11 Mobile Apps Every Agent Needs To Be Using

This post originally ran on QuoteWizard.

Much like the insurance industry, technology has gone through a swath of changes over the years. “There’s an app for that” is a common phrase you might hear bandied about, but it’s a phrase that’s becoming true for nearly every aspect of life, be it personal or professional. There are 11 insurance agent apps in particular that you owe it to yourself to have readily available on your phone, tablet or laptop while you’re on the go and out in the field taking care of your customers and clients.

1. Evernote
You might already have a note-taking app, but do you have one that lets you link photos to your notes and even record voice memos? Evernote has you covered with all three features so that your notes are more detailed, creative and expansive. This combination is a great way to capture and remember notes and moments of insurance inspiration as they come to you. Even better is the fact that the app makes note of your location in case it’s essential to your “eureka” moment.
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2. Google Drive
While Microsoft might have an iron grip on the office suite department, Google offers a viable, powerful and convenient alternative that works both on and offline. Best of all, it’s free, unlike most Microsoft Office products. With Drive, you can churn out spreadsheets, word documents and presentations for your clients. One unique feature of the cloud storage system is that you can share your creations with other people and give them the ability to make edits of their own, something that can come in handy if everyone isn’t able to be in the same place at the same time, which is common in the insurance industry.

3. FullContact Card Reader
If you’re a minimalist, or someone who doesn’t have room for a deck of business cards, FullContact is the perfect app for you. The service allows you to scan business cards and store the information on your phone so you don’t have to worry about keeping (or losing) the card. One great feature of the app is that it’s checked for accuracy by a human being before it’s stored on your phone, ensuring that letters and numbers printed with a flourish are properly transcribed. One notable insurance marketing feature of the app is that you can gain specific insights on your contacts, such as affinities and interests.

4. CamScanner
Taking business card scanning capabilities one step further, CamScanner is a free-to-use app that lets you scan claims forms, contracts and other documents with your phone and store them in a cloud. Once you’ve snapped an image of the document, you can magnify it, edit it and send it to all necessary parties. Like most apps that operate on a cloud, you can use CamScanner on your phone, tablet, and computer.

5. Expensify
Sometimes the insurance business takes you a bit further than your usual jurisdiction. Agents who are on the road (or in the air) on the company’s dime now have an easy way to keep up with expenses, receipts and the like to make it easy for their employer to see how much they spent and where they spent it. With Expensify you can take pictures of your receipts while the app fills in the blanks and makes expense reports for your company so there’s one less thing to do when you get back. If you’ll be driving, the app can keep track of your mileage.

6. Uber/Lyft
Speaking of going on the road for business, Uber and Lyft are taxi alternatives for those times where you don’t have access to a rental car for whatever reason. The apps let you hail a driver to your location through GPS, and you can pay as well as tip with card information stored in the app rather than worry about carrying cash. While both apps operate similarly, you might develop a preference for one over the other, or you might hail a Lyft when an Uber isn’t available and vice versa.

7. DocuSign
Now neither you nor your clients or customers have to worry about being in the same place at the same time to sign important documents. DocuSign allows you to send those documents to the necessary recipient so she or he can sign them electronically. This saves a great deal of time, allowing you to take care of claims and business in general faster. The app also gives you the ability to manage documents, send reminders and see if documents have been successfully signed. For your peace of mind, know that DocuSign uses top notch data encryption technology.

8. LinkedIn
Whereas Facebook is a social media site for connecting with friends, old classmates and family members, LinkedIn is a social media alternative geared towards your professional side. Here is where you’ll give others a glimpse of your professional accomplishments, skills, education and the like. The service makes for a great and powerful networking tool as well as one of the best mobile apps for insurance agents. Imagine how many potential customers are available on the platform who need quality insurance policies from a talented agent like yourself.

9. ScanPages
Much like CamScanner, ScanPages is a document scanning app that lets you use your smartphone camera to turn documents into PDF files. The app’s cutting edge image processing technology ensures any documents you scan are of the highest quality. One great thing about ScanPages is that it allows you to send your files to Google Drive, Dropbox, Evernote or to someone’s inbox. Currently, the free app is only available on the iPhone.

10. GoToMeeting
For those times when emailing, text messaging and phone calls aren’t enough, GoToMeeting gives you the ability to attend and host meetings and web conferences. Not you don’t have to waste time or spend money meeting with clients, which means you can get more done in a short amount of time. GoToMeeting features end-to-end encryption; a custom URL for meetings; and can be used on phones, tablets and PCs. You can also share the view of your desktop for added convenience.

11. HootSuite
​If you’re fully hooked into the power of social media, you probably already have a solid idea of how tiring and overwhelming it can be to switch back and forth between Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and the like. To give your finger and nerves a much-needed break, HootSuite is an app that brings all your social media platforms and profiles into a single shared space where you can easily reign over your digital kingdom. If you use social media as part of your insurance marketing strategy, know that HootSuite compiles statistics reports so you can easily keep track of how well your marketing and advertising efforts are going.

And there you have 11 of the best mobile apps for insurance agents. Try each of them individually as well as in tandem to see how well they complement each other. For instance, Expensify is a great way to keep track of business trips made while using Uber. While most of the above apps are free, some you’ll have to pay for to gain access to certain features, or if you want to use the app a specific number of times. In any case, these tools are sure to make your life better and your insurance business more efficient.


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