DRIVING A BETTER CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE A DIGITAL USER EXPERIENCE ANALYSIS OF THE UK S TOP CAR INSURERS

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1 DRIVING A BETTER CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE A DIGITAL USER EXPERIENCE ANALYSIS OF THE UK S TOP CAR INSURERS CREATED BY DATE INSTINCT STUDIOS MAY 24 INSTINCT STUDIOS A: 30 BRISTOL GARDENS LONDON W9 2JQ T: (0)

2 INTRODUCTION The time of seeing digital as one of the distribution channels is gone. It is now THE distribution channel. Companies that do not invest in the quality of the user experience will be left in the wake of those that do. Craig Scarr - Financial Services Advisory - Grant Thornton UK LLP Digital user experience (UX) is playing an increasingly important sales and service role within many industries, including financial services. With the Financial Conduct Authority pushing for greater transparency and for customer communications to be clear, fair and not misleading, this report investigates the quality of the online sales process within the UK car insurance market. With over 28 million cars on the road in Great Britain, the car insurance industry serves a significant proportion of the population. The question is, how good is the digital user experience for millions of car owners and which insurers provide the best digital service? The report analyses the web user experience of 12 car insurers, as well as the top insurance aggregators and companies from other sectors. It provides a comprehensive understanding of the digital landscape and helps to identify best practices from both inside and outside the car insurance industry. 27 COMPANIES ANALYSED 05 KEY AREAS 74 UX DATA POINTS In April and early May 24, the Instinct Studios user experience team analysed the digital user experience of 12 insurance providers and compared this to 6 insurance aggregators and 9 non-insurance companies. This report focuses on the car insurance quote process and develops a similar and comparable assessment approach for non-insurance companies. The UX scoring system was split into 5 key areas and included 74 UX data points. The key areas analysed were Application Form, Quote Page, Addons, Confirmation/Payment and Help & Support. COMPANIES INCLUDED Admiral, Allianz, Aviva, Churchill, Direct Line, Esure, LV=, M&S Insurance, More Than, Quote Me Happy, Tesco Bank and Zurich AGGREGATORS AA, Comparethemarket, Confused, Google, MoneySupermarket and uswitch NON- COMPANIES Amazon, Apple, British Airways, BT, EasyJet, EE, Pegasus, Ryanair and Tesco Direct The UX bar is low among insurers. The sector needs to set a new digital UX benchmark. MAY 24 / PAGE 2 of 13

3 METHODOLOGY The report methodology is bespoke to the car insurance market, and has been designed and conducted by Instinct Studios. EXPERT ASSESSMENT Three user experience architects independently assessed each company. The UX architects then discussed and moderated their ratings, to ensure the final UX scores were as robust and consistent as possible. KEY AREAS The quote journey was divided into five key areas: APPLICATION FORM QUOTE PAGE 03 ADD-ONS 04 CONFIRMATION & PAYMENT 05 HELP & SUPPORT UX CRITERIA A range of criteria were assigned to each key area and included: LAYOUT VISUAL BRANDING 03 PROCESS PLAYBACK & NOTIFICATION 04 NAVIGATION 05 CALLS TO ACTION 06 USABILITY DATA POINTS Overall, 74 UX data points were assessed and included: RATING SCALE Each UX data point was assessed using the following scale: POINTS Element is missing, or if it exists, it is detrimental to the process. POINTS Element is partially present. POINTS Element is present, but not prominent on the page. POINTS Element is present and prominent but not optimal*. POINTS Element is present, prominent and optimal. It improves the general user experience. PERCENTAGES The highest possible score was 74 out of 74. We have converted each company s score into a percentage, in order to make comparisons easier. For example a company scoring 37 out of 74 would be shown as 50%. DOES THE PAGE READ IN AN INTUITIVE ORDER? IS THERE A CLEAR HIERARCHY OF INFORMATION? 03 IS THE PAGE EASY TO SCAN? * Non-optimal example: A date picker that allows the user to select a policy start date that is more than 30 days in the future. 04 IS THE LAYOUT RESPONSIVE? 05 IS THE LAYOUT TOUCH-OPTIMISED? MAY 24 / PAGE 3 of 13

4 MAIN FINDINGS Overall, the average digital UX rating of the insurance industry is 67%, which significantly lags behind the average of the non-insurance companies analysed (80%). 67% 80% INDUSTRY AVERAGE NON- COMPANIES AVERAGE Insurance providers are a long way behind other sectors, such as travel, retail and telecoms. The insurance industry s UX rating is being dragged down by insurance providers whose 60% average UX rating compares poorly to the insurance aggregator s 79%. 60% 79% AVERAGE AGGREGATORS AVERAGE Although the digital customer experience bar is relatively low among insurance providers, there are signs of significant investment in this area. 12 AVIVA is the highest ranked insurance provider with 73%. DIRECT LINE & CHURCHILL are joint 2 nd with 69%. Direct Line and Churchill transformed their user experience during the benchmarking phase. Before making these changes their scores were 47% and 45% respectively. ADMIRAL is the lowest ranked insurance provider with 43%, followed by Tesco Bank (50%) and LV= (52%). AGGREGATORS With 86%, GOOGLE was the highest ranked insurance aggregator, followed by Money Supermarket and uswitch (both 82%). NON- COMPANIES With 87%, EASYJET was the highest ranked non-insurance company, followed by Tesco Direct (86%) and Apple (84%). In 23, only Aviva had a responsive quote journey web, tablet and mobile). Aviva has now been joined by the likes of More Than, Direct Line and Churchill. MAY 24 / PAGE 4 of 13

5 CROSS-SECTOR UX ANALYSIS PEGASUS 75% AMAZON 73% RYANAIR 72% 100% 73% AVIVA 69% DIRECT LINE 69% CHURCHILL 68% M&S The average digital UX score among insurance providers is just 60%. EE 79% 75% 66% MORE THAN This lags significantly behind insurance aggregators (79%) and non-insurance companies (80%). BRITISH AIRWAYS 80% 50% 63% QUOTEMEHAPPY The best performers have a simple layout and a consistent web, tablet and mobile experience. BT 81% APPLE 84% TESCO DIRECT 86% 50% 25% 25% 25% 62% ALLIANZ 56% ZURICH 54% ESURE 75% EASYJET 87% 100% 50% 52% LV= AGGREGATORS 75% 50% TESCO BANK NON- NON- COMPARETHEMARKET 71% 100% 43% ADMIRAL CONFUSED 75% AA 77% USWITCH 82% GOOGLE 86% MONEY SUPERMARKET 82% AGGREGATORS MAY 24 / PAGE 5 of 13

6 BY KEY AREA APPLICATION FORM The application form is the first stage of the process, where the user inputs the details necessary to generate a quote/ price. TOP THREE AVIVA 71% CHURCHILL 66% DIRECT LINE 66% KEY INSIGHTS AVIVA Aviva has a simple and intuitive layout that contains a defined hierarchy with clear headings, logical grouping and modularisation of information. Aviva s process is one of the few that is touch-optimised. BEST PRACTICE OBSERVATION GOOGLE Google s contemporary look is easy to read and scan. They provide big fields and clear call to actions. BOTTOM THREE 10 LV= 50% ADMIRAL The Admiral application form lacks features or visual aids to enhance the user experience. This can make the form feel tedious and long-winded. 11 ZURICH 44% 12 ADMIRAL 30% MAY 24 / PAGE 6 of 13

7 BY KEY AREA QUOTE PAGE The quote page displays the annual and monthly price and summarises the level of cover that the price includes. TOP THREE MORE THAN 79% M&S 75% QUOTE ME HAPPY 75% KEY INSIGHTS MORE THAN AND M&S In the case of both More Than and M&S the price is prominent and clearly displays what the quote includes. M&S create a retail experience through the use of a shopping basket. LV= BEST PRACTICE OBSERVATION AA The price is clear and easily visible. Switching between monthly and annual fees is intuitive and it s very easy to understand what s included in the price. BOTTOM THREE 10 ESURE 38% The LV= price could be displayed in a more transparent manner. There is a lack of contextual support on this page and the reviewing/editing option is complicated and counter-intuitive. 10 LV= 38% 12 ADMIRAL 35% MAY 24 / PAGE 7 of 13

8 BY KEY AREA ADD-ONS This relates to the promotion of additional cover options such as breakdown cover, lost key cover, motor legal assistance etc. As add-ons are such an important element of the car insurance sales process, we have analysed this separately to the quote page (where addons are typically promoted). TOP THREE 03 M&S 82% ALLIANZ & MORE THAN 71% BOTTOM THREE 10 ZURICH 75% ADMIRAL 63% KEY INSIGHTS M&S M&S scored well because they group add-ons into modules and clearly display the prices. M&S use high level information and visual images to grab the user s attention. TESCO Tesco does not use modules or visual stimulus to help the user view add-ons and the prices of each add-on are not prominent enough these issues make Tesco add-ons confusing and difficult to understand. BEST PRACTICE OBSERVATION EASYJET Add-on options are prominently displayed and further information is easy to access. The add call to action is also very obvious. 11 AVIVA 61% 12 TESCO 38% MAY 24 / PAGE 8 of 13

9 BY KEY AREA CONFIRMATION & PAYMENT Once the user has decided to proceed with the purchase, they will move to the confirmation and payment page. TOP THREE 03 AVIVA 94% M&S 94% MORE THAN 88% KEY INSIGHTS AVIVA AND M&S Aviva and M&S use a simple layout with expandable and collapsible modules, allowing the user to review information before purchasing the policy. BEST PRACTICE OBSERVATION M&S M&S provides a visually rich and engaging confirmation page, the user has options to review and amend details with clear calls to action and there are multiple payment options that are clearly presented to the user. ZURICH BOTTOM THREE LV= 63% ZURICH 63% Having clicked Buy now, the user is unable to review their information before proceeding to the final payment page. Also, the main price display does not reflect the customer s chosen payment type. 12 ADMIRAL 56% MAY 24 / PAGE 9 of 13

10 BY KEY AREA HELP & SUPPORT Help & Support relates to the level and quality of guidance the user was given throughout the car insurance purchase process. TOP THREE AVIVA 89% CHURCHILL 61% DIRECT LINE 61% KEY INSIGHTS AVIVA Aviva provide intuitive contextual help and FAQs to support the user during the process. In addition, the user is given live chat and call us options throughout the quote journey. BEST PRACTICE OBSERVATION AVIVA A chat window appears if the user has been inactive for a while. This is a good example of proactive help and support. MORE THAN BOTTOM THREE TESCO 42% ADMIRAL 39% The help & support that More Than provides is not intuitive enough. As a user scrolls down the page, important contact information disappears and there is a lack of visual clues to signpost contextual help. 11 MORE THAN 39% MAY 24 / PAGE 10 of 13

11 RESPONSIVE SERVICES YES NO PARTIALLY OPTIMISED The implementation of responsive web experiences across mobile and tablet devices has been examined, as well as that of touch-optimised experiences. DESKTOP Users increasingly expect to access services across a range of devices. For example a car insurance customer may choose to begin the quote journey on a mobile and then review and purchase on a desktop. The user experience therefore needs to be consistent and responsive across devices. TABLET MOBILE Until recently only Aviva had a responsive quote journey (web, tablet and mobile). Aviva has now been joined by More Than, Direct Line and Churchill and we would expect to see other insurers focus attention on this area in the future. TOUCH OPTIMISED ADMIRAL ALLIANZ AVIVA CHURCHILL DIRECTLINE ESURE LV= M&S MORE THAN QUOTE ME HAPPY TESCO ZURICH Mobile is becoming increasingly important, but few insurance providers have responsive and touch enabled sites. MAY 24 / PAGE 11 of 13

12 SUMMARY The digital customer experience bar is relatively low among insurance providers. Insurance aggregators have clearly invested in their digital customer experience they are on a par with the likes of Amazon, Apple, BT and British Airways. There are encouraging signs that insurance providers are now investing more in the digital UX. Customers digital expectations are rising fast. Craig Scarr - Financial Services Advisory - Grant Thornton UK LLP INSTINCT S TOP 5 UX TIPS # The customer experience should be as simple and intuitive as possible. # A responsive and touch optimised experience is no longer a nice-to-have people will expect a great experience however they choose to access a quote. #03 Offer a prominent, multi-channel help & support capability including live chat and telephone. #04 Create add-on bundles that are customised and relevant to the user. #05 At the payment stage, make it very clear what the customer is buying and how much they re paying. Insurers must react to rising customer expectations by creating digital user experiences that fit into people s everyday lives. MAY 24 / PAGE 12 of 13

13 ABOUT INSTINCT STUDIOS Instinct Studios is a new type of FinTech company. We create smarter customer experiences to simplify the world of financial services across web, mobile and touch-enabled devices. We help financial services companies deliver transformational digital change, enabling them to win and retain more business. By making processes effortless and complex data meaningful, we help end-customers make clear and informed financial decisions. We do all this by blending design and technology expertise with a deep understanding of financial services. W: instinctstudios.com A: 30 Bristol Gardens, London, W9 2JQ All rights reserved. Please contact Instinct Studios Ltd if you would like to reproduce all or part of this report. Please cite source when quoting. CONTACT US For more information on this UX analysis report or to find out how Instinct Studios can support your business, please contact either Kirsty Weston or Jeremy Mugridge. KIRSTY WESTON Client Services Director T: (0) M: E: [email protected] JEREMY MUGRIDGE Marketing Director T: (0) M: E: [email protected] MAY 24 / PAGE 13 of 13