That's certainly the case at ECI. This agency went from zero web presence in 2006 to a cutting-edge page with 24/7 online support that makes it easy for prospects and customers to learn basic insurance information, get a quote or print a certificate and more. Principal Scott Cornelius gives the website sole credit for ECI's currently comfortable financial status: in the past 3 years, it has tripled its business and become debt-free.

Like ECI, Alliance decided to update a lackluster website, investing $70,000 in the process. The payoff comes in peak brand awareness and an average of 2.1 leads a day through the website, including a recent lead that turned into $35,000 in new business.

The raison d'etre for any business to have a website is to increase sales by increasing website-generated leads. Kaplansky, which is primarily invested in personal lines business, designed its site to appeal to consumers, with a treasure trove of practical information on how they can insure themselves through every phase of life, from having a baby to sending them to college.

At Bryan Insurance Agency, the site is heavily focused on 24/7 customer accessibility. The site is set up so customers can generate quotes, make payments and make changes to existing policies. The site also provides insurance education through videos and blogs. The increased engagement has helped Bryan go from $835,000 to $1.2 million in premium volume during the past 3 years.

And these agencies aren't resting on their laurels: all of them are constantly tweaking SEO, freshening content and staying current through social media platforms.

While these four agencies' websites may be exemplary, they represent a real evolution in how insurance agencies in general, once averse to new technology, have embraced the Web as a way to engage customers and prospects.

It's a long way from “brochureware”—and still evolving.

To read in-depth profiles of all four winners, visit propertycasualty360.com—and the websites of our winners.