Global Report: Insurance Companies Miss Potential of Mobile Apps

Sept. 6, 2012 - PRLog -- The overall winner of the app ranking is the French Axa insurance group, who offers a consistently good app portfolio across all insurance sectors. Axa is followed by the Dutch Aegon Group in second place and the British company Aviva in third. The best offering for auto apps comes from two US companies, State Farm followed by Allstate. The number one ranked insurance company for health insurance apps is Humana with Aetna as runner-up, also both US-based. In the life and pension insurance sector the first rank is taken by Aegon Group followed by Swiss Life. (See Top 3 rankings below)
                                             
However, the MyPrivateBanking report shows that most insurance companies have not yet grasped the potential of insurance apps. In the rating the auto insurers achieved on average only 59%, health insurers 46% and life insurers just under 55% of the maximum achievable points. This picture becomes even bleaker when taking into consideration the fact that insurers without any customer apps were automatically excluded from the analysis.

The biggest shortcomings MyPrivateBanking Research identified in the app strategies of most insurance companies are:  

- Only three out of the 30 analyzed companies cover all three insurance sectors surveyed (auto, health, life & pension). 90% of all apps analyzed are only available in one country.


- The majority of apps don't offer user-friendly features such as a renew policy function, or ones that would improve the claim process. Only about 50% of auto insurance companies provide an “ask for quote” or similar feature. For health and life insurers, the rate is even lower, at about 20%.

- 62% of the insurance apps are only available for iPhone (Apple iOS) despite the fact that Android devices have a higher market share than the iPhone worldwide,  

„The insurance industry uses just 20% of the potential of mobile apps to serve clients better and increase market appeal“, summarizes Steffen Binder, Research Director of MyPrivateBanking the current status. “A few simple steps are all that it would take for mobile apps to become a core tool for insurance companies to differentiate themselves from their competition."

MyPrivateBanking recommends insurance companies aim for mobile apps that are attractive to existing and as well as potential clients by implementing  the following steps:

- Consistent global app strategy: no more scattering of  apps that seem to appear randomly in just a few countries. Instead, a consistent approach is required to rollout the best apps across many countries. The apps should be consistent in branding, security and convenience across different markets worldwide.


- Insurance apps, both on a stand-alone basis as well as a company's portfolio of apps, must have a clear strategic focus. For each app, it has to be clear how the app is integrated with other apps and media channels, and how it satisfies the needs of existing and potential new clients.

- Features such as supporting claim submissions, asking for a quote, product and corporate information and any of a variety of advisory functions should be part of every insurance app portfolio.

- Insurance companies should concentrate their efforts and set priorities. This will avoid work duplication, late deliveries and, over time, implementing a lot of mediocre apps instead of a few superior ones.

„Today, we are seeing only the first beginnings of the mobile app revolution“, points out Steffen Binder. „The challenge for insurance companies will be to offer, across multiple access channels, a platform that allows clients and others to make claims, get quotes, receive critical information together with advice and be entertained, wherever and whenever they wish. Therefore, personal interaction, telephone, online channels for insurers and mobile media will increasingly merge into a unified service platform."

MyPrivateBanking regards robust insurance apps as a strategic key for this new platform as they will be the dominant interface for the customer at home, in the office or on the move, not to mention their future importance for insurance company agents and staff. 



Top 3 Ranked Insurers’ Apps (overall, 30 insurers ranked)

Overall Ranking Insurance Apps
(Combined Auto-, Health- and Life Insurance Apps)

Rank    Company    Total Points (max. 100)
1    Axa                    61
2    Aegon                    52
3    Aviva                    50
          
Ranking Auto Insurance Apps

Rank    Company    Total Points (max. 100)
1    State Farm                    72
2    Allstate                            70
2    Geico                            70
2    Vienna Insurance    70
          
Ranking Health Insurance Apps

Rank    Company    Total Points (max. 100)
1    Humana                    78
2    Aetna                         62
2    Blue Cross                    62
          
Ranking Life-/Pension Insurance Apps

Rank    Company    Total Points (max. 100)
1    Aegon                    82
2    Swiss Life            67
3    AIA                            62
3    Aviva                 62
3    Axa                    62

About the report:
The MyPrivateBanking report "Mobile Apps for Insurance 2012" analyzes in detail the strengths and weaknesses of the mobile applications of the 30 largest insurance companies worldwide. Overall, more than 70 insurance apps are analyzed according to 35 criteria and across the business segments of auto, health and life/pensions insurance. For each insurer the user-friendliness of its mobile apps, the quality of the content and functionality as well as the integration of other media is rated. For further information on the report please check here. Visit http://www.myprivatebankingresearch.com/Report/benchmarki... for Details.

Insurance Companies Analyzed:
Aegon, Aetna, AIA, Allianz, Allstate, Aviva, Axa, Blue Cross (Wellpoint), Bradesco, Coventry Health Care, Crédit Agricole, DKV (MunichRe), Ergo (MunichRe), Geico, Hartford Financial, Humana, ICICI, ING, Insurance Australia Group, Kaiser Permanente, Liberty Mutual, Manulife, NKSJ, Prudential, Standard Life, State Farm, SunLife Financial, Swiss Life, United Health Care, Vienna Insurance Group

About MyPrivateBanking Research:
MyPrivateBanking Research is an independent research firm. Established in 2009 in Switzerland, we specialize in research and analysis on how financial services firm should develop their websites, social media presences and mobile apps to best serve existing customer and to win new clients. We offer our insights in comprehensive reports as well as customized research, workshops and presentations. For further information please check http://www.myprivatebankingresearch.com.