The Insurance company website that doesn't want customers!

I was sent a customer feedback survey email yesterday from a well known supplier of business insurance. The company had provided a good service to me in the past and I was pleased to complete the form as it said in the email that it would only take a few minutes.

Is it a phishing email?

The first thing that struck me about the email was the lack of brand identity - No Logo or heading. At the bottom of the email there was an email address for the MD of the company. No contact details or company number - is this a phishing email?

I decided to contact the MD to confirm if this was a legitimate request. So I looked the company name up in Google. The site I was presented with had no Contact us page but did have various services they provide including a tab marked Business. I clicked on it where I was met by a new web page and a number of options to select from. On this Business page there was a self promotion advertisement saying ‘Contact Us Our team of specialist advisers would love to help you. Please call us free between: Weekdays 8:30am to 5:30pm’ A nice message but No telephone number!

Back to Google to find their telephone number on a directory website. 

On the phone I got through to the call centre where the operator did not know who the person I was looking for was. She worked in a different department in a different town.  She put me through to the head office where I spoke to the marketing department.  They were aware of the MD and then told me that he was away on holiday until the next week.

They also explained that they had sent out the survey email and it was a legitimate request.

The poor user experience

My whole user experience in this case was poor and if I had wanted to buy insurance from this multi-million turnover company then I would have had quite a job. Unlike most users I went far above the usual levels of persistence to get a response purely to see where it would lead.

Most individuals would have given up when they could not find a telephone number on the website. Hit the back button and looked for an alternative provider.

How many customers are they losing each day from a poor testing procedure and unconnected promotion of their services?

It is hard to tell how many potential customers you lose each day from your websites.  The only way to find out is to carry out a website user experience review with an expert.  The cost of which is far less that the loss of revenue and sales and the brand damage that it causes.

If you want to know the name of the company then email me at info@businessforbusiness.co.uk and I will tell you.  If you are the Insurance Company then please get in touch and we can arrange a Website User Experience Review for you.  The RoI on a User review is between 200% and 700%.

Business for Business Internet Marketing: The Insurance company website that doesn't want cu...

Business for Business Internet Marketing: The Insurance company website that doesn't want cu...: "I was sent a customer feedback survey email yesterday from a well known supplier of business insurance. The company had provided a good ser..."

Business for Business Internet Marketing: The Elevator Pitch and Networking events

Business for Business Internet Marketing: The Elevator Pitch and Networking events

The Elevator Pitch and Networking events

I spent last evening at a networking event where 50 business owners had 60 seconds to introduce themselves and their business.

Like speed networking and many expensive networking organisations it followed the same format.

Each person in turn stood up and said "I am John and I own a xxxx company called ABC. We build websites that help you get more customers etc etc etc... and we do internet marketing etc etc etc..."

There were 6 web designers in the room all offering the same service and all proclaiming to be the best at what they do.

I had arranged to be the last to speak because I knew I would be longer than the allotted 60 seconds. (90 seconds in total)

When it was my turn I stood up and immediately asked a question - context setting - How much money was spent online in the UK last week? I had a few responses - all too low.

I then gave the answer and the audience had forgotten the rest of the people who had spoken. How much are you getting of that? - The thought provoker and hook.

"You all have websites! But do you know if they are helping your customers or driving them away?"

I then went on to tell the audience about our special offer of an independent website user experience review for £250 plus VAT. I also added the five most important reasons for carrying out the review - the pitch.

I then showed them my book Internet marketing How to get a website that works for your business and said they can buy it from Amazon. -Credibility

I gave my name and business name invited them to meet with me at the end of proceeding to book an appointment for a review. - Action point.

At the end I got 2 bookings and fifteen business cards with follow up calls to make.

Everyone who I spoke to said they enjoyed my presentation and it was the best of the evening. They felt I had informed them and it was memorable.

I will be going to the same event again in September and It will be interesting to see if any of the presentations will have changed.

I see, at many events of this type, the paper with written scripts come out, the nervous monologues and the uncertain hesitation from the various business owners.

If you are not passionate and engaging about your business how do they expect the audience to engage? How do you expect the audience to believe that you will look after their business if you are hesitant about what you can do or what you do or have to write it down to tell someone?

At these types of events everyone is selling and no one is looking at starting and building a business relationship.

I hope my little dialogue is of interest and helps you to consider the options that are available. How you engage your audience influences the way they will react to you and your business. It is the same online except you do not get any feedback as you cannot see your audience. This is why we run the website user experience review clinics.

If you would like to find out more about the user experience on your website contact me to book a review. on 08450 550 510

Search engine optimisation (SEO) is NOT rocket science

This is the statement on a flyer from a SEO company that I received through the post this week.

This led me to think about the processes and skills needed to optimise a website for search engines.

The starting point was to look at the process of search engine optimisation and how it relates to ones own customers, website and products or services.

The customers

• Who are they?
• What do they want?
• What are they buying?
• What are we selling?

The keywords

• What do you call it?
• Do they know what it is called?
• What do they call it?
• Does the product have a common name?
• Do customers call it the same?
• Can they spell the name?
• How many search for it each month?
• Where does it go in the website for best advantage?
• How do you write for the web?
• What are the competitors doing to get to the top of the search engines?

The website

• Does the information architecture of the site make it intuitive for the customers to get to the information they want quickly?
• Is the information portrayed in a way that the customer can find what they are looking for on the page?
• Is the information they are looking on the page?
• Is the site designed in a way and offers the right information to engender trust in the client?

The products

• Are they what the customers is looking for?
• Are they priced correctly for the customer?
• Is it easy for them to buy the product?

In all this I have not mentioned personas and scenarios, what issues users get frustrated by and what is their motivation for seeking the product or service you are selling.

Conclusion
Search Engine optimisation IS rocket science... If it is done properly




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Business for Business
Internet Marketing Training and Consultancy

What do you hate about websites?

What do you Hate about websites?

We all experience the website that presents a barrier. But what one thing annoys you more than any other?

The Flash intro, the slow load, the lack of information, information overload or you cannot find the contact details.

There are many more things but get it off your chest tell us what irritates you about some of the websites you visit.

Why Your website won't bring you more business

In the last ten years I have been carrying out research as part of my daily consultancy services for clients. In that time we have calculated that seventy per cent of UK businesses have a website. But 90 per cent of those websites don't fulfil the expectations of their business owners and don't provide the services their customers are seeking. Reviewing websites across the World it is clearly evident that all countries are in a similar position.



My Internet Marketing Book is written guide business owners and managers through the maze of getting a successful website. It explains the principles that website owners need to follow to provide the right service to their customers and to maximise sales.



For your internet marketing to be effective You should:

• Define the type of website the business needs


• Understand what customers want from their website


• Analyse problems and defects in their existing website


• Select the correct keywords to target profitable customers


• Enable search engines to find the website quickly and rank it highly;


• Make sure the website is easy to use and accessible to all;


• Research competitors' websites;


• Find the right web developers and communicate effectively with them;


• Test the website thoroughly before it goes live.

If you are looking to get at the front of the race to be ahead of your competitors this book will set the pre race training. Getting your website fit for the great website race.

There will be an article on the Great Website Race in a few weeks. While you wait for it get a copy of the book and get training!

Have a good month

Nigel T Packer