Bankrate, our new parent company, recently ran a poll question on their web site that asked consumers if they had previously bought an auto insurance policy online.

The results reveal a population that is very comfortable using the internet to shop for auto insurance. A plurality of respondents, 143 people, have purchased a policy online, finding that they could “compare prices with ease.”

Nonetheless, about a quarter of those polled (23 percent) still want a more personal, human-powered transaction, choosing the “No. I want a real agent by my side” option. About 28 percent selected “No, but I’ve shopped online.” (The no is in reference to whether they’d purchased a policy online.)

[Insert shameless plug for online lead generation here]

In all seriousness, I will say that the poll shows that online leads are an important arrow in your prospecting quiver. People are going online more than ever—if not to buy, then at the very least to compare prices.