Let’s be totally honest here for a minute! At this moment in the digital evolution, your credit union website should do a lot more for you than just looking good. It needs to be a valuable digital asset that brings an individualized, unique experience for each of your existing or potential clients. Your credit union’s website has never been more important. In other words, your website needs to be regarded as an entity in your institution that should be continuously improved over time.
In order to create a beautiful website that will catch the attention of your visitors, you need to take the following factors into consideration.
1. Defined purpose
Like any other major player, your credit union’s website has a specific role to infuse in your credit union’s narrative. Will it be the focal point, a true digital platform that guides clients through their own personalized journey? Or just another glorified brochure with a list of features? The purpose of a website is to drive action.
2. Content strategy
We already established that the purpose of a website is to drive action. But how will we do that? You should make regular statements explaining what you do and what is the unique value your credit union provides. Sharing testimonials, stories, statistics and examples can prove that you’re telling the truth.
3. Live chats or chatbots
When done well, chatbots or live chats are an impressive addition to your website. They are another fantastic way to provide assistance to your clients. The clients can benefit from getting relevant answers and resources. However, if you cannot commit to making sure that you will respond to customer questions, then it is a safer option not to go down this path.
4. Mobile Responsiveness
We say this a lot, but we can’t stress enough how important mobile responsiveness is for your credit union’s website. It must work on smartphones and tablets. It’s non-negotiable. Nowadays most clients visit your website from their phones so you must make sure that your entire website is mobile-friendly.
5. Fast loading times
Another thing to consider is the website’s speed. Loading times are crucial because it influences the clients’ decision to stay on the website or leave it. This is why it’s important that your credit union’s website is not code-heavy and with optimized images. Otherwise, you are running the risk of losing potential clients and having high bounce rates.
6. Strategically-placed CTA buttons
CTA (call to action) compels clients to act on what they see or read on your credit union’s website. Web designers or UX experts must know where to place these buttons for maximum effect. But you should not put just any CTA, it’s important to be relevant to the level of engagement of the clients. And this should be discussed with designers and developers too.
7. User-friendly navigation
If your clients get confused every time they browse your website, chances are they are not coming back. Navigation should be easy and efficient. And should be integrated at the design stage.
There are many factors to be considered when designing a credit union website. These 7 should help you get a general idea as to what your website should have or be. If you are in need of inspiration or professional help, contact us, we would be happy to help.
