(800) 798-3488
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Update News
for September 2010
Here is a quick run-down on what you will find in this bulletin:
IMPORTANT for Iphone and Ipod users
Compulife Mobile Quotation System
Health Analyzer For Web Quotes
NEW LOWER PRICE - Domains For Sale
U.S. News - QuinStreet Lead Marketing Opportunity
What's Next?
These topics will be dealt with in more detail throughout this bulletin.
An improved version of the Compulife Mobile Quote system is mow available for Apple products at:
The screens have been more appropriately sized to function with the Iphone and Ipod, eliminating the need for zooming. Further, the radio button/choices have been replaced, as they did not re-size properly on the Applie mobile devices.
Let us know if you believe other changes are necessary.
Other phone/mobile device users can try the same above address and compare it with:
If neither works the way you would like, give us a call at (800) 798-3488.
We have completed work for the personalized on-line Mobile software for use on your Smart Phone, wireless PDA or any other device with an internet connection. Work was delayed in August after we realized that not all mobile devices store cookies properly. This means that some older devices may have trouble running the new system. We won't know just how many are affected until we go live. If you have trouble after we go live, you will need to contact us.
Early in September the current mobile web service at:
will cease to function. In its place will be a web page that will have an application to obtain the FREE Mobile Quotation service, providing that you have a qualifying subscription to Compulife.
To initiate that free subscription you will be asked to register for the service (it will be free) by completing an application. Once Compulife has received your application you will be sent a link to your site and a link to your control panel. The control panel will allow you to determine which companies are quoting on your site.
Please note, this new service is NOT a public service. If you want a public quoting service that consumers or colleagues can use for free on your web site, then you need to go here:
NOTE: Compulife Website Quotes are FREE for 4 months and $99 per year thereafter, if you elect to renew.
Once again, after your new Mobile Quotation service is set up (this is FREE to qualifying subscribers) you will be sent a link.
The first time you visit the site you will be asked to create a password for your site. That will register your first device. The next time you visit the site with a different device/browser, you will need to enter the password again. Once a device/browser is registered, the site will recognize the device/browser on subsequent visits and you will not need to re-enter the password.
IMPORTANT: The site should support ANY device that has a basic browsing function on the internet and which allows cookies to be stored on the device.
Standard license subscribers (agencies), will be allowed a maximum of 5 device browsers.
Personal Use subscribers to Compulife are allowed a maximum of 3 device/browers.
For example, if you are a personal use subscriber you may have an Iphone, a Blackberry and an Ipad. Each of those three devices will be able to use your Mobile Quotation system. Anytime any or either of those devices logs into your account, they will be able to run quotes. If you attempt to add a 4th device, the system will object and not allow access.
If you sell/change/upgrade one of your devices, and cannot access your account with the new device, because you have exceeded your limit of devices, you can contact Compulife and we can reset the account allowing you to start over. The first three device/browsers that log in with passwords will be OK from that point forward.
The initial services available on the site will be the same as on the current universal site. The most obvious improvement will be your ability to use the administration panel to determine which companies your site quotes.
Once we have completed a period of testing, where we are confident that our security measures are working properly, we will then add upgrades to the site. The first upgrade will be to add a health analyzer function.
The following email was sent to all current web site quote users in July:
You can now add a health analyzer to your website quotes for an additional fee of $80 per year.
The health analyzer is available in two ways. You can check the two options out at:
The first option is "Mini-Health Analyzer". This version is really targeted at consumer based sites where agents want a little more information about their client. You can see that in operation here:
http://www.compulife.org/website/820/indexminihealth_canada.html
Mini-health asks 4 additional questions which any consumer should easily know the answers to:
The questions are asked in such a way to ensure that a consumer is not confused by the issues or how they relate to the life insurance that they are applying for.
Answering yes to 2, 3 or 4 will take your client through more detailed questionaires related to their yes answer. If the answer to 2, 3 and 4 are no, the system immediately runs the comparison. Your site visitor is only faced with more complicated questionnaires issues if they apply.
For example, if your client has had blood pressure issues, then they are likely to know what their blood pressure actually is. If they have never been treated for blood pressure problems, they may not recall what their blood pressure is and it is pointless to ask. Mini-health is designed to make it simple for consumers.
As with the "Request Application" button on your current web site quotes, any information gleaned from the client's visit will be incorporated into the email which you receive. If you would like to see a sample of this, you should use the sample site above, fill in the questionnaires, and then click the "Request Application" button. Providing that you have given us your email address, we will forward back to you the email that we receive from the sample site. This will let you see the results.
The second option is the "Full Health Analyzer". This option is directed at agencies who use their web quoting system to provide a service to their agents. You can see it here:
http://www.compulife.org/website/820/index_health.html
This time the client entry page is no different than what you have now but when the comparison results appear, a "Health Analyzer" button appears in the top right corner of the comparison results page. If the user clicks the option, a much more extensive questionnaire appears, and permits the agent/consumer to specify any issue that may affect the preferred health rates being offered by the life company.
Once again, either option is available for $80 additional per year.
NOTE: The option is not part of the 4 month free subscription offer.
If you want to add the option, simply complete the application form here:
Three months ago we told you about the slate of domain names that we pre-registered, and that we are offering for sale to our subscribers. A number of the best one's have been picked through and purchased.
The new price is $99 $79 $69 $39 - down $30 from last month. Will we drop the price again? Yes, we suspect that by winter the price for the remaining domain names will drop again. We will probably cut the price dramatically by Christmas and will be practically giving them away. The point is that we will keep dropping prices until our current inventory is sold out.
The problem is that if you wait you may lose a great domain name to someone else. More than one of the sold domain names were requested by another subscriber after they had just been sold to another subscriber who beat the second person to the punch. You snooze, you lose.
And if the latest price cut doesn't suit you, and instead of waiting around for another domain name price drop, feel free to MAKE US AN OFFER on any remaining domain name(s) that you want. If it is a reasonable offer we are likely to take it.
For more information about the domain names that we have for sale, and the web sites that are ready to go, click on:
The following is an announcement that we made this month to our U.S. subscribers. We asked the folks at QuinStreet if they did business in Canada, but they do not. Given that we are creating an automated mechanism that will enable U.S. subscribers to sell surplus leads from their web sites, we thought we would pass along the news of that fact. This could also be done for our Canadian subscribers, however, we have no market for such leads unless someone is brought to our attention. If you think you know of a party who might be interested in buying surplus leads from our subscribers, feel free to copy them the following story. They should contact Bob Barney at (888) 798-3488.
Here is what we said:
We are sharing this concept in advance to ensure that it does not represent any problems or conflicts for our subscribers. Given that this marketing concept will be an OPTION for Compulife subscribers, and that nothing compels any subscriber to participate, we can't imagine any problems.
IMPORTANT: This concept will not be implemented at www.term4sale.com.
This will be an optional way for YOUR web site to generate revenue from leads that you obtain as a result of your use of Compulife quotes on your web site, leads that would otherwise not be of any use to you.
Once again, if you see any problems or conflicts with the following, please tell us about it by emailing us at:
As background, QuinStreet is a lead generation company that is interested in paying you for qualified leads. They will sell the lead to either a direct carrier, broker, or agency in the specified location. NOTE: QuinStreet only sells leads to high volume corporate buyers.
The company initially approached us about buying leads from our www.term4sale.com but we have assured QuinStreet that we did not want to change the term4sale model, which directs consumers to contact life agents who subscribe to Compulife. Therefore, what we are proposing does not involve www.term4sale.com.
However, during our discussions about www.term4sale.com, we suggested that QuinStreet consider offering our subscribers a program to buy leads from our subscriber websites which sometimes receive application requests for insurance from consumers who are in states where the subscriber is not licensed.
We advised QuinStreet that Compulife can automate this process and make it very easy to activate the option for subscribers who wanted to participate. Quinstreet was keen on the idea.
EXAMPLE:
Let's say that you are currently licensed to sell in CA, NV and AZ. Someone visits your web site which is using the Compulife online quote system, such as appears here:
If the individual selects any of the states that you are licensed in (CA, NV or AZ) the site will work exactly as it does now - NO CHANGE.
Now assume that you have decided to enable the QuinStreet option for your site, for all states except CA, NV and AZ. Someone from IL visits your site and fills in the client page. When that visitor clicks the "Compare Now" button, instead of getting a comparison for IL a new QuinStreet page will appear. Compulife will have passed to that page your registered QuinStreet identity and any information that your site has already gathered, such as birth date, sex, etc. The QuinStreet page will ask your visitor for some additional information such as name, phone number, email, etc. Once the user completes and submits the page QuinStreet will then pay you (and Compulife) for that lead.
Quinstreet will pay you a flat $15 per lead which is a percentage of the revenue generated from the lead. Quinstreet will also pay Compulife a small percentage of revenue generated from the lead. This takes into account that Compulife is creating and maintaining the software mechanism that generates these surplus leads from your site.
Therefore, if your site generates 20 leads during the year, you will generate enough money (20 X $15) that it will pay for your subscription to Compulife including the web quote option. C
If the day comes where your site is generating much larger volumes of leads, then you would be well advised to upgrade from our online web quoting option of $99 per year to purchasing the internet quoting engine for your web server which is $995 per year. Once you have the engine you would be able to deal directly with QuinStreet or anyone else that you want.
Assuming that we move forward with this marketing program, all online quote subscribers will have their administration panels modified to add the QuinStreet feature.
First, your administration panel will have a place to indicate that you want to turn on the QuinStreet option (it will default to NO). If the option is set to NO, then your web site quotes will work just as they do now.
Second, we will supply you with a link that will take you to the Quinstreet website where you will complete an application. You will need to do so to receive monthly checks from Quinstreet for the leads you generate. After you complete the Quinstreet application you will then receive a link specific to your account from a Quinstreet account rep. You will need to copy and paste that link into your Compulife administration panel.
Third, you will have a list of states which you will check off, states which you are licensed in. Any states that are not checked will redirect the visitor to the QuinStreet form when they click the Compare Now button. States you have checked will continue to send application requests to you directly, just as your site does now.
To summarize, the new QuinStreet marketing program will be an OPTION that you can enable on your administration panel. If you do not want the option, you will do nothing. If you enable the option, you will identify which states you are licensed in. For all other states QuinStreet will receive the lead and pay you $15 for the lead. Quinstreet will pay you monthly on net 45 payment terms.
About Quinstreet - Founded in 1999, QuinStreet delivers “customer leads on-demand” to high volume corporate and agency clients across multiple verticals. In February 2010 Quinstreet went public with stock symbol NASDAQ:QNST. To learn more about the company please visit their website at www.quinstreet.com.
Let us know what you think.
Once our work on the web engines and Mobile Quotation software is complete, we will be turning our attention to some important maintenance work that is needed to the data entry systems. Those programs have not been updated for quite some time, and some need to be converted to take advantage of the newer programming compilers that we have been using for the Windows software that we already distribute to you. Our goal is to make it easier to program future software, which will ensure that we can roll out changes and improvements more efficiently.
Further, having reviewed where we are heading over the next few years, and the changes that we would like to be able to make in the future, we have decided to stop and do a much more extensive overhaul than simply changing our data entry software. We have determine that we would also like to implement a better data storage structure that will make maintenance easier on both a data entry basis, as well as a programming basis.
To achieve our goals in this regard, we will be spending a fair bit of time reviewing our new data storage needs, and then building conversion software that will convert our existing data files into our new data file structure. Once we have done that, we will then introducing new comparison software that does exactly what it does now, but which derives its results from the new data structure. In other words, you will end up with a new program that does exactly what the old program did/does.
Once this first stage is completed, we will have both old program and old data, with new program and new data. Moving forward we will use the old data entry systems to maintain the old version, then converting old data to the new data forms for general distribution.
The next stage is to create the new data entry systems that talk to the new data format. Once we are satisfied that the new data entry system give us everything that we have now, we will then switch to the new data structure alone. We will only do this once we have thoroughly tested the new software to ensure it gives us no problems in maintaining the date. This may take several months. As far as the part you use, by the time we make that transition, you will have been using the new software for several months.
The point of sharing this with you is that the process will be quite lengthy and so from this spring throughout most of 2010, you will not be seeing many changes and improvements to the software that you use, even though the underlying foundation will be going through a massive change. Once the foundation has been reconstructed, and all the tools to work on the foundation have been built, the program will be in a position to make some substantial moves forward.
Think of it as transplant surgery, where you need to keep the patient alive and well, at the same time as you are swapping out the organs.