Without customer-focused initiatives to improve operations in 2013, some insurers may not have a place in the 2014 market, either on Main Street or on the Internet.

A market moving toward self-service has brought traditional insurers to a juncture where they must determine where to position their technological investments. Will they be focusing on either agent- or Internet-initiated customer interactions, or both? With the right technology, an insurer does not necessarily have to choose between building person-to-person relationships with their customers and efficient, automated transactions.