Have a Website Worth Bragging About
A new website is more than just a new website, isn’t it? There’s just something special about it – something identity altering. Really, your credit union or community bank’s new website is a big gulp of fresh air for your brand, a new chapter in its story or an adrenaline shot in its arm.
Having just redone our own website , I’ve seen this adrenaline-like power firsthand. And in a time when local financial institutions are competing more heavily for market share than ever before, it might be the differentiator you need.
To give you a leg up on the competition, this first edition of “The Mile Marker” newsletter will run through the elements required to truly have a game-changing new website.
Use Sleek Styles to Impress Visitors
You’d clean your house before having company, and you’ll want a clean looking website before having visitors. If not, you risk immediately losing business. Why?
Because website visitors take only .05 seconds to have a first impression of your website. And guess what? That impression is 94% dependent on how your site looks. You need to make a lasting impression right away.
As our Brand Director, Jim Foley, points out:
“Your website is a branch and needs to be treated with respect and ‘brand’ eloquence. If a potential consumer were to walk into your branch and it was not well presented, not easy to navigate or the people were not responsive the consumer would have a bad first experience and would not bank with your organization. In today's culture, the end user expects and demands a well branded experience.”
So, use vibrant colors. Declutter your homepage. Be thoughtful about image placement. Capture your visitors with an eye-popping, beautiful experience!
Take a look at how we altered our own new website to have a cleaner design.
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Showcase Your Video Content
Video is all the rage these days – and not just on social media.
Good video content will not only make your website more modern; it’ll make it more convincing as well. Ninety-six percent of people watch product explanation videos, and they convince 88% of people to buy your service. But that’s not video’s only website function.
Instructional videos answer visitors’ questions online and reduce call center volume. Hype videos drum up excitement for an upcoming event. And lastly (but certainly not least), videos tell consumer stories.
Del-One FCU has some great member story videos, for example. These videos are emotional, truly conveying how Del-One helps those in need.
We’ve been lucky enough to help some clients with enhancing their websites’ video offerings . To see an example of website video in action, check out the below video we made for Quantum Credit Union to communicate with members about a merger.
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Cut the Copy
While design and video are in, copy is out (somewhat).
Copy will always be necessary, but consumers these days have a far lower tolerance for it. They’re skimming your copy now; they’re not reading it. No matter how you feel about this (I know the writer within me is crying out in protest), you need to satisfy your consumers’ desires.
Today, good website copy means:
One note on the calls to action: make them visible on the homepage the moment someone enters your new website. And put them on every page. If you don’t clearly call the consumer to action, they may never act!
Develop Convenient User Experiences
Raise your hand if you enjoy combing through multiple dropdown menus to find what you need! No one’s hand should be up; no one enjoys that. And, yes, that includes your members or customers.
In fact, 75% of consumers say they’d switch companies for a more convenient experience. You need to ask yourself: are you currently the institution they’re leaving?
If so, make everything about your website easier. Easier menus to navigate (just one dropdown list), easier to open an account (the fewer clicks the better) and easier to contact you (service staff chat automatically opens on webpage).
During one of my recent CU Conferences presentations, an audience member told me it took him three clicks to open an Apple credit card. That’s your competition, folks. Make sure your new website can keep pace with them.
Want a New Website of Your Own?
If it’s time for your credit union or community bank to freshen up its own website , the On The Mark Strategies website development team can help.
We’ll give you a powerful #newwebsite worth bragging about. To see some of our work, please visit the websites for Kelly Community FCU , Tarrant County’s Credit Union and Aurora FCU .
Want More?
Did you love this newsletter but wish it was more than once a month? If the answer is yes, you’re in luck!
“The Marked For Success Minute” is a free weekly newsletter delivered right to your email inbox every Thursday. It’ll give you bite-sized strategy, marketing and branding tips to grow your #creditunion or #communitybank . Sign up for your weekly newsletter today!
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