Online Auto Insurance Purchases Up in '05: Are You Poised to Take Advantage?
2005 was the year of researching and purchasing auto insurance online, says comScore Networks, a company which analyzes Internet usage to measure and understand consumer behavior and attitudes.
The recent comScore analysis showed a dramatic increase in the total number of auto insurance quotes submitted online, up 24 percent in 2005; online auto insurance purchases jumped 29 percent in 2005.
Why the increase?
Nicolas Tabbal, VP of comScore's Financial Division points out that consumers are becoming more comfortable conducting business online.
Another factor in the spike: consumers are finding what they need online, including informational articles on auto insurance, a menu of coverage options and recommendations tailored to their specific needs. As a result, quote requests submitted at insurer Web sites jumped 75 percent this year.
How can insurance agents take advantage of this trend?
Spend some time updating your Web layout.
When it comes to your Web site's layout, it should be as clean and easy to navigate as possible—especially when it comes to informative articles and agency information. Not sure what elements you'd like to incorporate into your Web site? Take a look at your favorite sites and incorporate these practices into your site.
Make contacting your agency easy.
Beef up the FAQ section of your Web site to give consumers a way to reach you with additional questions. Phone contact should also be easy and straightforward—instead of putting callers through infuriating multiple phone menus, try to simplify options to fit into one or two menus tops.
Expand your payment options.
It's the 21st century and time to get with automatic withdrawls and/or online bill pay. Expanding your payment options will be of great convenience to your clients and will cut down on the amount of administrative duties in your agency— saving you time and money.
With online auto insurance trends projected to continue, insurers who don't use the Web to attract new clients and maintain their existing client base will undoubtedly fall behind.
Don't worry. We won't leave you hanging. Check out our article, Eliminating the Hoops: Streamlining Business Practices, for more tips and how-to ways to get in the game.
[Check out the original source of the comScore findings here. ]
