American consumers look more frequently to the web and interactive promotions when making purchasing decisions for insurance, according to a new survey.
The survey — 2010 Insurance Customer Interactive Media Usage Survey conducted by AIS Media Inc. — queried the public on where they obtain information about insurance services and how receptive they are to interactive promotions for insurance.
Some 59 percent of the respondents stated that after receiving an insurance offer in the mail they are more likely to visit the insurance company’s Web site rather than call the company. The survey says that more Americans now use the web to engage with insurance companies instead of telephone — a trend that is expected to increase. Traditional advertising could be losing its appeal, according to AIS. Some 32 percent of consumers researching insurance options turn to search engines to begin their research versus only 3 percent that use the Yellow Pages. In addition, a third of all survey respondents would consider purchasing their insurance online, which indicates to the insurance industry, like numerous other industries, the web is now the first stop for a growing number of Americans. The survey authors say over time the web will become the one-stop shop for all insurance needs.
“An overwhelming number of insurance customers prefer to visit a Web site after receiving direct mail insurance offers and a significant number of insurance customers are influenced by interactive media,” said Thomas Harpointner, CEO of AIS Media. “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.”
The survey showed that insurance company Web sites will be pivotal not only for acquiring new customers, but retaining customers in the long term. For a growing number of consumers, the Web site is the first point of contact with an insurance company, one that leads them dissatisfied could also cause the company to lose sales. Thirty-one percent of the respondents were dissatisfied with insurance company existing Web site usability; 49.5 percent were somewhat satisfied; and only 19.5 percent were very satisfied or extremely satisfied with existing Web sites.
Source: AIS Media, www.aismedia.com
Topics Trends
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