How to Start an Insurance Agency Online

 Business Overview:

If you’re an insurance agent and you’re ready to take your expertise to the next level, consider learning how to start an insurance agency online. Starting an independent insurance agency online can expand your customer base exponentially and can give you the edge you need over other agents. For this business idea to be successful, there are a few items you will need to get in order before you venture out onto the internet. For one thing, you will need to have a solid business plan in place to help you pinpoint who you’re seeking as customers, what specific insurance services you will provide, and what prices and packages you can provide to your clients. Of course you will need to determine how you’ll go about setting up your website and which service provider you will choose. For this you might consider using a company that offers simple templates that you do yourself or you might even consider hiring a company to create and run your site for you, depending on your startup budget. You’ll also want to learn the basics of marketing and advertising on the web so you can drive up your business.

Once you’ve gotten these things under your belt, starting an insurance agency online can be your ticket to career freedom.  With this online business idea, you can work from home and set your own hours. Additionally, you can easily scale your business model so that you have other agents working for you and with you to expand your market. From there, as with any insurance agency, the level of customer service your company provides will determine how successful your business will be.

A Day in the Life of an Online Insurance Agency Business Owner:

Once you’re up and running online, your typical day will be much like a typical insurance agent’s day—except that you might still be sitting in your home office in your favorite chair. You will need to process policies and answer clients’ questions, maintain your expertise in your specialty areas, and look for new clients for your business. If you have agents working for you, you might need to meet and discuss any policy changes or industry news that could affect your business. If you’re maintaining your own website, you will want to ensure everything is working properly and all links are active or if you have a service provider doing it for you, you will want to keep in contact with them.

About Your Customers:

Your customers will be web-savvy individuals looking for the type of coverage your company provides. They may be looking for a good deal or they might like a provider who can tackle most of their policy work via computer.

What You Need to Start:

• A general ability to navigate the internet
• A detailed business plan
• A website of your own
• An online advertising plan
• Agents to work for you (if desired)

The Good:

• You can work from home and set your own hours.
• You can tailor your business to fit the area of insurance you prefer.
• The business can be highly profitable as your customer base grows.
• You get all the perks of being a small business owner.

The Bad:

• Getting enough work initially may require a bit of effort until your marketing plan kicks in and your customers come rolling in.
• If you don’t have technical web skills, you will need to hire someone to initially build your website and then teach you to maintain it.