Low online prices and special offers are great, but do they actually help you build credibility with your credit union members or bank customers? The latest research might surprise you! [More]
May 2, 2003 • by Jason Sherrill
An astonishing number of credit union members feel that their credit union’s web sites offer little or no value. Features such as on-line banking, bill payment, educational content and loan applications exist on most of these sites, but credit unions are missing the key elements necessary to make these features valuable to their members. The three biggest flaws of credit union web sites are in the areas of on-line service, personalization and usability. [More]
Mar 5, 2003 • by Jason Sherrill
You have successfully aggregated a database of your customers, and your marketing team is anxious to extend their reach to e-mail.
It's a tempting proposition. No printing costs, no postage and no lag time so why not use it as often as possible? Because everyone else is abusing the privilege of a customer's trust and without tremendous restraint, discretion and planning, your valuable messages are lost in the din of the crowd. [More]
Feb 8, 2003 • by Dan Brochstein
It’s normal for a credit union to design a web site with its current situation in mind, but the web site architecture should allow for some reasonable level of expansion. In many cases, after the web site is launched, departments within the credit union emerge that insist upon being included in the main navigation. These items, not identified within the initial architecture, appear as a visual and functional afterthought, frequently crippling usability and cohesiveness that the initial web site had.
Make sure updates to your site don't make it look slapped together.
The Fix: During planning, identify areas that may be subject to expansion, and prepare a plan to address these needs as they emerge. Build in controls so any growth occurs at an incremental rate. Develop business rules, so that each request for expansion is carefully evaluated and qualified. Lastly, plan regular web-c... [More]
Jan 14, 2003 • by Donovan Myers
Something as simple as a link to a missing page can tarnish the credibility of a credit union web site. When links are broken or pages are no longer available, a reputation is at stake and business may go elsewhere. From intermittent outages by third party service providers like home banking, to loan application forms that don’t submit properly, credit unions are quick to point a finger at their service provider. In the end, it’s the member that loses faith in the on-line system. Credit unions need to be as mindful of their web site appearance as they are a clean, bright lobby. Housekeeping applies to all representations of the credit union.
Never leave your members hanging looking for information on your site.
The Fix: Very few web sites can earn any type of return without proper maintenance. Many credit union web sites have ventured far beyond the “no maintenance&rd... [More]
Jan 10, 2003 • by Donovan Myers
