Boosted healthcare insurance sales

Consumer purchases of health insurance [products] were below target and the online channel yielded variable results. Very quickly we realised that the online conversion rate was below peer-group averages.

Their challenges

The emarketing team, responsible for direct and third-party online sales, had been caught up in a series of management changes that left them largely unsupervised and unmotivated. The team had then concentrated on the technicalities of website design (‘bells and whistles’) rather than stepping back and seeing the big picture. A lack of understanding about the online customer journey was a big factors here.

Our approach

Our consultant became the interim head of this team for six months to turn around their delivery performance and the online sales results, through a blend of consultancy, mentoring and coaching. The approach to increasing online sales was both to drive more sales prospects into the process and to reduce the drop-out rate during the online sales customer journey. Increased traffic was achieved through devising improved online advertising campaigns and adding more third-party distribution channels. Sales conversions were dramatically improved through analysing and amending the online customer journey. This analysis revealed the drop-out rates at certain points in the online journey and  our consultant worked with the team to remedy the factors contributing at each step on the journey.

Project outputs

• Amended online media plan and media selection
• Signed-up a new online advertising agency to generate campaigns
• New distribution agreements with websites, hubs and portals
• Negotiating more prominence for the microsite on the parent homepage
• Analysis of the existing online customer journey
• New look and feel
• New page designs and content to reduce drop-out
• Automation of the product purchase stage (previously required posted agreements)
• Introduction of post-sale reinforcement messaging
• New MI and reporting tools

Outcome

The combination of changes, via the improved online customer journey, better online advertising and increased distribution, increased the online sales rates 80% within six months.