Online Car Insurance Quotes: Automated Web Sales
Going back in time ten years, ‘online car insurance quotes’, meant that instead of receiving a wad of papers in the mail, you received quotes via email from an agent. You would have needed to have actually spoken to the agent in person or at least over the telephone.
In the past, it seemed ridiculous to assume that any agent would give up their secret weapon in the fight for new clients. Most of them would never even think about handing out a quote to a potential client if they didn’t actually come to their office for a real meeting.
It’s not like that anymore. These days, the agents of the past have given way to automated web sales which concentrate on price rather than the agent-customer relationship. Young urbanites find the shift to the Internet particularly handy, as it is their preferred form of media. Older, less tech-savvy customers will gradually have to look online too as more and more companies focus on web sales and agents have less to offer in comparison.
It is more and more common for car insurance quotes to be offered on line. As customers are increasingly occupied with other day to day activities, they have become increasingly more comfortable with online purchasing, even for major items. And, as their awareness of their options has grown along with their technological proficiency, their demand for more self-service opportunities has grown as well.
Formerly unknown car insurance firms have emerged as viable entities. Customers started looking online for free auto insurance quotes with no strings attached and discounted auto insurance. The market leaders were slow in responding. Smaller companies took advantage of this hesitation, focused on the change in customer appetites and become national players in the process.
Now almost all carriers can provide online car insurance quotes, with the largest carriers jumping in to keep pace with the market. The numbers keep increasing but this is really good news for insurance shoppers. The more companies who are competing for your business the more advantage to the person seeking the best buy on a policy.
The discount car insurance industry has been changed forever by technology. Ten years ago, before promises of free quotes and huge savings become the norm, it was far more difficult to get quotes and take the time to compare them properly. There are many new competitors in the car insurance business, all seeking to make their mark through lower prices and/or better service when you need them.
Giving car insurance quotes to prospective customers used to be a huge leverage tool for agents. Before the advent of the Internet, agents required an appointment or commitment before even giving out a quote. But times have changed. Websites have replaced many agents. People are now used to making purchases and doing all kinds of business over the Internet without dealing with salespeople, and they demanded self-service in seeking online car insurance quotes as well. Small insurance companies snatched the opportunity to give visitors a free auto insurance quote with no strings attached. To find discount car insurance, you only need to spend a few minutes comparing online.
- Dan Carter
