Thanks to the Internet, today power rests with the buyer, who can instantly access information for such purposes as price comparisons, quality ratings and customer opinions. You can no longer hide suboptimal products and services.

For those thinking about purchasing workers' compensation, liability, directors and officers, or other insurance products, Google is their new home page–as it is for people looking to buy other products in different industries.

Plus, traditional advertising and marketing tactics often lead prospects to Google, Yahoo or other search engines.

Chances are your prospects are already using these search engines to learn about everything from risk management to captives and much more. Once they're directed to a particular agency's Web site, they are more likely to consider that agency as a source for solving their problems–and for insuring their risk.

The challenge for your agency is to drive the right prospects to your site. How do you do that?

o Identify key target markets:

Define your target audiences as narrowly as you can. For example, one market segment could be commercial real estate brokers within 250 miles of your office. Then, with the help of your sales force, determine their needs and motivations and predict how they would behave online.

One way is for you and your sales force to review the sites your target audience is likely to visit, such as regional and national real estate associations, industry trade publications, and other related groups. Analyze and understand which messages on these sites are addressing real estate brokers' most pressing needs.

o Implement search engine optimization:

Search engine optimization enables your site to rank high in the organic (nonpaid) positions on the search pages, which the search engines have determined is the best match for a certain phrase. Your site should be one of the first few listed on the left side of the screen for a search term result, because users seldom link to sites below the fold on the first page.

When ranking results, search engines weigh the relevancy and frequency of your content. Use terms that your prospect would likely use to find you.

For example, a specific search phrase like “Northern VA P/C agencies” would probably yield better results than a vague phrase like “VA insurance agencies.” These key phrases should be on your site, in title tags and, if possible, in the domain name and in the names of landing pages (the page a customer clicks to from a search engine link).

o Start blogging:

When surfing the Web, your prospects are usually looking for valuable and relevant information. In the insurance business, where agencies are too often perceived as offering similar products and services, it's tough to distinguish yourself. But with the right strategy, you can.

Start by developing content that can position your agency as a thought leader in the property and casualty insurance field–or, better yet, in a niche industry such as commercial real estate–that can solve their business challenges. Take what you've learned about your targeted audiences and offer information and insights that address their needs.

If you're stuck about what to write, ask yourself this simple but telling three-part question: What am I going to say, to what end, and will it help my clients?

The best home for all your content is your blog, ideally linked to your Web site and not just a tab on it.

There are amazingly simple and free blogging tools (such as www.wordpress.com) that will allow you to have a site up and ready to go in 20 minutes.

Your blog can offer your insights on industry trends, safety tips and other relevant information. It should also clearly describe the services you provide–without selling–and include contact forms and links to your site.

To make an impact with your blog, update it at least once or twice a week with fresh information. Create a content calendar of what you're going to say and when. Make sure each post comes from an individual (companies don't blog, only people), such as you or your most knowledgeable employees.

Pay attention to what other industry thought leaders are saying on their blogs or on other sites, which will inspire you to come up with new materials for your blog.

Maximize the reach of your blog through other social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. (You can use tools from sites such as www.ping.fm, which can automatically post all or part of your blog on these and other social media sites.)

Still, for these tools to be effective, you need a well-conceived strategy and must continually post and update information.

For example, it's not enough to simply create a quick LinkedIn profile and hope that your prospects find you. You need to update your status on a regular basis and join LinkedIn groups populated by your target audiences and then respond to their comments, post your own questions and become an active participant.

The same goes for Twitter, where you “tweet” relevant messages–anything from perspectives on breaking news to safety tips that are no more than 140 characters maximum–to generate followers. At the same time, you can find and follow other posters who can provide you with useful information.

You should also be visible in other places where your clients and prospects congregate. These could include third-party media sites and blogs, trade association sites, online communities and forums, and industry aggregator sites that seek relevant information to post. (One example is www.insurancecampus.org, a networking site exclusively for insurance professionals.)

For Web marketing to produce results, you need to be in it for the long haul. Decide whether you or someone from your staff can commit the time to manage this process on a regular basis. If not, consider hiring an outside consultant who not only knows the process but understands the subtleties of the insurance industry.

There are no short cuts to success in online marketing. You need to gradually build credibility through the frequency, quality, relevance and value of your content–and deliver your messages to all key audiences. Do this well and you'll stand apart from the competition.

Bill Wax is president of the Miami-based Wax Custom Communications, a branding and integrated marketing firm. He can reached at 800-990-8775 or at [email protected].