The quarterly UK Insurance Benchmark Survey by Global Reviews looks at several hundred online criteria designed around the needs of consumers researching and applying for insurance online.

These criteria include whether the site enables users to trust the provider, whether the site gives users all the information they need to get a quote and apply, as well as looking at the site’s coverage of products and support for users if they need help.

“The benchmarks conducted in Q3 2011 found that the average UK insurance site scored well below the minimum required to be deemed to be meeting consumer needs, suggesting that the UK insurance industry overall struggles to meet customer expectations,” said Rebecca Jennings, Global Reviews’ senior client advisor.

“Across the specific industries examined – life, health, motor and home – just a handful of UK insurance provider’s sites satisfied sufficient criteria to be meeting a basic level of customer needs.

“The highest scoring brand overall was LV, whose sites all just exceed the basic score required, with Aviva not far behind across most sectors, though Axa’s health site was the best health insurance site examined.”

She said four significant areas needed to be addressed: providing users with all the information they need to actually go through the quote and buy process; using the pricing page to convince users to become customers; self-service tools; and price and service comparisons.

Ms Jennings described these as “quite basic design and functionality issues” which can be easily and quickly addressed, and added that it would give insurers “measurable competitive advantage” in improving conversion rates.

However, she concluded: “But the simple fact remains – that all UK insurers are all failing a long way short of the most basic usability standards – which is not only costing them wasted online investment, but most importantly, valuable new customers.”