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Ok, since you know so much what is required to be on an insurance website to be DOI compliant in the state of California?
Web Design, Why Does It Matter ?
- Thread starter Alex1
- Start date
Ok, since you know so much what is required to be on an insurance website to be DOI compliant in the state of California?
TransferMan
Expert
- 59
I think one of the big problems with the whole website designer thing -- and this applies to SEO & Internet marketing also -- is that everybody thinks they're a genius and it took them all of six months to become one.
People would not BELIEVE some of the oddball SEO advice customers have told me of -- advice that was actually the REVERSE of what was supposed to be the case.
There's plenty of ding-dongs out there offering their services for $20 an hour -- Craigslist is full of them.
I have certain professional rules I go by -- if you need a website designed, get a website designer. Not a computer repair guy, not an arts student, not a hosting company and not a domain registrar -- get somebody who does website design for a living -- and that's basically all they do..
With SEO, etc. -- once again, get somebody who works only in this area. I have seen plenty of half-assed advice come from website designers who know 35% of the facts and act like they're really savvy when it comes to marketing on the Internet. I can tell you, the "devil is in the details" -- you want to know 100% of the facts.
The simple truth is, there is so much knowledge out there in
- Website Design
- Programming
- SEO/Internet marketing
- Pay-per-click Advertising
- Social Media
that it's harder than *ell to keep up in just ONE area of expertise.
- Thread starter
- #93
Alex1
Expert
- 63
I have to applaud you for the time you have dedicated to spamming my posts. But okay, I'll play along for now.
To answer you question. No. I have no clue whats required. That's because I never said I specialize in insurance websites.
What I do specialize is creating unique websites with their own look and feel. That being said, that look and feel is not limited to designs like our own website, but to any kind of a website. It can be a simple website, without fancy pictures and backgrounds or it can be something more complicated.
What ever the client wants, we can deliver. It is the client who decides what his website is going to look like, and we try to use that and maybe even improve on the vision if we can to make sure our client is satisfied from our work.
As the part for whats required, I am sure any insurance salesman would know that, and can simply relay that information to me about what to include in the site. After all, I don't create the content, I just create the frame(design) of the site.
- 390
This is exactly why an insurance agent needs a provider that specializes in insurance websites not just some joe schmo on a forum hoping to make a quick buck.
I spend a lot of my time on this forum and I would hate to see a new agent get indited by their states DOI for not complying with their states marketing regulations. In California, the fine is $10k / piece of marketing material if the agent does not display their license number on it. Lets say someone on here tries you out and you crank out a crappy 10 page website, you may have just cost the guy $100,000. All because he tried to save a quick buck on some guy who has no idea what he's doing.
The truth its Alex most agents on this forum are newbies looking for answers and probably don't know the answer either but I can guarantee you the insurance web designers I'm thinking of on this forum already knew this and would bring this to an agents attention or have it built into the website design.
You have to understand my beef isn't with you or your cheesy website. Its with the fact that you have no idea what your doing and are offering a service that not only doesn't benefit this forums members but can also potentially cost someone their entire life savings and then some.
Grow up buddy your not that special
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- Thread starter
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Alex1
Expert
- 63
This is exactly why an insurance agent needs a provider that specializes in insurance websites not just some joe schmo on a forum hoping to make a quick buck.
I spend a lot of my time on this forum and I would hate to see a new agent get indited by their states DOI for not complying with their states marketing regulations. In California, the fine is $10k / piece of marketing material if the agent does not display their license number on it. Lets say someone on here tries you out and you crank out a crappy 10 page website, you may have just cost the guy $100,000. All because he tried to save a quick buck on some guy who has no idea what he's doing.
The truth its Alex most agents on this forum are newbies looking for answers and probably don't know the answer either but I can guarantee you the insurance web designers I'm thinking of on this forum already knew this and would bring this to an agents attention.
You have to understand my beef isn't with you or your cheesy website. Its with the fact that you have no idea what your doing and are offering a service that not only doesn't benefit this forums members but can also potentially cost someone their entire life savings and then some.
Grow up buddy your not that special
Apparently I am special enough for you to focus all your free time on me to write super long posts thinking you can make me feel bad about myself. But hey, if that makes you feel special go for it.
As I said before my service is Web DESIGN not insurance web design. Nowhere on my site does it say I specialize in insurance websites. And thanks for the information, you have been most useful. See, I told you that you have a thing for me.
Also, I don't "crank out" websites.
- 390
You really don't get it do you. Good luck.
- 10,830
I hesitate to involve myself again here, but in defense of Alex; very few web designers know anything about insurance marketing regulations. Nor should they. Furthermore, it is the solely the agents responsibility to ensure that their marketing material follows regs.
Would you blame the printing or graphic design company if the agent left off their license number on a postcard? I doubt it.
Insurance marketing regs go far beyond just having having your license number on marketing material. I highly doubt there is a single professional web designer out there who has any significant knowledge when it comes to insurance marketing regulations. Sure, if you have experience with a few insurance websites you might have picked up a thing or two. But until you can summarize the NAIC Guidelines on Annuity Marketing, your not impressing anyone. And if the agent doesnt know their marketing regs then they really have no business building a website in the first place.
As a client, I want a web designer who knows web design and web marketing, not insurance regulations.
If you have experience with insurance sites, what I want to hear about are your conversion ratios for those sites!
Would you blame the printing or graphic design company if the agent left off their license number on a postcard? I doubt it.
Insurance marketing regs go far beyond just having having your license number on marketing material. I highly doubt there is a single professional web designer out there who has any significant knowledge when it comes to insurance marketing regulations. Sure, if you have experience with a few insurance websites you might have picked up a thing or two. But until you can summarize the NAIC Guidelines on Annuity Marketing, your not impressing anyone. And if the agent doesnt know their marketing regs then they really have no business building a website in the first place.
As a client, I want a web designer who knows web design and web marketing, not insurance regulations.
If you have experience with insurance sites, what I want to hear about are your conversion ratios for those sites!
- 14,808
Doing a site now for a doctor. I need to know about compliance in the medical field? I'm doing one for a Canadian business - I need to know Canadian law? Nope.
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You are right but that's why I wouldn't just recommend any designer that just happens to find insurance-forums as their marketing flavor of the month. There are plenty of web designers that specifically specialize in insurance websites that can not only create a nice looking, industry specific, and functional website but one that is also compliant with your states DOI. A few of them are even on this forum.
It's like saying you could have a agent who specializes in commercial insurance write your CGL policy or you can have the tax/insurance/dmv registration guy do it. Both can sell you a policy but when something happens I'm willing to bet only one of them will know what to do.
but I guess to each his own....
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- 14,808
Someone knows DOI regulations in all 50 states?
