Midyear-2008 Lead Company Update

[Crabcake Johnny]

Didn't someone on this board recently bust a HTQ affiliate posting an ad on Ebay to win a free vacation? Seems like your affiliates have a pattern....then agents have to suck up a bunch of bad leads before you catch the problem...or you need others to catch the problem for you.

It appears as if you have a very poor handle on your affiliate's activities.

 

[MattMcWilliams]

Didn't someone on this board recently bust a HTQ affiliate posting an ad on Ebay to win a free vacation? Seems like your affiliates have a pattern....then agents have to suck up a bunch of bad leads before you catch the problem...or you need others to catch the problem for you.

It appears as if you have a very poor handle on your affiliate's activities.

Appearances can be deceiving. If the agent in question had bothered to click on the ad, they would have noticed it took them to an inactive link, meaning we already terminated the affiliate (read: we had a very good handle on the activities)

To quote a former employee of a competitor: "The fact that you even have a Quality Control Department that looks at these things is amazing"

We usually catch these guys within 2-3 leads.

To suggest that agents have to suck up these leads would be a bit extreme. 2-5 leads once a week, spread across the entire nation means that the typical agent would get such leads accounting for 0.04% of the average agent's lead volume.

This is not to suggest that only 0.04% of leads are bad, but that is the percentage which are maliciously bad (i.e. the ebay ad)

Additionally we have monitors not only on the leads, but on all references to our web site, name, banners, and the like.

So often (as was the case with the ebay ad) we catch the affiliate BEFORE they even send us a lead.

So in that case, I am not sure what the agent had to suck up

I appreciate the point, but I disagree with the notion that we do not have a handle on it. Especially considering my previous point regarding affiliate credit percentages versus Google credit percentages. I seriously doubt anyone is going to suggest we remove our ads from Google now are they?

Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

 

[MattMcWilliams]

I left off one thing...regarding the ebay ad you mentioned.

The post that mentions the add is here:

Prospect Zone Live Leads...

Hunter, our CEO replied with what I said.

Here is the link the affiliate posted

https://www.hometownquotes.com/index.cfm?action=home&affid=1934&camp=ebayad

If you click on it, you will see what happens. Keep in mind, that was done 3 days before the post was made by the agent on this board. And that affiliate generated exactly ZERO leads.

 

[Crabcake Johnny]

Granted - so you seem to do a good job catching these thieves. Why even work with affiliates in the first place? You're paying these people per lead, right? Why not just hire in-house people so you can monitor them.

I would imagine the job of an affiliate is to generate the most leads for the least cost? I don't see a lot of quality in that equation. I do see a lot of email spam and incentive ads promising price "Health Insurance Starting at $49 Per Month."

I don't know whether or not you allow your affiliates to generate leads like this - if so the value of the lead is diminished over a search-driven lead.

I hear a lot of hoopla about the demand....which I don't get. You cannot generate interest where no interest exists. If "1,000" people per day in MD are naturally searching for quotes then there it is - 1,000 a day available.

When that demand goes to 1,500 per day then it's say "sorry, but we are currently sold out in MD." The answer is not "we'll find a way to artificially produce 500 more leads."

Now it's junk - 500 people who don't want to pick up the phone since interest was low in the first place.

Not saying that's your method - just opining on leads in general. I get a bit tired of hearing how many leads the call centers need. Screw the calls centers.

And since we have you on the board - I'm interest to know how many agents you think should be calling a single client to produce both agent and client satisfaction?

 

[CHUMPS FROM OXFORD]

Also...get rid of that EHealth link that you provide to prospects. They are invariably quoted the wrong rate and it takes business away from the broker. How much business? That depends on who you talk to.

 

[Crabcake Johnny]

Granted and second that motion. Who's your client? Independent agents...right? Why in the hell provide an Ehealth link to rake in a few more bucks while screwing your real client - the agent.

Years ago it was "the agent was king." Now it's "our profit it king" and agents are taking it up the a**

Netquote policy? 8 agents call. InsureMe? 9 agents call. Exactly who wins when 5, 7, 8 agents call the client?

Agent = loses
Prospect = loses
Lead company = wins

 

[dmiller90]

I don't know whether or not you allow your affiliates to generate leads like this - if so the value of the lead is diminished over a search-driven lead.


John, You talk alot about Search Generated Leads, do you realize this, most of your Ads on the Top and Right hand Column are affiliate driven Lead campaigns?

Show me the Keywords and Phrases that TX uses for his non-affiliated driven Leads, on the First Page of Google.

How about Leadco? They claim they don't use affiliates
All Search Driven Correct?
I dont want leads with the Top Keywords as Medicaid!!!

There is alot more to Quality Lead Generation, than just what most vendors push, or I hear 100 times, (Totally Search Driven Leads) Believe it or not, some of the Lowest Converting Leads are the advertising links to the Top and Right. but you seem to think this is the Best, sorry Low converting.

Conversion is the Key, and so many factors go into Lead Capturing sheet.

1. Prospect Zone,, Horrible Lead Generating Site, Very goofy Keywords, and Oversold, Combine all that and you still have junk.

2. Leadco,---Keywords are a joke, Lead capturing site is gimmicky.

HTQ are some of the Worse Leads on the Market, Why? obviously you pointed out the affiliates that are running wild. Now Use the Top Keywords for health Insurance in Google, and see if you can find HTQ--Good Luck, even their affiliates dont advertise properly. Why--Cost and dont understand how to run a successful PPC Campaign.

So, Honestly, You are looking at horrible Lead Vendors and how they use affiliates. affiliates run the Advertising for all Major Companies, No matter what the Industry. You just have to learn what Vendors use quality Affiliates.

Last five applications I wrote, with Family Premiums over 400.00--You guessed it, All Leads were generated by an affiliate.

 

[Crabcake Johnny]

Well....I certainly know....as well as other agents. Regardless of how companies claim leads are generated agents know there's an issue when you call 20 and only 2 answer.

We know there's an issue if an overwhelming number of people who answer are broke with health conditions or are looking for dental.

It all it what it is - find sources where prospects actually answer the phone and have checking accounts.

The type of ad matters: "GUARANTEED HEALTH INSURANCE STARTING AT $59 PER MONTH" is junk. That entices broke and uninsurable people to apply.

I recently tried a source, called just over 30 leads - not a single one picked up the phone. Finally, over the course of the next few days I got a hold of 3...all of whom told them they were simply slammed with agents calling non-stop.

Also came to find the leads did not come in real time.

 

[dmiller90]

We know there's an issue if an overwhelming number of people who answer are broke with health conditions...are are looking for dental.

And Dont believe that Prospect zones or Leadco's Exclusive Leads are better, The bottom line, One person gets to talk to the Broke and only wants Dental. Exclusive with these vendors are a Tactic, and pushed. The same with the Liberal return policy, Leadco pushes, what a joke!!!

It all it what it is - find sources where prospects actually answer the phone and have checking accounts.

They are out there, you just have not discovered them.

You nailed it, you just described Prospect Zone, and Leadco type of Leads. Why? Have you done research on the Top Keywords they use to generate leads?

Weak ones, Why? Do you honestly think these Lead Vendors are running a strictly PPC campaign themselves? NOT!!!!

So they have affiliates, anyone, to generate the Volume and these 2 in particular use horrible Keywords, Why? because the affliliates they use cant afford the cost of the Top Positions for the Major Keywords, so they use other Tactics, The Big Vendors have the Top Keywords bought at a very costly price,(Strong Affiliates) and have the conversion results for higher placement!!

 

[Crabcake Johnny]

I think the the lead companies need to understand is we really don't care what a lead costs - only what a lead returns PLUS the headache. Well...let me re-state - broke agents care about the per-lead cost.

I'd like to know the stats on how long broke agents stick with any lead source. Great - so don't target broke agents.

The "headache" factor counts. Do I want to sort through 40 leads at $3 per lead to find a deal? That's great ROI....right? $120 to return $700?

Yet it's not sustainable mentally to call and manage hundreds of leads per week.

I'll take a higher lead price any day for quality.