Understanding how mobile technology works will help alleviate issues with mobile & desktop users – Responsive website design

by Taber Streur

Cell phone technology has changed the way that we use the internet and access information. No longer are the days when we are required to sit at a desk to utilize our desktop (although, still my preferred method). Currently desktop (or laptop) users are still #1, but it is expected that by 2014, mobile will be the dominating means to access information on the internet. Be sure you’re ready by understanding these 10 ways that mobile technology has changed the ways an insurance agent is able to market their business.

  1. Smart Phones: It was reported this week that 1 billion smartphones will ship in 2013. That is an amazing figure. That means that 1/7 people in the world will have a smartphone. Compare that to just a few years ago when we were all rocking thin flip phones! Smart phones have full access to the web and take great pictures, can manage spreadsheets and more!
  2. Screen Size: We all remember the cool phone that Zack Morris used on Saved by the Bell. It was huge! The trend went to for smaller, more compact phones and boy did they ever get small! Today, the trend is larger, brighter higher definition screen. Samsung just launched the “Galaxy Note 8.0” with an astounding 8 inch screen!
  3. Speed: Edge, 3g, 4g, LTE … it just gets faster and faster. Our phones can quickly load data at speeds comparable to a desktop or laptop.
  4. Access to information: Cell phones are rarely out of reach, even when we sleep. Information is quickly available to anyone searching for it on their mobile devices. By having your entire website on mobile platform, people can find the answers they want versus being routed to a stripped down mobile website.
  5. Search Engine Platform: iPhone uses Bing as the default search engine, while Android devices are set to Google. Android is currently outselling iPhone by 3 to 1. Keep this in mind when working with your SEO. People are 3 times more likely to use Google.
  6. Apps: “There’s an app for that!” Some companies have tremendous success with apps because they’re more mobile friendly than their website. We’ll address what this means for your insurance agency below.
  7. Social Media: Social media is king on mobile for those who want to utilize social media on their smart phones. Social media is key in influencing behavior, organizing events or even leaving complaints.
  8.  Email Marketing: If you’re utilizing email marketing in your insurance agency marketing plan (and you should be!) be sure to use a program that has responsive design so that it displays properly on mobile or desktop. Many companies, like MailChimp, offer a preview of what your newsletter will look like on mobile.
  9. Video is even more relevant: Because of #3 above, speed, more people can stream video data more quickly on their mobile devices. Video marketing should be a part of every marketing plan.
  10.  Content Marketing: How many times have you been having a debate with someone and they said, “Google it!” It quickly ends the debate. By having terrific content on your website, you’re providing opportunities to give people the information they’re looking for. Think about the questions that you have been asked about insurance and write about these things in a blog on your website.

 

Responsive Website Design

Responsive Design:

Responsive design helps eliminate many of the problems mobile and desktop users may experience on your insurance agency website. A responsive design on a website means that the website will change depending on the size of the device the information is being displayed on. So, for a mobile device that is 320 pixels wide, your 1040 pixel wide website, will reduce down to a single column and display on that device without losing information or contain strange formatting. The picture to the right shows how this works. Typicaly, this is a wide website, but with responsive design, it is reduced to a single column with special navigation and a reformatted logo. With Googlebot and Googlebot-Mobile being able to access both a responsive website and a separate mobile configuration, the choice is yours. However, making your sites responsive from the start eliminates the need to continually update both sites when you can update just one. This will save you time as well as cost in the future.

Things to include in your responsive design:

  1. Clickable phone number
  2. Address with link to Google Maps or other maps program
  3. Button to claims phone numbers
  4. Button to “Get a Quote”
  5. Links to social media
  6. Compressed navigation
  7. Responsive logo & Images

If you’re able to implement the above tips into your 2013 or 2014 insurance agency marketing, you will be able to successfully have a user friendly website experience and attract more customers. If you’d like help implementing your insurance agency marketing plans in the future, Tosten Marketing offers
solutions to marketing your insurance agency. Our programs are comprehensive and require little to no time on behalf of the insurance agency.

To learn more about Tosten Marketing, simply click here.