Survey: Majority of Consumers Research Insurance Online

05/05/2010

Insurance agents trying to attract new customers may benefit by building their business online, according to a recent report by AIS Media.

A survey of more than 4,500 Americans showed that 59 percent of them preferred researching insurance rates online rather than making a phone call. Search engines are the second-most popular tool for this research, according to the Insurance Customer Interactive Media survey, and were used by 32 percent of respondents. Friends and family were the top resource for insurance information.

Less than 10 percent of respondents in the survey did not have insurance. Health insurance was the most common type of coverage. By not targeting individuals through interactive marketing technology, insurance companies are missing revenue opportunities, according to a report by the Insurance Journal.

"Integrating an effective interactive marketing strategy to existing direct mail campaigns can provide insurance companies the potential for immediate increases in marketing ROI and measurability," AIS Media CEO Thomas Harpointner told the Journal.

In addition to email newsletters and Facebook page updates, many insurance agents and organizations have taken to microblogging website Twitter to provide their customers with the latest industry-specific and company news.

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