Is your agency still approaching clients like the hotel clerk that provides guests with a metal key when they check in?

As you prepare for your week at the beach this year, consider how much consumer behavior has evolved when it comes to the summer vacation. The first real change in the family vacation resulted from the popularity of the automobile and the development of the interstate highway system in the 1950s. In fact, two halcyon consumer brands—Holiday Inn and McDonald’s—are the outcrop of developing a consistent brand and experience that consumers could trust whether in Pennsylvania or Arkansas.

Many people may not realize how much their planning and vacation behavior is shaped by advances in technology. The family vacation of 50 years ago likely began with collecting travel maps from AAA and hitting the road. Air travel was unlikely, but if it was involved, the family probably contacted a travel agent to book a flight. Upon reaching their destination, family members might rent a car or take a taxi to their hotel, where they would receive a metal room key and find a television boasting only local channels. Sightseeing probably required some combination of cash, traveler’s checks and plenty of planning ahead.

By contrast, a vacationing family today logs on to Expedia or another online aggregator to compare various flight prices, perhaps opting to package a hotel reservation with the airline in order to earn “points” or a discount. Upon arriving at the destination, families can use Uber to pay for travel without cash. Need to find a good restaurant or buy last-minute tickets for a sporting event? Go to Yelp or Stubhub—sightseeing is at your fingertips, on the fly.

And technology will only continue to advance. Just a few years from now, you might travel from airport to hotel in a driverless car. Sitting on the beach and don’t feel like interrupting your relaxation zone to pick up food for the family? You might be able to order a delivery via drone.

Independent agencies have certainly embraced technology in agency management systems, to bind coverage and upload/download transactions in real time and accomplish other useful back-end tasks. But from a consumer’s perspective, how much have agencies embraced technology to facilitate transactions and provide access to coverage 24/7? How many have utilized digital marketing to drive potential consumers to their websites, create inbound calls and ultimately bring more customers to the agency’s door?

More than ever, consumers are judging their customer experience based on other aspects of the economy. Purchasing insurance is not as simple as getting an airplane ticket or hotel reservation, but every day, your clients and prospects are getting more comfortable with the ease of doing business in a variety of ways.

Make sure your business strategy isn’t in a time warp. Take advantage of avenues like TrustedChoice.com to leverage technology so that your agency keeps up with the fast pace of change.

Dave Evans is a certified financial planner and an IA contributor.