Problems

When Melissa Ems of Melissa Ems Insurance Agency reached out to me about redesigning her existing marketing website, she had a variety of design and content concerns as well as a wish list of new features she wanted to add to the new website to provide a better experience for customers and staff. 

Her summation of the current website design and messaging was that it was “very cookie-cutter/corporate, which is SO not us.” It didn’t take long for me to realize that Melissa Ems and her staff are a vibrant, hilarious group of people, and their office in St. Pete, FL matches that vibe perfectly. The walls are ocean blue and covered in art and sports memorabilia. Not your typical insurance office! 

Looking at their existing website, my immediate assessment was that the site design and overall look/feel certainly wasn’t bad, but it definitely did not feel personal or convey their unique offering/what it’s like to work with them. 

Melissa sent me a variety of ideas and suggestions for additional website capabilities/functionality that would help her customers and staff save time and hassle, plus increase conversions! She provided me with inspiration from a variety of websites she had been looking at, including a website for a restaurant and her dentist! Just goes to show that content and design ideas can come from a variety of industries/sources!

These were the pain points they were experiencing that additional features could address:

• The current quote form doesn’t provide agents with enough information to even begin working on a quote and doesn’t have a file upload option (for people to upload current policy docs, which Melissa said was the best way to quickly get the info they need). They are also frequently getting spam from the current form and submissions are sent to one email address (not assigned to a specific agent or entered into a CRM/database).
• As an independent insurance agency, the company writes policies through a wide range of carriers. Customers were frequently calling the agency requesting basic information for their carrier (like website, phone number, how to make payments/file claims). This was not only annoying for customers who had to go through the hassle of calling every time they needed access to this information, it also tied up the customer service representatives who had to provide the same information again and again as those calls were coming in. 
• Aside from social icons linking to the agency’s Facebook and LinkedIn profile pages buried in the website footer, there was no call-to-action to refer or review the agency anywhere on the current site. Melissa knew they were missing opportunities to get more Google and Facebook reviews as well as direct referrals. 
• A broader issue related to the quote form submission issue was that there was no way to make it easy to quickly get connected with the right staff member to address concerns and book virtual appointments for specific issues. 

Solutions

I gathered all of the current information on what types of insurance policies the Melissa Ems team writes and what companies they work with. I got to know the team better and took a trip over to their office with Central Florida photographer Heidi Mitchell to take updated professional headshots and photos of their space. 

I also worked with Melissa to understand who their top competitors are, what digital tools they’re using beyond their website (and what their limitations are), and what their ideal customer’s needs and wants are. 

I created the new website design from scratch and incorporated fresh brand colors (the old navy color, especially, was fairly dull) and a fun, modern look and feel that more closely aligns with the ME team’s personalities and values.

I also wrote copy that helps potential customers understand how the ME team is uniquely positioned to help solve their insurance problems (beyond the basic/generic “we offer insurance through a variety of carriers” jargon). 

I integrated many new features that are helping the ME team and their clients save time. They are also helping customers get easier access to the information they need to update and utilize their policies.

New quote forms with AgencyZoom integration

The new quote forms I designed and built connect to their CRM, AgencyZoom. When a potential customer submits a quote request, they are automatically added as a lead and assigned to the appropriate agent. The agent is notified right away and can follow up quickly.

Manage Your Policy page

There is also a newly added Manage Your Policy page for current customers to contact their insurance carrier about bill payments, customer service needs, or downloading the mobile app. Melissa Ems employees can now directly refer customers to that page to easily get all the information they need in their emails.

Calendly appointment booking

I also assisted the ME team with creating an automation to set up appointment booking services through Calendly. Calendly is a user-friendly platform that allows customers to directly schedule appointments to discuss quotes, policy reviews, and policy changes. It integrates with a variety of digital calendars, making it easy to block off unavailable times. Additionally, the platform makes it simple to set up online meetings through Zoom, Teams, or Google Meet. I use Calendly for Mercury Jane and other professional appointment-booking needs and highly recommend it!

Refer & Review page

Another automation that helped Melissa Ems connect with their existing customers was the addition of the Refer & Review page. This page makes it easy for current customers to post a review on Google, Facebook, and Yelp. It also contains links to post about the company on Facebook, LinkedIn, and e-mail that links to the Melissa Ems website. This makes it easier for customers who have had a positive experience to tell their friends and family!

Live chat

The final feature I added to the ME team’s site was live chat functionality. The majority of people do not have time to sift through each page of a website to get the answers they need to make a decision about engaging with your product or service. The team is now available right away to answer quick questions. I integrated the third-party service Tawk.to. This allows them to engage with prospective customers in real-time as they navigate the website. In doing this, their company has experienced increased engagement and conversions!

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Results

After launching the new ME Insurance website in May of 2022, the results have been overwhelming and speak for themselves: 

• The site is getting 247% more traffic.‍
• Quote requests (from the website) have gone up 87%.
  
• The amount of new business sold is up 98%.
• Website visitors are staying on the site for about 3x as long.
• The ME team is saving more than 10 hours every month.