Latta Insurance Agency Blog

Farmers News

2007-11-30T09:04:00.000-08:00

Now you can get the latest news from the Farmers world by clicking on the Farmers News tag listed on the menu.

Free Internet Advertising

2007-11-30T09:02:00.000-08:00

Free Internet Advertising - Unwritten Rules Of Internet Forums

By Elaine Currie

Free Internet advertising is sought after by most Internet marketers and one readily available source of free Internet advertising is the Internet forum. For Internet marketing novices, I'll briefly explain how free Internet advertising is obtained from Internet forums.

Basically, Internet forums are message boards where members can exchange information, obtain advice or just chat. There are Internet forums to cater for every topic you would care to imagine (and a few you would probably prefer not to dwell on). The Internet marketer advertises his product simply by posting messages on the forums. There are some Internet forums that forbid the posting of advertisements but, on many of these forums, it is still possible to obtain free Internet advertising by use of a signature file. The signature file is a short piece of text which can contain a link to a website and which can be annexed to every posting a member makes on a forum message board.

If you have never tried forums as a source of free Internet advertising, you should bear in mind that there is an unwritten code of etiquette which need to be observed. The following are some of the unwritten rules which need to be followed if you intend to use forums for free Internet advertising for your business.

Read the Forum Rules

You need to read the rules of any Internet forum before you try to post a message there. I know this sounds obvious but it is clear that many forum users don't bother to read the rules, despite the fact that the forum registration process inevitably includes a requirement for the applicant to check a box indicating that the forum rules have been read and will be adhered to. Don't just sign up with the idea of getting as much free Internet advertising as possible from the forum. Many forums prohibit the posting of affiliate urls anywhere apart from in the members' forum signature file. If you become a member of one of these forums without reading the rules and start posting your affiliate urls in messages, you will quickly find yourself labelled a "spammer". In case you didn't know, spammers are considered to be the lowest of the low on the Internet. If there was a virtual prison for Internet crime, Internet advertising spammers would have to be kept in solitary confinement for their own protection.

Lurk Before You Leap

Internet forum etiquette demands that you spend a little time "lurking" ie logging in at the forum and reading previous and current threads before you even think of starting to use the forum for free Internet advertising. Although lurking is not an official rule of Internet forums, it is largely accepted as an essential part of the unwritten code of behaviour. The practice is very useful. Lurking will enable you to get the feel of how a forum works, you will be able to ascertain the tone of the messages, the type of subject matter which is welcomed and the level of expertise of other forum members. You might even find that a particular forum is not for you and this could save you the embarrassment of posting an inappropriate message on the forum.

Be Subtle

You know that you are visiting the forum merely for the free Internet advertising for your website but it is better not to make this obvious if you want other members to react well to your advertising. Forums are rather like private clubs where members strike up friendships and make business deals. If you rush in waving your "FREE INTERNET ADVERTISING" placard you will not become popular, other members will consider you to be an abuser of their "club". You will do much better if you quietly introduce yourself and keep the free Internet advertising down to a whisper in your signature file.

Remember Your Manners

How hard is it to say "thank you"? If you visit a forum and receive valuable advice which helps you in some way, take a moment to post a brief message of thanks to your advisor. If someone helped you out of a spot in the bricks and mortar world you would thank them. Remember that people who post on Internet forums are real too and they are under no obligation to help you. It is as easy to make a friend with a warm word as it is to create an enemy with a harsh word and you never know when you might meet these people again.

Help Whenever You Can

Help other people whenever you can. Even if you don't have any specialist knowledge, you will find occasions when you can pass on good advice. If you received advice that took you to a solution, post a message to say how the advice helped and what steps you followed to sort things out, this will act as a signpost for other people who might find themselves in similar difficulties. Even though you joined the forum with the idea of using it merely as a form of free Internet advertising, make time to give something back. People will be more inclined to take an interest in your advertising if you become known as a helpful type. What goes around comes around and, in any event, the reputation of being a problem-solver is a bit of free Internet advertising in its own right.

Be Moderate

The majority of Internet forums have moderators to ensure that members stick to the rules. The job of a forum moderator is to keep the content of the forum appropriate. Remember, it is not just a place where you can indulge in free Internet advertising, so keep your messages within the forum rules. Any graffiti posted by members will be cleaned up by the moderators so that the forum environment is preserved for all members to enjoy. If you wish to retain the respect of your fellow forum members, make sure your posts never need to be cleaned up, be your own moderator. As well as sticking to the forum rules on content, you should also keep your messages moderate in tone. The Chambers dictionary includes the following definitions of "moderate": kept within measure or bounds; not excessive or extreme; temperate. If you avoid drama and pathos in your forum posting and keep your messages moderate, you will not attract "flamers" and you can quietly enjoy your free Internet advertising.

Ration Your Reading

Internet forums can be addictive. There is a serious danger that you might log in to a forum with the idea of posting a message or two in order to get your daily ration of free Internet advertising but, the next thing you know is that half an hour has passed by while you have been engrossed in reading. There is nothing inherently wrong with spending time reading posts made by other forum members, it's free entertainment and that's fine. The problem is that, if you are trying to run an Internet marketing business and you lose yourself on forums for half an hour every day, you will be wasting something like half a day during the course of each week for the sake of posting a couple of links back to your website. That is not an economical use of your time. In fact, if you account for the value of your time, you will find you are actually paying a high price for your free Internet advertising on forums.

About the Author: To find sources of legitimate work at home ideas, visit Elaine Currie's Work At Home Directory - while you are there, pick up a free copy of Ezine Article Writing - 10 Steps To Success http://www.huntingvenus.com/eceboo.htm

Source: www.isnare.com

Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=200042&ca=Internet

Search Specialist Needed?

2007-11-30T09:00:00.001-08:00

Do You Need A Search Specialist

By Ben Norman

When you are working to build up a good client base and you feel that the number of hits getting to your website just aren't cutting it, it might be time to refer to the services of a search specialist. A search specialist is someone who can help make sure that the people looking for you and your goods and services will find you.

Many people, to their detriment, believe that if their product is good enough, then word will get around. While there is some truth in that statement, it is still important to take into account the fact that many excellent services and products have failed simply because word did not get out fast enough. Remember contrary to belief if you build it they may not come. Sometimes word of mouth is good enough, but in today's information age, where information gets traded around at what seems to be the speed of light, a search specialist can help you harness the nature of internet searches rather than fall victim to them.

At this point, Google is the most powerful search engine in the world and because of this, it is also the most influential one. Having your website returned at the very top or near the top of the search results when people look for keywords related to your business is an extremely powerful way to get your name out there and relevant traffic to your site, and it is your search specialist's job to make sure that your link is not only found but that it rests in a favourable location. You'll find that most of the people searching for information or merchandise never go much beyond the first page, if they bother to go beyond the first few links at all!

As you can see, with a powerful search engine like Google, there are many factors which determine which links end up at the top. While keyword density is certainly one factor, you will also find that link building plays a part, as does context and relevance. The Google search engine is quite complex and a search specialist can help you find the best way to tap into it for your own purposes. With Google essentially acting as the gateway to the internet, a search specialist essentially works as a guide who can help people find the way to your site.

When you are considering what you want to do to bring more visitors to your site, a good search specialist can help you come up with ways to get the search engine's to notice you in an ethical manner. When you start looking for tips to improve your search engine ratings, you'll notice that many of these techniques involve finding a way to exploit some of the search engines' perceived loopholes. While these methods range from being mildly deceptive to downright dishonest, you'll find that for the most part, they are not nearly as effective as the people writing about them seem to think they are. With a good search specialist on your side, you'll be able to get plenty of hits while doing it honestly and providing good content to your prospective customers.

The use of a search specialist can mean the difference between success and failure to a new internet business, so make sure you investigate this important resource today!

About the Author: Ben Norman is a UK based Search Specialist, published author and specialist in organic search engine optimisation. Ben works with a wide range of businesses helping them to make more money from utilising the search engines natural listings.

Source: www.isnare.com

Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=202893&ca=Internet

Putting The "Service" Back In "Customer Service"

2007-09-24T08:02:00.000-07:00

Putting Service Back in Customer Service
By Sean Cohen
The future of customer service is here. Technology has made seeking out support faster and easier than ever. But, has your digital age company sacrificed true service in the name of automation?

Today, finding customer support is as simple as writing an e-mail or picking up the phone. But, even though you're not face-to-face with your customers, you still leave a lasting impression. Do you come across as caring and competent, or menacing and mechanical?

Offering stand-out service on the Internet isn't as hard as it is rare. Take these simple steps towards old-style service in the digital age:

Give Each Customer a Personal Response
Be Clear, But Sincere
Offer Live Customer Support
Make Sure Your Support Reps Have All the Answers

Give Each Customer a Personal Response
When a customer sits down to e-mail your company, it's because he needs help. He chooses e-mail because it's quick, but his request still warrants a satisfying and personal response!

Companies eager to save time and money often take automation too far in their customer support. Each customer has a unique question, and deserves a unique answer. Even if you save time by copying and pasting stock replies, change the opening and closing to make the message sound less robotic.

Be Clear, But Sincere
When responding to customers' e-mail, be sincere and to the point. Before sending a message, try turning the tables. Ask yourself, "Would this answer satisfy me if I were the customer?"

Take that extra moment to give your customer the help he deserves. It might mean the difference between a satisfied customer and a credit card chargeback!

Offer Live Customer Support
E-mail has become an acceptable form of communication. But, live customer support is still necessary. The plethora of information available online can be overwhelming to customers, especially those new to the Internet!

Single your company out from the crowd by providing customers with a real person to talk to. Live phone support is an invaluable way to foster trust. When your customer has reached the end of his Internet rope, and just needs help, your toll free number is the answer he's looking for.

Make Sure Your Support Reps Have All The Answers
The presence of phone support will do no good if your staff doesn't know your product! Customer support reps should be warm and friendly, and willing to help with any aspect of your product.

What a good feeling it is to talk to someone who feels confident in his product. It's even better if he's knowledgeable enough to solve your problem without transferring you all around the company!

Provide Stand-Out Service; Gain Lifelong Customers
Too many e-businesses skimp on customer service, hiding behind web sites and message boards. Customer support is an integral part of every company, even those operating solely online. Be one of the few to offer stellar service, and gain customers for life!

Customer Service is becoming a lost art, but Sean Cohen wants to make sure that never happens at Aweber Communications! Find out what service is meant to be.

If you are interested in other Moneymaking Opportunities, visit my Online Shopping Mall

pet insurance spring texas - Google Search

2007-09-11T06:54:00.000-07:00

I conducted a search this morning on google. pet insurance spring texas - Google Search discovered I am second on Google's list for pet insurance in Spring Texas. I am really pleased with this. The trouble is, as far as I can tell, my site hasn't sold a single pet insurance policy yet. However, my web traffic continues to increase. Today, I am home, increasing the content in my site, which will hopefully improve Latta Insurance Agency in Google's rankings, which still show ZERO. My Pet Insurance page is complete now.

Individual Health Insurance Quotes Online and Fast!

2007-09-10T16:01:00.000-07:00

After a recent visit from a walk-in solicitor I discovered the greatest tool for my customers benefit, I have found to date. This new quote engine allows you to quote your own individual health insurance online in less than thirty seconds! In the past, if I wanted to shop for individual health insurance for my customers, I had to go to each insurance company's website, and individually quote each policy, and then shop online for the particular options you as my customer my choose. This is no longer the case. All you have to do, is go into my Individual Health Insurance page, type in your name, and a few details, and press the go button. Instantly, you recieve rate quotes from 63 different individual health insurance plans. Now whether you're looking for the most affordable health insurance, or the most benefit rich program, you get them in real-time in price order, from the cheapest to the most expensive. You are given drop down filters at the top of the page to filter out any plans you may not be interested in. For instance, you may not want to purchase short term insurance. That is just fine, click the option to exclude those type plans, and they disappear. Next you may decide you want a large deductible Health Savings Account (HSA) plan. Click the filter, and only HSA plans are in the viewer. Next you may decide you want to see if your doctor is a member of the insurance company's program. Click the hyperlinked word "doctor", and you get that particular plan's list of participating physicians. Next you decide you want to read more detail about the plan your are the most interested in, because your doctor is a member of the plan you want. Click the product brochure button, and a pdf file appears with all the details concerning the health insurance you want. Finally, you make the decision to purchase your best choice for individual health insurance. Click the "Apply" button, and fill in the blanks. Within minutes, what used to take hours, has taken only minutes. You've applied for affordable individual health insurance online.

Fasten your seatbelts Texas, we're joining the 21st Century

2007-09-10T10:12:00.000-07:00

Texas Unveils its' Six Million Dollar Investment in Financial Responsibility

The Associated Press reports that starting this fall, the State of Texas will start rolling out its new database targeting uninsured drivers. In its' first phase drivers not listed will receive letters demanding proof of Insurance. Ever since the beginning, when the "Financial Responsibility" Law was passed, drivers have been finding ways to skirt the Insurance requirement, mandated by the law. With the advent of computers and printers, folks have been churning out fake ID's, and fake Insurance Cards.

In an effort to stem the tide of unreimbursed car crash victims, Texas is joining the majority of States who have already been operating their own databases, of insured vehicles for years. Our neighbor to the east, has had an Insured Vehicle database as long as I can remember. (I found my spouse in Louisiana, 15 years ago) The ugly news to the uninsured fakers, is flashing a fake Insurance ID is a Felony in Texas. But worse than the punishment for the crime, is the unlucky, unreimbursed victim of the car crash with the perpetrators.

The down side to this, is human error. Suppose you bought your insurance, but your insurer has miskeyed one number in your Vehicle Identification Number. Now you are a registered offender right? Well not so fast. For the last year, we in the insurance business have been busy correcting the "vin numbers" on all our insured vehicles. Farmers, the company I represent has made it extremely difficult for me to even "Quote" adding or substituting a new vehicle for an existing customer, without the "vin number".

So, don't panic. But it would be a good idea to compare the "vin numbers on your ID cards with the ones on your cars. If they don't match, chances are, you will get a letter in the fall. The fix is easy. Call your agent, and request a correction immediately, before trouble finds you. If you don't already have your insurance, then come pay me a visit, and we'll get you on the right track. Get an Auto Insurance Quote

Auto Insurance Spring Texas

2007-09-05T06:34:00.000-07:00

Auto Insurance Spring Texas

Thanks to my customers and friends, and a few Bloggers

2007-09-03T17:32:00.000-07:00

Kudos, thanks, gracias!!!

I have settled on a new format for the Latta Insurance Agency website. Totally menu driven. The site will continue to have the same appearance as before, but will have a new black and white menu on nearly every page. The purpose: Simplified navigation. Apparently the search engines love a site that is easy to get around in. So, when you decide on a heading, let's say "Auto Insurance", At the top of the page will be a menu, giving you the option of navigating anywhere in the Auto Section you like. Of course you will always have the option of returning to the Home Page, but if Auto is the section you want to explore, then you can stay in the section, go anywhere, and never have to return to the home page at all. Programming is ongoing in the auto section at this writing, but progress is going rather quickly. More posts to follow.

Regan Latta
Latta Insurance Agency

Letter from a customer

2007-08-28T13:49:00.000-07:00

The following is the text of a letter I received from my customer, after she took the Defensive Driving Course, listed on my Automobile Insurance Link on my website:

August 25, 2007

Dear Regan,

I wanted to get back to you on the defensive driving course. I took the one I had mentioned, Take Defensive Driving Online at your own Pace. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the course moved along quite quickly. Not only that, I had entered my license plate incorrectly when registering as I used the ticket to read it from and it was not very legible. Therefore, when it asked me some questions to verify that I was taking the test, the answer options did not pertain to me. I called the service and they were extremely friendly and corrected the problem for me within a few minutes.

I would highly recommend this to anyone as I completed it in one day with many interruptions. Without the interruptions, it was true to fact that you could complete it in 6 hours…and that is given with mandatory breaks throughout those six hours. It was nothing like the other I had taken before and those that other people have complained about as well.

Thank you for encouraging me to try it as it was much more convenient than having to go sit at a comedy club or some other establishment.

I will browse through your web site this weekend and give you some feedback or suggestions as you had requested.

Have a wonderful weekend and again, thank you.

Sincerely,

Customer

Changing my way of thinking

2007-08-27T11:53:00.000-07:00

After a recent contact from an associate, I realized my website was nothing more than a point of contact for my existing customers to obtain basic information about our products.

A few months ago, I received his e-mail. I thought it was interesting, so I didn't discard it. He wrote that he was offering me the ability to sell Mexico Insurance on my own website. Since I already represent a Mexican Insurance Company, I didn't place it at the top of the stack in importance. Earlier this month, I was culling out old e-mails, and came across his. So I responded. Within a couple of days I received a call from Mr. Joe Bascelice, the gentleman to whom I had responded so sluggishly. He proceded to explain, that he would arrange to have a banner placed on my website for the sale of Mexican Insurance. Customers would be able to click the banner, quote, and purchase their own Mexican Insurance without ever having to call me. Within a couple of days, the banner magically appeared on my site.

I pondered this, and began to think about the possibilities such a self service option could offer. In the course of my day, I sit across from my customers and discuss ways to cut insurance costs, especially Auto Insurance. One of the best ways to do so, is to take a Defensive Driving Course. This gives a person a 10% discount for three years. For years I have been sending people to the Laugh Stop, for the Comedy Defensive Driving Course they offer. For a period of time, I even mailed out tickets to the Laugh Stop along with my clients' birthday cards. This promotion was an excellent benefit to the Laugh Stop and my clients, and it cost me little extra. But they eventually discontinued the program, so I have been recommending Blockbuster Video's take home Defensive Driving Course ever since. I began to search online for an Online Defensive Driving Course. To my amazement, I found many companies offering such a thing, and many of them offered an affiliate relationship.

As much as I have worked on computers, and have actually enjoyed doing so, I had never heard of the term Affiliate Marketing, as it applies to computing. Within a couple of days I was negotiating with several Online Defensive Driving Schools, and in no time I had new banner ads for my website, and the promise of additional income therefrom. So my thoughts continued. What about Drivers Education for teens. Sure enough, there was another affiliate. My mind began to race. What about Automobile Financing. What about Credit Repair. After all, good credit gets you a discount on your insurance. Soon I began discovering the world of Affiliate Marketing.

In three weeks I had obtained more than two-hundred Affiliate relationships. All, with saving money on insurance, or providing services to my customers in mind. All are applicable to the products I offer. I found a Pet Insurance Company, and all sorts of pet products. An Auto Extended Warranty Company. I found a Travel Insurance Company, and Home Warranties.

In association with Travel Insurance I added Affiliates for the Travel Insurance Page, that could benefit my customers with travel plans, such as Travelocity, Cruises, Hotels.com, and many many others. In association with Automobiles, I found parts companies, car alarm sales, Carfax Reports, Auto Rental companies, and many more. For each line of insurance I offer, there are complementing Afflitiate products my customers can benefit from.

I was adding so much to my site, my website vendor's staff began calling to complain about all the changes. So I took a brief course in HTML, called my website vendor, and obtained his permission to manipulate my own website. I first made a few changes, and communicated my thinking with him. I no time at all, he advised he was confident I could do it on my own. Sometimes I make a mess, but I have him to make necessary repairs to my damages. His name is Ken Hood, and his website company is called My Local Hosting. I must say he is a great coach and mentor. My experience has progressed by leaps and bounds, but I can't imaging getting to his level, and frankly I don't have the time to devote to knowing all he knows. For instance, last year my site was attacked by spammers. He knew just what to do, to control the problem. Wa La! Problem solved with one phone call. I wouldn't recommend making a serious website without a professional techie.

In the beginning I was placing banner ads all over the place. My site became confusing and a royal mess. So I started asking folks for their honest opinions. I found a customer who works for Barnes and Noble, who gave me her honest opinions. Other chimed in too, and we came up with a format, I think all will love and appreciate. Since insurance is such an all encompassing business, I decided to start with Auto Insurance. I had hundreds of words, definitions, links, and banners all over the Auto Insurance Page. I decided to make an Insurance Menu page, with links to the particular pages a customer might choose to click to. So, a link to Claims, a link to Definitions, a link to Discounts, a link to Just for Teen Drivers, a link to get a quote, and one to Order your Driving Record.

I have begun to get rave reviews of this page. Much simpler to use, and easier to find what a person wants without having to sift through lengthy lines of text. Frankly I think a customer would have been more likely to leave in disgust rather than try to figure out the point to all the jargon.

So, in my subsequent writings I shall endeavor to discuss "Traffic", which I am learning alot about as well. I have managed to increase my traffic four fold in three weeks.

Get back to ya soon with more details!

Regan Latta
Latta Insurance Agency

Starting the Agency's Blog Today

2007-08-24T19:53:00.000-07:00

Good evening friends!! Today I am starting the blog for Latta Insurance Agency. Stay posted for more details!!

Regan