4 reasons your fund needs a mobile-first website
A mobile-first website isn’t simply an investment in technology, it’s an investment in participant service, satisfaction, and time.
Wherever life may take your participants, and whatever may change for them – locations, job sites, plan dependents – one thing remains constant: participants need 24/7 access to reliable plan benefit information.
A mobile-first website can have a significant impact on how participants access information, and how a Fund manages plan inquiries and requests. Much more than a digital Summary Plan Description, done well, a mobile-friendly benefits website can become an essential service—making it easier for participants to find answers, complete routine tasks, and stay connected to their benefits wherever and whenever they need.
Here are four reasons Funds should consider making a mobile-first website a priority.
1. Reach participants wherever they are
Today, a smartphone is often the most convenient—and sometimes the only—way participants access information online. For those who spend their days on jobsites, travel for work, or live far from a Fund office, having benefit information available on a mobile device can make a significant difference.
A mobile-first website can put important information at participants’ fingertips, including:
- Eligibility requirements
- Benefit summaries
- Forms and applications
- Contact information
- Provider resources
- Frequently asked questions
- Important announcements and updates
- Information about enrollment and life events
Instead of waiting until they are home, get on a computer, or call the Fund office, participants can access information when and where they need it.
2. Reduce confusion and unnecessary calls
Benefits can be complicated. Participants may have questions about eligibility, coverage, claims, forms, dependents, or where to find the right resource.
When information is difficult to find, the natural response is to call the Fund office.
Personal service will always be important. Some questions require a conversation with an experienced Fund representative, particularly when a participant’s circumstances are unique or complex.
But not every question requires a phone call.
A clear, comprehensive website can give participants a reliable source of truth for common questions and routine information. It can also give Union representatives a trusted resource to share when participants need information.
For example, instead of explaining where to find a particular form or repeatedly answering the same basic question, a representative can direct a member to a specific page on the Fund website.
That creates a better experience for everyone.
Participants get answers faster, while Fund staff can spend less time responding to repetitive inquiries and more time helping participants with situations that genuinely require personal attention. Digital self-service doesn’t have to replace personal service. It can protect personal service for the moments when it matters most.
3. Streamline administration
A strong digital experience isn’t just about improving the participant experience. It can also help Funds operate more efficiently.
Every routine question that can be answered online represents an opportunity to reduce administrative effort.
A well-organized website can allow participants to independently find information, download forms, review requirements, understand processes, and get answers to frequently asked questions.
Over time, those small efficiencies can add up.
Fund staff can devote more time to complicated claims questions, individual participant situations, education, and other issues where their expertise and human interaction are essential.
4. Increase participant satisfaction
When dealing with a health issue, or struggling to find the right information, it is natural to feel frustrated or upset. When it comes to encouraging participants to make the best use of their benefits, clear and easy to access information can make a difficult experience better.
A modern, mobile-first website can simplify the participant journey by organizing information around the questions members actually have.
Instead of forcing participants to understand the Fund’s organizational structure or benefits terminology, the website can guide them in plain, straightforward language.
For example, participants may be looking for answers to questions such as:
“Am I eligible?”
“How do I add a dependent?”
“Where can I find this form?”
“Who do I contact about my claim?”
“What benefits are available to me?”
A participant-centered website starts with those questions and makes the answers easy to find.
That simplicity matters. When members can quickly find accurate information, they are more likely to feel confident that they understand their benefits—and confident that their Fund is there when they need it.
In summary
A good digital experience can help turn benefits information from something participants struggle to understand into something they can confidently use. The best Fund websites don’t try to replace the people behind the benefits. They extend the reach of those people and help them focus their attention on where it provides the greatest value to all.
A mobile-first website puts the Fund in your participants pocket—wherever work and life may take them.