When I talk to insurance carriers, I often hear the following, “We have a mobile app and adoption is disappointing”, or “We already have a customer web portal, they don’t want a mobile app”. I understand every carrier has unique policyholders, but we have found carriers with successful mobile apps have done one important thing to drive adoption and retention. They proactively use push notifications to engage with their policyholders.
Carriers limit themselves when they choose mobile friendly web pages for customer portals. These web pages may look good on a mobile phone, but they cannot access the native features found in smart phones, things like GPS, taking photos, video, and push notifications. The most successful policyholder mobile apps include push notifications for high conversion, value-added communications.
Mobile App Push Notifications
Insurers are finding that engaging policyholders with push notifications through their phones, the medium people can’t live without, is creating more loyalty and renewals. Value-added communications like safety tips, storm warnings, renewal notices, claims status reports, and others, are valued by policyholders and show that their insurer cares about their wellbeing. Policyholders who feel their insurer cares about them are less likely to shop around or leave for a lower premium.
Mobile App Reduces Losses
When tornados were recently tearing through Kentucky and other mid-western states, several insurers with push notification enabled mobile apps were able to warn their policyholders to take shelter. These insurers were able to use push notifications to reduce claims and potentially save lives. Their policyholders have reacted to this with higher NPS scores and increased retention.
Policyholder mobile apps are not a “build it and they will come” technology. Driving adoption and ROI require insurers to include features that policyholders value, like compelling push notifications. Those that do this will have a disruptive tool to win and retain business. As an insurer, ask yourself if digital engagement is actively or passively presented to policyholders. If it is passive, then now is the time take action.
