A recent poll by ZorgWijzer.nl (2,195 respondents) shows that 1.5 million Dutch people are considering switching health insurance this year. DSW's announcement that their basic insurance will become 10% more expensive seems to be an important cause of the high number of potential switchers.
Orientation takes place primarily online
Research from 2015 by MarketResponse (SAMR) shows that the online channel is by far the most popular among consumers who switch or orient themselves. This mainly involves health insurer websites and those of (price) comparison sites. This once again demonstrates the importance of a well-functioning, informative and attractive website and the importance of Digital Excellence.
Source: MarketResponse – Consumer research report health insurance market February 17, 2015
This year WUA is again conducting research into consumers who are orienting themselves on health insurance. The fieldwork for this research takes place directly after the announcement of the premiums, around November 19. No fewer than 1,000 respondents participate in the research, using both their desktop and their smartphone.
Learning from DSW and DeFriesland on experience themes
CZ.nl scored last year the best among both desktop and smartphone respondents. When we zoom in further on the underlying scores from last year, a number of interesting things come to light. DSW.nl and DeFriesland.nl appeared to consistently achieve a top 3 ranking on the experience themes (Look & Feel, Offering, Brand) in both First impression and in the Deep dive. Both health insurers also scored very highly on the Preference theme. What caused these 2 (smaller) providers to rank so highly on the 3 themes? What did they do well and what can other health insurers still learn from them? In this article we give 3 important tips.
Tip 1 (Look&Feel): Organize the pinnacle of functionality
It's important for consumers to quickly form an impression of what a website has to offer: what does basic insurance cost? What falls within the supplementary insurance and what exactly do they cost? In addition, the way one can navigate through the offering plays a crucial role: is all information easy to find? Does the website use clear language and readable texts? Among respondents who delved into the websites, DSW.nl appeared to achieve the highest score. DSW's website proved to be the pinnacle of functionality. The health insurer had organized things well when it came to explaining information about insurance to their website visitors in a very simple, easy-to-understand way. The short but powerful texts and quickly scannable headings contribute to this.
Source: Screenshot homepage DSW.nl
Tip 2 (Offering): Be clear about price structure
Respondents are asked in the research to what extent they expect hidden costs in the displayed offering. DSW.nl scored by far the best of all health insurers here last year. Respondents appreciated the clear, transparent way DSW.nl explained the premium amount of their health insurance, in text and image. Additionally, people were very pleased about the fact that DSW traditionally is the first to announce premiums. This year DSW is again taking the lead here. The website also now clearly indicates how the premium is exactly structured. That could be extra important this year, especially now that premiums seem to be increasing significantly.
Source: Screenshot homepage DSW.nl
Tip 3 (Brand): Indicate what consumers can expect
DeFriesland.nl scored highly last year on the Brand theme. Respondents found the Frisian health insurer very sympathetic, professional and knowledgeable. The website lists 10 "logical reasons" to be insured with DeFriesland. These are not empty phrases: each reason is clearly explained with concrete evidence. This ensures that consumers know exactly what to expect from their health insurer.
