|
Agents, get ready to get noticed. InsWeb Corp. plans to launch its AgentInsider® Agent Directory on January 4, and that means insurance agents listed therein will enjoy a much more cost-effective way to connect with the millions of consumers who use the Web to find a local insurance agent.
Unlike other online directories, which display hundreds or thousands of insurance listings in a consumer’s area, the Agent Directory is insurance-specific and will show the consumer only eight local agents. Agents can target any or all counties within 25 miles of their office and display their contact information and a link to their Web site. Space for agents of any given carrier affiliation will be limited in each county, based on population. Only one agent per carrier will be allowed to participate in almost 85 percent of counties. “The launch of our new Agent Directory is another significant milestone in fulfilling our goal of becoming the most comprehensive insurance marketplace for consumers, agents, and carriers,” noted Hussein Enan, chairman and CEO of InsWeb. “We believe the directory will be well received, as agents are shifting away from traditional offline directories and allocating more of their advertising budgets to online directories.” Early feedback from agents backs up Enan’s prediction. According to Jaimie Pickles, president and COO of InsWeb, after the company notified agents on its current list that the new directory would be launched, InsWeb received almost 800 requests to be a part of the program. “We believe that the directory will be a big success for InsWeb and its agent network,” Pickles added. “Agents will pay a monthly listing fee ranging from $25 to $200, depending on the population of the counties they select.” Initially, InsWeb will target the more than 125,000 auto and home insurance agents for participation. The company plans to make the Agent Directory available to agents distributing life, health, and other insurance lines at some point down the road. |
