October 17, 2023
Websites are the modern shop windows for businesses of all shapes and sizes. But a website needs to be easy to find and simple to navigate in order to draw in visitors and convert them into clients.
Recognising this, Chris Knott Insurance got in touch with us to evaluate their current offering and use our extensive insurance marketing knowledge to transform it into an effective platform.
The Challenge
Chris Knott Insurance is an independent insurance broker based in Hastings, Sussex. Established in 1983, they help clients to find the right personal and commercial insurance for their needs. Motor insurance in particular is a core offering thanks to their work with car clubs and affinity groups.
Despite having a strong customer base, it was evident that more could be done to broadcast the business and attract new clients online.
We therefore carried out a website marketing audit in August 2021, discovering in the process that the site’s Google Analytics was not tracking users correctly, so there was little visibility over traffic to the site or how visitors were engaging with it.
In terms of keywords, the website was not maximising its potential. The site was ranked in the top 100 for 757 keywords, of which only 27 were in the top 10. The main keyword was also found to be ‘Chris Knott Insurance’, which meant that potential clients who were unaware of the brand were unlikely to find their website via product-related search terms. Disappointingly, the site also did not rank for any local search terms, such as ‘car insurance Hastings’.
In addition, the website was not mobile responsive, resulting in poor user experience and low engagement. Navigation was unclear, with no search bar and no key pages displayed in the top menu. We also found that contact details were not visible across the site and articles were hidden under ‘press’ in the footer.
Page content was not displayed to its best advantage either. Many of the pages had large blocks of text, which were not broken up by headings to make it easier to read. When headings were used, they did not use appropriate mark-up, so further SEO opportunities were lost.
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The Solution
In order to improve the company’s online visibility, we recommended that Chris Knott Insurance rebuild their website and engage in digital marketing.
We therefore mapped out the site’s existing architecture and created a detailed site migration plan. This was reformulated to create clear navigation.
To improve user experience, we gave each product its own designated page. News articles were also moved to their own section, with each story categorised by date and subject.
Chris Knott Insurance also had several other sub-brand websites. We advised that these be moved into the main Chris Knott Insurance website as these sites also had low domain authority and few visitors. We subsequently incorporated these into the new site’s architecture.
We then worked closely with a web developer to design and build a site that had a fresh, modern look. The homepage would signpost key products while a new navigation bar would lead visitors to personal and commercial insurance covers. A search bar would help those looking for a specific subject. The site would also be mobile-responsive.
While the developers took charge of building the site, our team concentrated on updating or creating new content for the new site.
We began with the product pages, carrying out in-depth keyword research to ensure that the new content would be optimised for search engines. We then developed a template for these pages, which incorporated clear headings, testimonials and a strong call to action.
We created new sections on the site, too, such as a Claims area, and updated the company’s ‘About’ information, including creating an updated page on the directors.
Finally, we set the site up on Google Analytics correctly, so that we could accurately track performance going forward.
“Following a full review of our business, we decided to rebrand and have a new website built and the team at Method Marketing have helped to create new content for the website in a professional and timely manner.
Adam Taylor, Commercial Lines Manager, Chris Knott Insurance
“Thanks to their knowledge, experience and great communication, they have made the whole process very easy.
“It has been great working with Lucy and the team, who have guided us on areas that are new to us.”
The Results
In July 2022, we launched Chris Knott Insurance’s new website.
The finished site has a modern, impactful look. Navigation has been vastly improved, making the user experience far more straightforward.
The new mobile version of the site has also been a great addition. In September 2023, we recorded that 51.3% of users accessed the site through their mobiles, with an additional 2.7% using tablets.
Thanks to the optimised content and increased visibility of the site, website sessions have improved dramatically. In July 2023, there was a 87% year-on-year increase on July 2022.
Keywords have also enjoyed strong growth. Upon launching the site in July 2022, 1,470 keywords began to rank, with 52 moving into the top 10. Thanks to our continued optimisation work, this rose to 2,895 words by July 2023, a 97% increase. The site has also enjoyed a 133% year-on-year rise in the number of keywords that rank within the top 10.
Local search terms have been targeted too, and Chris Knott Insurance now appears as a top 3 result on Google Maps for ‘car insurance Hastings’.
This increased activity has resulted in strong growth in terms of quotation requests for highly competitive products. For example, leads for motor insurance increased by 122% between September 2022 and September 2023, helping to ensure that the Personal Lines team met its sales targets.
“I have worked with Method Marketing now for around 18 months. Having completed a full review of our business, the initial project was to help create a new website.
Ian Willis, Personal Lines Manager, Chris Knott Insurance
“Following the implementation of the new website, we are now seeing a large increase in traffic to our site which in turn is leading to additional enquiries to our business.
“Method Marketing continues to work with the business helping to create regular content for our social media and specific marketing campaigns tailored for our customer base.
It’s a pleasure to work with Lucy and her team; they are very professional, knowledgeable and extremely supportive.”
Talk To Us About Your Insurance Marketing Needs
If you need help developing your insurance digital marketing strategy, give us a call! We can help to revitalise your digital marketing to make your website and content work as hard as you do.
Give us a call on 0330 0430736 or email hello@methodmarketing.org today.
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