What’s the first thing users notice when they go to your website? Where do their eyes glance next? After a few seconds, are your users still on the home page looking for the information they need or for a link or a button that will take them to the page that has it?
If your members are spending too much time on your home page, that either means you have compelling content or the design of your credit union website could use some help. If the latter is the reason, keep reading.
For small and medium-sized businesses, 48% of consumers judge a company’s credibility by the design of its website. For banks and credit unions, credibility is the foundation of member trust. You can design your credit union website for success by being strategic in your content placement, keeping the design simple, and maintaining consistency throughout your site.
Place Important Content Above the Fold
“Above the Fold” is an old newspaper term that refers to the information in the top half of the front page. Because only the top half of the newspaper is visible at newsstands, the content above the fold needs to intrigue the member enough to purchase the newspaper to read the entire story.
The same is true on a website where the fold is any content on the screen that the user sees without having to scroll down. A Nielsen Norman Group study found that users spend 57% of their time above the fold. On websites with long pages, users spend 74% of their time on the first two screenfuls.
With this in mind, your business and members’ goals and any calls to action should appear at the top of your website pages. However, to keep your members engaged, all remaining content should also provide detailed, relevant information.
K.I.S.S. It and Make It Better
K.I.S.S. is a well-known design principle that stands for “keep it simple stupid.” In a previous blog, we discussed how minimalistic web design can increase sales. An easy-to-navigate credit union website increases member engagement and builds credibility in your business.
Minimalism is also trending this year in credit union web design. Whitespace, the effective use of space as a design principle, allows you to create a focal point on the web page. This draws the user to the most important information on the page, which also plays a role in site navigation.
Consistency Is Key
Designing your credit union website for success goes beyond the home page. Approach your members’ interaction with your website much like you would when building any relationship. While the home page forms the first impression, the pages and subpages are the heart and soul of your credit union.
Plan the top-level pages and subpages around hierarchy and structure. While the design should be similar to the home page in terms of color, visuals, and fonts, you should format top-level pages differently. Likewise, any subpages should look different from the top-level pages.
Using the same colors, types of visuals (e.g. photos versus illustrations), and fonts makes your credit union website cohesive. Maintaining consistency from page to page, allows members to discern where the page they’re viewing falls within the site structure. Just remember to organize your content and pages logically so members can find information easily.
Final Words
By incorporating these design fundamentals in your credit union website design, you will provide an optimal user experience that will build member relationships. Once you have these basics in place, ensure that your website is ADA compliant and web-accessible as well as responsive for mobile viewing. When you’re ready to upgrade or update your credit union website, CUWebsite™Services is here to help.
