World Blog Ohio June Archive

Name of your website?

Ohio Health Insurance Options

Your name?

Mark Dunn

Your Location (city, etc)

Columbus Suburb - Reynoldsburg

When did you start your website and why?

I start my website in 2005. The reason was that I found many of my clients were using the internet to research health insurance companies and their products. From talking with them, I also realized that not all the information they were finding on the internet was accurate. I wanted to provide a website that would be informative, to help Ohioans research and purchase an affordable Health Insurance Plan that would cover their needs. I also wanted to provide them access to Ohio health insurance experts to review all their options. Our service is provided free to Ohio residents. If you live in a state other than Ohio you will need to find an expert in your state.

Please give us a short summary of your website, business model, etc

Our website provides information and free instant online quotes for health insurance in Ohio. We can also provide you with prescreened customized quotes, tailored to fit your specific health insurance needs. The business was founded on one basic principle: Our clients ALWAYS come first. Combining this old-fashioned way of doing business and the internet, we’re able to access the best and most affordable health insurance plans available to Ohioans while providing a high level of personalized service.

What has been the most difficult part of creating and running your website?

The internet is constantly changing. As the internet evolves, your website must also continue evolving to keep up with the changes. It is similar to when I requested a printed provider directory from a health insurance company to give to a client who does not have internet access. The companies always tell me they will send out one but not to rely on it because it was outdated by the time it was printed. The doctors and hospitals are constantly changing in the networks and the internet provided directories are constantly being updated. That is the same way I feel about the website. By the time we make a change and add content there is something new we need to do. From adding news feeds to making informative videos on Ohio health insurance.

What has been the easiest part of operating your website?

I was lucky and found a web designer, Wendy, who understood my vision for the website and did not need a lot of direction. She also did not take it personally when I would have her make changes and then change the changes again. At times what you think will work on the website in your head does not always transfer well to the web.

What was your biggest mistake?

In 2005, when I had my first website on the net it had some great looking Flash on the home page. I found that what looked great on my computer was not the same for everyone else. Friends would call and ask what was supposed to be in the black spot on the top half of the screen.

Who maintains your website and why?

Wendy, at Lomano Web Design, maintains the website for me. Between running the business and writing new content for the website I have my hands full.

Tell us how your business has benefitted from your website?

It has helped get information out to current and new clients regarding Ohio Health Insurance Options.

What are your views on ecommerce and the future of the internet?

The internet is a necessary part of any business plan today. With the price of gas you can hardly afford to drive around town from store to store and look for that perfect pair of shoes, as in my wife’s case. But she can look at hundreds of pairs of shoes on the internet and sort them by color, material, and style in minutes without ever leaving the house. Then she tells me how much money she saved on gas, so there’s another pair of shoes she wants.

What are your views on Search Engine Optimization (SEO)?

Confusing and constantly changing. What works today might not work tomorrow. Continuously strive to provide the best resources and original content on your product or service.

What are your views on Search Engines? Have they helped or hindered your website?

Building a website is not like the movie “Field of Dreams”, if you build it they will come. You can build a website but if the search engines do not know it is their neither will any one else. They are a big part of the game you have to stay current on what they are looking for.

What method has been most successful for promoting your website?

I am not sure what has actually been the most successful. I advertise my website with everything I do to advertise my business.

What method has been least successful for promoting your website?

Promoting the website has been a learning experience, trial and error. I have found that finding you target market is the key. What did not work for my website might work great for someone else’s site.

What would you like to see change with respect to the internet?

For good or bad the internet is changing at a rapid rate. I am just trying to hang on and not get lost along the way.

What changes has the internet created in health insurnace industry?

As much as modern technology and the internet can be good things, they’ll never provide you with the direct access you some times need to your insurance agent, and in these days of constant change, the first-rate customer service we offer to our clients is paramount to our success.

What is your website address?

Ohio Health Insurance Options