Are you a techno-phobe? Do you still believe that books are superior to e-books and nothing beats picking up the phone and reaching out to touch someone personally rather than sending an e-mail? If so, you're in good company. Even as the world becomes increasingly dependent on the Internet there are still people who recognize the value of doing things the old-fashioned way. Unfortunately, most auto insurance providers aren't on the list.

If you're going to get the best deal possible on your premiums it's almost mandatory that you buy your auto insurance online.

Why do auto insurance providers want you to buy auto insurance online? First and foremost, it makes things easier for them. Websites allow quote shoppers to fill out a simple form and receive a personalized quote without having to go through the endless question and answer process of working one on one with an agent. That means that auto insurance providers can operate out of a smaller building and employ fewer agents, keeping their overhead down and boosting their profits.

They tend to pass those savings on to their customers by offering them a lower rate if they buy their policy online.

Of course, the real benefit of buying auto insurance online is the ability to quickly and easily scout hundreds of providers for quotes without having to spend days or weeks on the phone. The first thing any techno-phobe should do when they're shopping for auto insurance (besides find a computer with a connection faster than dial-up) is use the power of search engines like Google, Yahoo! and/or MSN to see what your options are for auto insurance policies in your area.

Once you've got a list of likely companies it's time to start scouting around. Most companies advertise the types of savings you can have with them on their billboards, advertisements, t.v. commercials and anywhere else they can find blank space! These tend to be general, however, and can turn out to be very, very different when it's all said and done.

Before you start looking for personal quotes for auto insurance online, take the time to familiarize yourself with the safety features of your car. An agent might be able to look in their database and see what features certain makes and models offer; however, you're probably not going to find that when you're buying online. It's going to be up to you to make sure your information is as thorough and accurate as possible.

Once you know that it's time to go to the websites of the companies in question. Most of them will have "Find a Quote", "Get a Personalized Quote FREE!" or something similar on the very first page of their website (known as their home page). Unless they tell you differently you can usually get away with just clicking on the words. They should redirect you to the page that will figure out your quote.

From here on out it's easy! Insurance providers take their standard forms and "digitize" them (turn them into something the computer can read), so these should already be pretty familiar. Just fill in your name, address, driving history, make and model and year and any other information they ask for and hit "find quote" (or whatever phrase your company uses) to calculate your quote.

Shopping for auto insurance online is so easy that anyone, even a dedicated techno-phone like yourself, can do it without too much hassle, and you'll be pleasantly surprised at how much time and money you'll save by taking the plunge.