The National Insurance Brokers Association (NIBA) has overhauled its Need a Broker website, making it more user-friendly for householders and small businesses.

The site directs people to brokers and provides information about their products.

CEO Dallas Booth told insuranceNEWS.com.au the old version “bamboozled” laypeople with technical terms and gave too many choices, whereas the new site immediately splits users into personal and commercial categories.

“There were too many options, so we did a major review on the categories people might enquire about,” he said.

Mr Booth says the search engine has also been improved, so it identifies brokers in the prospective client’s immediate area.

He says domestic insurance is becoming more complex “particularly with policies such as flood insurance and residential strata insurance”, making brokers’ advice more important.

“The website now provides more information about which brokers deal with personal lines of insurance, so consumers can make more informed decisions about what cover is most suitable for them.”

The site also aims to educate consumers, by providing additional information, including explainers for small companies on business interruption and cyber insurance.

Asked how many of NIBA’s 380 members are on the Need a Broker site, Mr Booth says “virtually everybody”.