Study: Auto Insurer Web Sites A User Disaster

By Daniel Hays

NU Online News Service, March 23, 4 :15 p.m.EST?Many auto insurers' online quote systems are so badthey are steering business away from the carrier, a testing firmsaid after researching popular Web locations.[@@]

In a study of 14 leading auto insurance Web sites, byWeb MysteryShoppers International Inc. of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, .nearlyhalf the 476 testers reported receiving error messages when theytried to get a quote.

Mystery Shoppers said more than a third of the testers were putoff by the sites asking for personal information that should not berequired just to get a quote, such as whether they own or leasetheir home.

"There's huge potential for auto insurers to increase sales andlower selling costs by making their Web sites moreshopper-friendly," said Tema Frank, president of Web MysteryShoppers International Inc.

"The differences between the best sites, such as AmericanFamily, and the worst were enormous ? much bigger than what wetypically see in our industry studies," Ms. Frank said. She notedthat only 11percent of Web Mystery Shoppers testing AmericanFamily's site got error messages, versus 70 percent at the worstsite.

"The shoppers told us that they want to comparison shop -- mostof them said they'd get quotes from at least three or four sitesbefore deciding who to go with. But if you can't even get throughan insurer's online quoting form without problems, you've got towonder how painful it would be if you ever had to make a claim!"commented Ms. Frank.

Web Mystery Shoppers said it studied the following companies'Web sites: AIG Direct, Allstate, American Family, Esurance, Geico,GMAC, Insure.com, InsWeb, Liberty Mutual, Progressive, State Farm,Travelers, Unitrin Direct, and Youdecide.com

The study is available for purchase from Web Mystery ShoppersInternational Inc. online at www.webmysteryshoppers.com or toll-free: 1-866-211-7027.

Web Mystery Shoppers International Inc. said its services helpcompanies increase sales and lower selling costs.

The company said it uses large numbers of trained, paid testers,who work from their own computers and provide detailed,page-by-page feedback, about their experience, to give clientsinsight not only about the Web site, but about differences in userperception based on variables like computer and browser systems andInternet experience.

Ms. Frank said the names of the poorly rated firms were onlybeing released to buyers of the survey. "Our purpose is not tobadmouth the bad companies but to help companies," she said.

"We're not a rating service," said Ms. Frank, "we're one thathelps companies improve in what they are doing."

She said that her company wants to avoid the perception that ifa firm contracts with Mystery Shoppers "you go higher on the list,"adding that "the reality is that different companies are good ondifferent things and vary on where they are worst."