Who Has A Website or Blog?

[GreenSky]

Okay, Al.
Agreed.
Now BOID. Send me a PM and I'll let you know what that means.

 

[Alston]

I don't know, but there is just something that does not pass my 'smell test' about this... and not just Alston's endeavor but the whole "let's make money on leads" thing.

This is my opinion and my opinion only. I think a site of a professional becomes cheapened... if not even sleazy... when there are Google ads on it and/or when there is a "get a free quote even if not in my territory" function on the site.

Leads are the life-blood of our industry. Why give them away for pennies when you can make dollars on them? I don't understand it.

Al
Adams-Blake Insurance Solutions

Al made some valid points. However, I don't understand the "pennies" comment. I'm offering a free exclusive local lead for every two non-local or "wrong-line" leads I get. At that ratio, if the non local leads you give away are worth dollars, you are getting 50 cent pieces in return.

If you are only sending me leads for lines you don't sell and states you don't service, I think it comes pretty close to getting something for nothing.

Of course it is designed for me to make a profit. If it wasn't it wouldn't be sustainable. However, if it is not profitable for all involved I will withdraw the program. I'm a big believer in the Seven Habits "win-win or no deal" concept.

I'm not going to spend a lot of time defending myself, nor will I create another thread promoting this proposition on the forum. I don't want to get flamed or banned from the forum. I enjoy reading and posting here.

I'm still in personal production. I use the same techniques to generate leads for myself and for my son that I use to generate the leads I send to other agents. I was hoping that if we get leads from other agents' sites that are also in personal production, we would have more quality leads for our client agents and for ourselves.

The bottom line is:
You can put one of our links on your site in a few minutes and you can take it off just as quickly if you change your mind.

End of defense.
If you are interested, please send me a private message.

If you would like to use this thread to exchange ideas about promoting an insurance-based website please add to the thread and I will respond with some of my ideas.

 

[Pre-Paid Legal]

Do you need help with that?

You owe me (and likely others on this forum) an apology for the personal attack. How about it? How about a public apology for what you just did?
Rick

 

[senior-advisor-indiana]

KMA means Kiss My Ass. Not kiss off. Al has told alot fo guys to KMA. I am not sure why. :bump:

 

[Guest]

Al made some valid points. However, I don't understand the "pennies" comment. I'm offering a free exclusive local lead for every two non-local or "wrong-line" leads I get. At that ratio, if the non local leads you give away are worth dollars, you are getting 50 cent pieces in return.

If you are only sending me leads for lines you don't sell and states you don't service, I think it comes pretty close to getting something for nothing.

There is never something for nothing.

A person (a guy in this instance) stumbles on to my site... maybe because someone gave him the link so he could read my past newsletters. He fills out a "I want a quote" form. Whom is he expecting to get? You? Alston? John? The Man From Uncle (that dates me!)?

The person is expecting me and when he/she does not get me but gets a NASE or Mega or Farm/Ranch or UA agent, what is the opinion of ME going to be?

Folks, all "we got" here is our name and reputation. No one sells anything that is unique (although the creativity of 'picking and packaging' products to the clients best advantage is a unique skill, I grant you that.) At the end of the day when someone asks a friend "Do you have a good insurance guy?" you want them to say "Yeah, call [you]."

Now instead of giving away the lead, if you call the person who fills out the form and explain to him you are not licensed in his state but that you have a PERSONAL network of top-notch agents and you are going to pass his info on to Sue Smith in [prospect's state] AND you call Sue and give her the background... you have made TWO friends... the guy...and Sue.

Eventually (IMO... read that again) that is going to come back to help you and make you [a lot?] more money than getting one 'free' local lead for every two you give up. You now have TWO avenues for referrals... the prospect AND Sue.

The person who fills out your form is a warm lead. There has to be a reason he did it on YOUR site as opposed to the million-and-one others. Somehow you connected with him. I think you are throwing money away if you don't act on that connection.

YMMV.

Al

 

[Guest]

KMA means Kiss My Ass. Not kiss off. Al has told alot fo guys to KMA.

Because a lot of young guys like you have this entitlement mentality such that you think it's all about YOU. You have no respect for anyone's opinion but your own... and you often act like the typical school-yard bully. Those of us who are a bit older knew (know) HOW to deal with a bully... it was (is) not through touchy-feely, "let's talk about it" therapy!

I am not sure why.

Why am I not surprised.

Al

 

[somarco]

Back on track . . .

I feel Alston has information to share that can benefit quite a few on this forum.

I have a website, and occasionally get prospects, but not anywhere enough. I also participate in public forums (consumer oriented) as well as industry forums. I co-author a popular industry blog and have my own blog (which is sadly, much neglected).

Alston came here offering to swap information. I hope I can glean some things before he decides to not waste any more of his time by casting pearls before swine.

 

[Guest]

Alston came here offering to swap information. I hope I can glean some things before he decides to not waste any more of his time by casting pearls before swine.

And I like you too.

Al

 

[Alston]

Back on track . . .

I feel Alston has information to share that can benefit quite a few on this forum.

I have a website, and occasionally get prospects, but not anywhere enough.

Thanks for the kind words.

I'm more than willing to share information to help other agents promote a local insurance-based website. I hope that this thread will move away from the negativity and can become an exchange of profitable ideas.

Let me get started by sharing the first tip:
--------------------------------------
Don't write a book. Write a magazine or a newspaper.

The search engines like NEW INFORMATION. You can increase your rankings simply by making constant changes to our website. Change your home page, revise other pages and/or add new pages regularly. Newer information, all things being equal, is more relevant. The search engines read your website with a computer program and can't tell if the new content is more relevant, but they can tell how old it is.
--------------------------------------

I will also offer advice specific to the website of anyone from this forum who decides to trade leads with me. I have had some success in this area. I'm not a design guy though. I have ugly, but profitable sites. We're on the first page (organic or free listings) on all three major search engines for many of the phrases we target such as "Connecticut Blue Cross quotes" and "Connecticut health insurance quotes". Getting the rankings took a lot of study and effort, but not a lot of money.

I don't expect anyone to get rich simply by trading leads with me. However, a reasonable goal might be to increase the usable leads you receive by 5 to 10 percent in exchange for sending me your unusable out-of-state leads.