A Stickier Web Site

New York-based Arch Insurance Group ($8.2 billion in assets) has redesigned its Web site, archinsurance.com, to make its products and services more accessible to brokers and agents, as well as potential and current customers. Created shortly after Arch opened for business in 2001, the carrier's original Web contained only general information about the company, according to Arch EVP Tom Kaiser. "Many prospective customers would go to our Web site to learn more about us after receiving a quote from their agent or broker," he says, adding that the insurer realized it needed a more robust site to capture more business.

Through collaboration between Arch's IT and marketing groups, as well as several outside Web-design firms, the Web site was given a fresh look with easier navigability, and added features and functionality. "Our Goal was to give brokers, customers and potential customers tools they could use 24 hours a day to access information about Arch," says Andrea Forman-Grinbaum, head of the Arch Web site task force.

Launched in September, the new site was built by Mavazan Consulting (New York) using DHTML running on Microsoft (Redmond, Wash.) Internet Information Server (IIS) and SQL Server. Now, in addition to product and contact information, the site provides brokers and customers with access to real-time quotes and account information. "The new tools are there not only to help our brokers get information to a customer, but to help our customers and potential customers learn more about our company and help them with their buying decisions," notes Forman-Grinbaum.