In today’s digital economy, mobile is not just a channel — it’s the front door to your brand. For property and casualty (P&C) carriers across personal, commercial, and small business lines, a mobile-first strategy is imperative. It’s how carriers meet rising consumer expectations, differentiate themselves from competitors, and unlock new levers of growth and efficiency.

Consumers are used to mobile applications (apps) for almost any product or service available, and they expect these apps to function seamlessly. Insurance apps are no exception, whether a policyholder is paying a bill or initiating a first notice of loss (FNOL) for a claim.

Achieving excellence with mobile-first solutions is not just for personal lines insurers; regardless of the , essential functionalities like policy information, claims filing, and billing are crucial. Mobile apps serve as a conduit for building relationships across all segments. Customers’ perceptions of an insurer’s app can greatly affect the company’s success. By developing a strong, mobile-first strategy, insurers can boost customer satisfaction, loyalty, retention, and overall growth.

How to Build a Mobile-First Solution for Insurance Success

Insurers who provide superior mobile-first experiences, meaning customers actually like and use their apps for key interactions, see reduced call center inquiries, better retention, and increased customer lifetime value.

In fact, In a 2024 survey of executive leaders at financial and insurance organizations, 68% reported that mobile apps were a vital component of customer retention.

Understanding the importance of mobile-first strategies is one thing, but putting the fundamentals into practice requires concrete action across the entire customer journey. Here are three critical tenets of building a mobile-first approach that drives customer retention and market growth.

1. Invest in continuous digital enablement

Once a customer has uninstalled an insurer’s mobile app, winning them back becomes increasingly difficult. Carriers must understand their app’s defects and customer friction points so they can fix these impediments to an effortless mobile experience.

This means prioritizing key digital capabilities such as simplified authentication and login, easy access to ID cards and proof of insurance, streamlined bill payment and autopay setup, frictionless claims and roadside assistance, and personalized renewal and cross-sell journeys.

Beyond the basics, insurers should leverage proactive monitoring techniques to identify and quantify app errors and friction points. Eliminate questions and data entry where possible with simpler business processes and pre-fill information. Identify and fix authentication and payment errors, and encourage policyholders to use modern authentication methods such as biometrics, token-based authentication, and multi-factor authentication as well as simplified payment options like autopay.  

2. Prioritize customer engagement

Don’t just collect customer feedback — act on it. Pay attention to customer interactions and behavior, and listen when policyholders share input directly. A continuous feedback loop helps carriers anticipate and resolve issues before they arise.

Carriers that excel at customer engagement are leveraging digital analytics solutions to capture and analyze customer interactions and insights, creating communities of practice across departments to act on feedback, engaging power user groups to co-create features and test new ideas, and optimizing experiences with continuous ideation and A/B testing.

The very first interaction with a mobile app sets the tone for a digital relationship. It’s crucial that the mobile app is seamlessly integrated into the onboarding process, offering clear value such as ID cards, payments, and roadside assistance. Over a policyholder’s initial 30 days, the mobile app should serve as their primary guide, introducing the insurer’s brand, value proposition, and digital services. The app should also play a key role in driving the 45-day renewal journey, retaining customers, and promoting cross-selling opportunities.

This includes simplifying business processes with data pre-fill and using technology like GPS and crash assistance to reduce friction for customers completing actions like requesting roadside assistance or filing a claim. Next best action models can optimize cross-sell opportunities to present to customers, and analyzing customer search terms and conversations with customer service can help identify new content and features the app needs. Intelligent chatbots and easy-access FAQs and contact options should ensure that customers can get the information they need whenever they need it.

3. Be transparent about what innovation means for customers

Technology like Internet of Things (IoT) devices, geospatial data, and OEM partner offerings can make a big difference in the policyholder experience, but it is vital that customers understand what kind of tools are being used and what that means for their personal information.

Telematics tools that monitor driving behavior, for example, allow insurers to offer personalized insights based on actual driving data. But just as importantly, clear communication about how telematics impacts premiums will reduce confusion, mitigate misunderstandings, and enhance customer satisfaction, ultimately leading to improved retention and loyalty.

Rather than exclusively prioritizing what technology means for operational efficiency, focus on creating micro moments related to people, vehicles, and property to enable more valuable interactions that build a stronger customer relationship. Understanding customer life events can enable actionable insights based on data the customer has provided, behaviors observed, or information acquired from third parties like partners and IoT devices.

Clear communication on how a customer’s data will be used and how it benefits the policyholder is critical for gaining trust. Location information can be used to provide alerts for weather, traffic conditions, safety hazards, and more. Data about an auto policyholder’s vehicle can assist with maintenance, recalls, or buying a new car that matches an individual’s lifestyle. Providing multi-language options in an app for content and support can help reach policyholders more clearly. All of these efforts can increase user engagement, help improve driving habits and other behaviors, and educate customers on their policies and risk through gamification.

Moving Forward With Mobile-First Solutions

No matter the line of business, policyholders expect a seamless experience on every channel, and mobile-first strategies are a critical component of providing the experience consumers expect.

Carriers need to invest in technology including AI-driven solutions, customer management platforms, and analytics tools to streamline and personalize engagement but also prioritize multi-channel communication strategies that ensure consistent and timely interactions. Data insights can help insurers proactively anticipate customer needs and preferences. With ongoing employee training and integrated feedback systems, a mobile-first culture can help insurers reach new heights.

Mobile-first excellence is not just about building an app — it’s about reimagining how carriers engage with customers. By aligning mobile investments with clear business outcomes — such as growth, retention, and efficiency — P&C carriers can transform mobile from a cost center into a competitive advantage.

Ready to learn more? We’ll share a customized mobile-first benchmark report tailored to your digital offerings and opportunities.