platforms such as Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter. If you want to encourage mobile use of your agencies blog, promote it a lot on social media where these people hang out. Mobile users will see your promotions and click through to your mobile friendly website (if it isn’t mobile friendly please call your website designer ASAP and get that done).

Create Highly Desirable and Digestible Content

Shorter content that is optimized for easily mobile digestion will encourage more mobile users to consume your content and answer your agency’s calls to action, but let’s remember Google doesn’t want a 5 line blog either. Content for mobile needs to be a bit shorter than a normal blog, more concise, and more targeted. This type of content will also work well for everyday users, so including a variety of content is critical to your success.

Use Images Wisely and Creatively

Images are very important – they set the scene and draw attention to your agency’s content. People enjoy reading an infographic with lots of data much more than they enjoy reading a boring insurance blog post containing the same data and some insurance language that the average American can’t understand. The infographic brings this content new life while displaying important information to your audience.

Mobile devices have lower resolutions than computers, so you must keep that in mind. As you create your content make sure that your images are still viewable on mobile devices. Remember the difference in the resolution can affect your success. Choose your images carefully and ensure they are all optimized for loading speed. It’s best to consult a professional in this area so your agency is getting it right.

Mobile access is highly important and rapidly changing. The more popular that it becomes, the more important it will be to learn all you can.

The question I have for you is where is your agency? Do you have a mobile friendly agency website? Does your agency have an agency App? The time is now so if you have questions and concerns where to start please pick up the phone and call me 860-684-5270. I’m happy to take the time to guide you and your agency in the right direction. Happy Mobile Marketing!