An easily navigable website showing clear terms and conditions is the key to selling travel insurance, according to research by Global Reviews.

Brand recognition is not the main driver of purchases, the study of Australian travel cover buyers finds.

Before the survey the three brand-awareness leaders among respondents were AAMI, Medibank and Allianz.

At the end of the study respondents rated Travel Insurance Direct in first place, with Allianz second and 1Cover in third.

“Consumers are gaining information by a range of factors,” Global Reviews CEO Greg Muller told insuranceNEWS.com.au. “Brand recognition is important but major brands can’t rely on that.”

More than 90% of travel insurance consumers carry out at least half their research online, making it vital for policies to be clear and readily comparable, he says.

About 75% of survey respondents say they spend up to four hours researching travel insurance, while 86% spread their search across seven days.