Book Reports: Studied Answers to Important Questions

Yes, yes, we all know how important the Internet is (and will be) to the insurance business, both on the back end (between carriers and agents, for example) and on the front end (as a customer touchpoint). The key is to make smart use of your Internet facilities and sites. There are many books out there purporting to help you do just that. And many of them can put you to sleep. At least four, thoughdiscussed belowaddress some important industry questions and provide researched, creative, and sometimes unexpected answers.

The QuestionsWhat are the elements and design of a usable Web homepage? (Its not magic and its not by accidentbut it does matter.)What patterns does the Internet exhib it, and what implications do they have for creating a successful Internet strategy? (Activity on the Web is the result of uncoordinated actions of millions of people but the results follow strict laws.)How can the Internet be used forsuccessful marketing? (Traditional mass marketing approaches havent worked because the Internet calls for a different approach.)Is going paperless possibleor even desirable? (Many campaigns to eliminate paper fail because they dont understand where paper is critically important.)The AnswersHOMEPAGE USABILITYHomepage Usability: 50 Websites DeconstructedBY JAKOB NIELSEN & MARIE TAHIR(2002, NEW RIDERS PUBLISHING)Every carrier and agency site must have a home page. Generally its the first thing a visitor sees. If the home page doesnt appear immediately relevant and accessible, visitors will click the Back button, never to return. So the home page has a special role to play and its critical to the success of the site.Nielsen and Tahir devote the first 50 pages of their book to an overview of the principles of homepage design. The discussion is so clear, well organized, and convincing that you want to immediately check your own homepage, something Nielsen anticipates and helps you do. The results of a self-evaluation can be discouraging but certainly provide specifics to focus your improvement efforts.The balance of the book examines 50 homepages, mostly by well-known organizations, such as Amazon, Citigroup, and ESPN. Each homepage is reproduced in living color and the accompanying text offers in-context concreteness the earlier general principles section lacks. The book itself is attractive and accessible, and it lends itself to browsing as well as reading through. Highly recommended for everyone with a strategic or practical interest in a Web site.