To get online car insurance quotes ten years ago, you would have to call an agent who would send a quote to you via email. This process was an advance on having the agent send you a pile of papers through the mail, but it still required at least a telephone conversation and often a personal appointment with the agent.

In the past, it would have been unthinkable that insurance agents would forego the use of their greatest marketing leverage. Most agents used to refuse to give a potential client a quote unless that person was prepared to meet with the agent in person.

That has all changed. Relationship-focused agents are more and more being replaced by price-focused, highly automated website sales. This sea change to the Internet serves the young and urban, the groups that tend to prefer the web over all other media. As companies turn their attention more to web sales, older and less technologically sophisticated customers will be pushed to the web as their agents become less and less effective in comparison.

Online car insurance quotes have gained in popularity, though, as people continue to fill their days with more and more activities, and have become used to making major purchases without meeting a salesperson. Clients have become more aware of the terminology and options available to them, and have come to demand more self-service than ever before.

This has all served to make formerly unknown car insurance firms into viable entities. Every customer online started looking for a free auto insurance quote with no strings attached, and true discount auto insurance - before the market leaders were prepared to offer them. By focusing on this change in customer appetites, small companies were able to become national players.

It seems that now, every American insurance company now offers online car insurance quotes in some form or another. The much greater number of competitors can be a good thing, as competition often leads to lower prices and/or better service from insurance companies.

The discount car insurance industry has been changed forever by technology. Ten years ago, before promises of free quotes and huge savings become the norm, it was far more difficult to get quotes and take the time to compare them properly. There are many new competitors in the car insurance business, all seeking to make their mark through lower prices and/or better service when you need them.

Not that long ago, most insurance quotes were given in person by an insurance agent, but obtaining online car insurance quotes has recently become more popular, easier, and faster. This trend was primarily started by younger individuals. People feel busier now and have become more accustomed to making purchases online, so it makes sense for a free auto insurance quote to be available online for each insurance company. However, with so many companies claiming to offer discount car insurance, it is important to compare them and make an informed decision.