Online Insurance Quoter - Software Engineer Seeking Comments

Hello,

I am currently developing a very modern online insurance quoting system, and I am looking for some opinions and suggestions.

I will need agents to trial the software on their web sites when its complete. I am already at several thousand lines of code and its a working quoter as it stands, but have a long way to go in terms of features and modules.

Please share your thoughts and any comments you might have:

1. Of all Insurance quoting systems which area would be most needed and wanted by insurance brokers? e.g. International Insurance, Dental Insurance, Health Insurance, etc (all of the above).

2. What would be needed in the software to make it most effective? Is there something missing in the current available quoters you would like to see?

3. What is the largest pitfall with current online quoters? e.g Cost?, Limitations?, Data Management? Custom development fees, etc?

4. If you could describe the absolute ideal quoting system what would it consist of and what would it cost? Would a flat one time cost no monthly fees make more sense? If so, what would a fair price be (of course depends on the depth of the software).

Please elaborate what you would like to pay and all of the features you would expect in the software.

5. Please describe any ideas or thoughts you might have on this.

Thanks for thoughts.

Rich
 
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Hmm, where to begin....

Is there a particular line of insurance that you are writing a quoter for? For instance, a life insurance quoter is probably much easier to write than an auto insurance quoter. A home quoter would require ties to a reconstruction cost estimator. A business insurance quoter, well, now you start talking much more complex.

You might want to consider hiring a product manager to write at least an Market Requirements Document, if not a product requirements document. Asking end users what they want will result in the inevitable wanting everything for nothing.

Dan
 
Hi Dan,

Thanks for the helpful advice.

Just as a side note, I am not doing this for profit, so hiring anyone is not an option unless they are a volunteer. That's why I am posting here. This is a side "fun" project.

I should have been more specific. My current application caters to Health Insurance quotes based on major carriers in the United States.

I have a long way to go and looking for feedback that would include a list of all the features and needs that any Health Insurance agent would want in a quoter. And suggestions on the most in demand quoter would be helpful.

Hope this paints the picture a bit better.
 
Since health insurance sold by agents will be dead in 2 years, why bother unless you get extra credit for your computer programming class?

Rick
 
Since health insurance sold by agents will be dead in 2 years, why bother unless you get extra credit for your computer programming class?

Rick

Rick,

Well I guess I am having a hard time getting an answer.

Let me rephrase: What would be a valuable and useful online software for Insurance Companies or Agents..

Any ideas?
 
How much would you charge?

IS this for insurance agents, or for their prospects to use?

There are tons of quoting engines out there now. What would make your any better?
 
Problem is, health insurance quoters require CONSTANT maintainence. Rates change in bulk monthly for new applications.

This means if you are doing this for fun, it won't be a quoter I would really want to use, since even if the rates are accurate today, they may not be for next months effective dates. Health is not unique in this, though (term) life is probably the most stable with the fewest variants.

You mentioned charging for this (i.e., you asked how much would you pay) which I took to mean you would actually charge for the use of the rater.

Are you looking at individual or group health? You should probably download the BlueCross desktop program, look at how that works, then figure out what it would take to put all of the carriers into that format (even if its online).

Add in drip marketing, letter templates with mail merge, reminders, etc, etc, and you are off to a good start.

Dan
 
How much would you charge?

IS this for insurance agents, or for their prospects to use?

There are tons of quoting engines out there now. What would make your any better?

I'm charging nothing as I said. I am doing this as a side "fun" project.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Problem is, health insurance quoters require CONSTANT maintainence. Rates change in bulk monthly for new applications.

This means if you are doing this for fun, it won't be a quoter I would really want to use, since even if the rates are accurate today, they may not be for next months effective dates. Health is not unique in this, though (term) life is probably the most stable with the fewest variants.

You mentioned charging for this (i.e., you asked how much would you pay) which I took to mean you would actually charge for the use of the rater.

Are you looking at individual or group health? You should probably download the BlueCross desktop program, look at how that works, then figure out what it would take to put all of the carriers into that format (even if its online).

Add in drip marketing, letter templates with mail merge, reminders, etc, etc, and you are off to a good start.

Dan

Hi Dan,

Health insurance quoter is what I was thinking, and I am aware of the complexities of standard maintenance of keeping the records bulk updated. There is no simple way to do this. But my idea is to give the power to the end user (agents or otherwise) to quickly and easily bulk update the data, so their quoter reflects accurate data easily. I am a software developer by nature and its my job to create programs that replace humans (joke!)..

Yes my original post was confusing.. I was kinda curious what the software would be worth to the end user (eg $19/month) or $500 flat cost... Just was curious on this point if I ever decided to sell it.. So I would need to know all of the expected functions and details that would make it maximized...

Thanks for your comments and suggestions.
 
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If you wanted to do some "magic" most rates are table format and in the same "spot" on company websites. They could be robot farmed. I looked into the possibility but im doing too many things at once as it is.
 
another idea would be to simply create a web form. this is where there is no actual quote being generated, but the same type of questions are asked.... and that person's quote info is immediately emailed to the agent, who then runs the quote and contacts the prospect.

I know that is not as efficient as generating a quote, but it does have some advantages. the agent has the ability to contact the prospect with rates (instead of the client instantly seeing rates, and then move on checking elsewhere).
 
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