July 25, 2011

How The Online Insurance Market Has Changed In The Last Five Years

It used to be that shopping for any insurance, including auto insurance, meant driving to a bunch of locations to meet with agents, or calling a number of providers to speak to representatives. The entire process was lengthy, and oftentimes, it took a few insurance companies before you actually found one that offered the coverage you needed at the price you wanted. But with the advent of the Internet, companies began utilizing the online space for more than just advertisements for a place to put their company information. As a result, getting auto insurance online was made easier and faster with changes in the online insurance market. In just the last five years, the online insurance market has made some large strides.

Many if not all of the insurance companies that have physical locations have either made the move entirely online or have a strong online presence. What this means for customers is that auto insurance online can be obtained for some of the really big names in the industry. Customers no longer have to visit an agent personally since they can often complete the entire process of obtaining auto insurance online. In order to stay on top of the industry and stay in front of customers, the big insurance companies have made this strategic move to have a fully functional website in addition to continuing their television, radio and print ads.

But the big names are not the only players in the online auto insurance realm. One of the biggest changes of the last five years is that there are many more companies offering auto insurance. Rather than have to select from the bigger names in the industry, which can sometimes be more expensive than one might want, they have more affordable options. A great number of online only insurance companies have sprung up in the last five years that offer customers a variety of discounts and affordable policies, while still offering the same coverage. Customers no longer have to settle for a particular policy or premium, as they can shop around and find the best deal.

Another big addition that has sprung up in the online auto insurance industry is the comparison website. A few comparison websites have made themselves available to customers who simply don't have the time to search through the entire Web to find an affordable policy. These comparison websites take all of the hard work away from the customers and provide them with a list of quotes from different companies that the customers can compare. They are quick and easy to use and save the user a lot of time. In the end, all of these changes have made insurance shopping easier.