increased 21 percent from the previous year’s survey to a total of 38.8 million quotes submitted online. In 2009, 54 percent of all consumers went online to get auto insurance quotes, and 72 percent have gone online to find auto insurance information at some point in their lives.
UnderwritingYour
————————————— Savvy agents can start to divert a lot of this online business by using Internet tools to duplicate the speed and convenience the direct carriers are providing.
Success
SM
————————————— The economy continues to be a driver in shopping around for insurance. Twenty-one percent of consumers reported they are “more likely� to shop around for insurance due to the economic conditions. We see this play out online with the majority (83 percent) going directly to insurer Web sites, versus only 17 percent going to aggregators and online agencies (Insurance.com, NetQuote, etc.). Of the quotes done on carrier sites, the usual “direct� suspects lead the pack: GEICO (28.8 percent of all quotes), Progressive Direct (28 percent) and Esurance (13.8 percent). Independent agents have a say in all this, as a full 22 percent of consumers went to a multiple-carrier agent. This is a decrease of 3 percent from the previous year, so the focus on improving agent Web site functionality becomes critical – with the inclusion of Web site comparative rating tools, as well as direct-tocarrier quoting links offered by carriers as agency Web site add-ons. [ 25 ]
GIVING PROPERTY OWNERS CONFIDENCE TO BUILD UPON. Years ago, Mike Serluco had a national company insuring his growing property development business. “But they go the way the wind blows,� he says. Then Independent Agent Don Kingsbury, of Christian Baker Insurance Agency, Lemoyne, suggested a local insurer with a stronger commitment to building owners – Millers. “It’s very, very important for an investor to have an insurance partner, and that’s what I call Millers,� Mike says. With the few insurance claims he’s had, “Bing, bam, boom – it’s done and taken care of.� Adds Kingsbury, “With Millers, they actually listen to what you have to say. And not only do they know this industry, they offer package policies at a good price, and they back it up with excellent claims service.� Smart business people, independent agents and Millers...truly partners in protection. .*--&34 .656"- (3061 t 805 N. Front St., Harrisburg, PA 17108 'BY t NJMMFSTJOTVSBODF DPN *OTVSJOH ZPVS CVTJOFTT UISPVHI .JMMFST $BQJUBM *OTVSBODF $PNQBOZ *OTVSJOH -JHIU .BOVGBDUVSJOH t 0GGJDFT t 4NBMM 3FTUBVSBOUT t 3FUBJM 4UPSFT 4USJQ .BMMT t "QBSUNFOU #VJMEJOHT