If you go to any insurance convention these days, you're almost sure to hear agents, companies or both calling for greater use of the Internet for processing business. Judging from the results of the 2005 American Agent & Broker Readership Survey, those calls are leading to action. While the percentage of respondents using the Internet to transact business with their insurers was unchanged at 89%, the percentage using the Net to submit small-business applications rose to 85% from 73% last year, while the percentage submitting other commercial-lines business electronically rose 10 points, to 46%. Other survey results indicate agents and brokers are getting more interested in having their own Web sites too.

Forms for the 2005 survey were sent to 750 randomly selected readers; 384 returned the forms, a 51.2% response rate. Most of the readers (43%) are located in areas they describe as “urban/suburban,” while 22% characterize them as “suburban” and 20% as “suburban/rural.” Eight percent said their territories were “rural,” and 7% called them “urban.”

Technology

Readers' growing interest in Internet technology was reflected in more than just the question about business submissions. In this year's survey, the percentage of respondents who have a Web site rose 2 points to 58%. More significantly, the percentage of respondents who don't have a Web site now but plan to get one in the year ahead rose 10 points, to 43%.