Progressive Named Online Service Leader

Progressive Insurance's Web site was ranked number-one in terms of overall customer satisfaction and experience by a national research firm.

Keynote Systems in San Mateo, Calif., ranked Geico of Chevy Chase, Md., second followed by Madison, Wisc.-based American Family.

Mayfield, Ohio-based Progressive topped the list in overall online excellence and best practices, followed by USAA, San Antonio and Geico, according to the research firm.

The two Keynote studies indicated that 72 percent of consumers use the Internet to obtain auto insurance quotes. “In the highly competitive $158 billion auto insurance industry, price competitiveness and the online quote process are the leading indicators of success in landing new customers online,” according to a Keynote statement.

Geico topped the list of companies in terms of acquiring new customers, followed by State Farm and Progressive.

Most important to consumers purchasing auto insurance is price, with more than three-quarters saying it is “extremely important.”

Lance Jones, Keynote associate director of auto industry research, said that with the Web becoming “the primary source for obtaining quotes, Web site features and ease of use are gaining in importance as well.”

Nearly two-thirds of customers said ease of use of a company's Web site is extremely or very important in their selection of an auto insurance policy.

“Consumers used to be required to fill out lengthy coverage protection forms online and choose from 10 or more coverage types,” Mr. Jones said. “Today, about half the insurers we study allow users to get quotes by choosing from a group of several pre-set coverage packages.”

Another study comparing various financial services sectors using the Web found that the insurance industry ranked at the bottom of the list in their treatment of online customers.

The Customer Respect Group, Ipswich, Mass., said the average insurance customer respect ranking was 5.1 on a scale of one-to-10.