Some experts believe that, by 2011 most individual health insurance will be initiated or purchased online. This can be a very disturbing trend for agents and brokers who still rely on telemarketing and direct mail. But, Internet marketing can be your key to long-term success. How do you transition to a successful Internet marketing strategy?

Let’s examine some entry-level methods to generate leads and increase sales using the Internet. Many agents and brokers pay for an online yellow page or directory ad, which typically includes a phone number and sometimes e-mail address. Some pay for an online quoting service that provides leads to three to four agents in a geographic area for follow up. A growing number of agents have Websites with a phone and sometimes an e-mail address. Despite these efforts, many agents and brokers are getting little return on their investment.

What’s missing is instant two-way communication. Just when their impulse to purchase is at its peak, these qualified prospects are being lost because they have immediate questions or don’t have the time or patience to complete online quote forms. This has been referred to as the “online chat gap.” With innovative Internet technology, you can transform the chat gap into a chat advantage at a fraction of your sales and marketing budget. A chat link that doesn’t require download or installation and it works on any Webpage. You can capture leads and boost sales from prospects that would not otherwise send an e-mail or pick up the phone. But, a chat link for instant two-way communication is only part of a successful Internet marketing strategy.

Here are some tips:

• Create a Website. If you are restricted with a company Website, create an additional Website that you control.
• Research the costs of contracting with a Webmaster or IT freelancer to maintain and update content on the homepage, product, and contact pages.
• If you haven't done so already, create a page on FaceBook, MySpace, and Linked-In. Consider having support staff maintain and update content.
• Consider revising your sales and marketing budget to focus on Internet marketing, eliminate telemarketing and direct mail and shift support staff.
• Make Internet marketing a top priority. Assign support staff with the sole responsibility to place, update, and monitor chat links on all sales and marketing Web pages to cultivate more leads and opportunities to cross-sell and up-sell customers.

Jeff Denenholz is director of communications for LiveChime, an Internet marketing technology company that provides instant two-way communication solutions for insurance agents and brokers. Jeff has created marketing campaigns for Microsoft, Boeing and United Way. Contact him at jeff.denenholz@livechime.com or 206-437-9810. The company’s website is www.livechime.com