ACORD Digital Customer Experience Study Highlights Value Of Effective And Engaging Insurance Websites

CHARLESTON, S.C., March 27, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- ACORD, the global standards-setting body for the insurance industry, today released the Digital Customer Experience Study: U.S. Personal Lines 2019. This report highlights the results of an in-depth study on the ability of U.S. insurance carriers to successfully deliver an engaging and satisfying experience to customers who research and buy home and auto insurance online. Findings were presented at One Place 2019, hosted by study sponsors Benefitfocus.

"When shopping for insurance, consumer demands are no longer shaped by our industry alone," said ACORD President and CEO Bill Pieroni. "Their familiarity with the current online and app-based retail environment creates expectations for what a satisfying digital shopping experience entails. ACORD's research underscores the opportunity – and necessity – for insurers to invest in improving their delivery of digital customer experience."

The study involved a comprehensive survey which evaluated the candidate websites using 121 distinct criteria, resulting in over 30,000 individual impressions. Because it is part of a series of related studies conducted in various global markets, ACORD was able to not only measure U.S. carriers relative to one another, but also compare the industry overall against other geographies.

Key questions answered by the study include:

• How does the U.S. insurance industry perform compared to its global peers? How big is the gap between the most and least successful websites?
• Does customer engagement go hand-in-hand with functionality and ultimate consumer satisfaction? Which of them does the industry find it more challenging to deliver?
• Are U.S. consumers vocal brand advocates compared to their counterparts in other countries? Are they more likely to share their positive or negative experiences?

Ray August, President and CEO of Benefitfocus, noted the study's relevance to an industry where digital strategy is critical. "As the world's leading benefits management platform, we are strong believers in the power of a compelling digital experience," said August. "The importance of digital sales in property and casualty lines continues to grow, and this truly unique and market-leading study provides valuable insights on the current and future state of the industry."

In the course of the study, ACORD identified and screened approximately 1,200 personal lines carriers, focusing on a representative sample which accounts for 65% of the industry's total gross written premium. ACORD then applied a proprietary methodology to evaluate the candidate websites along multiple dimensions, and analyze their performance.

"Our persona-driven evaluations were built around a comprehensive portfolio of demographic and psychographic factors," said Pieroni. "This allowed us to derive more detailed, complete, and industry-specific results than typical studies of this kind – which leads to deeper insights for anyone interested in delivering a competitive digital experience."

The full report and more information on the ACORD Digital Customer Experience Study series are available at www.acord.org/research.

About ACORD
ACORD (Association for Cooperative Operations Research and Development) is the global standards-setting body for the insurance industry. ACORD facilitates fast, accurate data exchange and efficient workflows through the development of electronic standards, standardized forms, and tools to support their use. ACORD members worldwide include hundreds of insurance and reinsurance companies, agents and brokers, software providers, financial services organizations and industry associations. ACORD maintains offices in New York and London. Learn more at www.acord.org.

CONTACT:     Nancy Hostler             
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SOURCE ACORD