Articles

For a web site to be an integral part of your credit union’s marketing mix, the web site must deliver an unforgettable user experience that will impact your members while reinforcing and promoting brand identity. Great sites deliver unforgettable user experiences that make it easy for your members to find what they need. Successful web sites must be consistent with offline branding as it promotes your credit union’s identity. Unlike traditional marketing, your web site uses your credit union’s logo and taglines to create “the brand” while the web site’s design, content and graphics support and complement “the brand”.

The navigation of your web site is the visual extension of the web site’s structure. By analyzing your site’s navigation, your members can discover what the site offers, how it is organized, and how to find what they’re looking for quickly. In addition, integrating knowledge base will allow your members to quickly find the answer to common questions. The easier your web site is to navigate, the more likely it is that your members will have a good experience and find your site to be a useful financial resource.

Your web site’s headline determines if the site’s visitors will read the content or immediately leave. Many web sites still do not have a headline and bury the benefits of the service or product in unread text and caption-less images. Your web site’s content will only be read if the site’s visitor is first drawn by the headline. Your headline should complement your credit union’s brand and image as it is the first thing most members will see when visiting your web site.

Your web site’s content is a reflection of your word and a continuation of your credit union - member relationship. Never provide material from a source that you can not personally vouch for, or to whom you wouldn't refer members. Web site content that can easily be found elsewhere is worse than useless, because it makes your credit union appear commoditized. Successful web sites can not recite the same tired advice being given by competitors. It is very important you provide unique and specific content on subjects not being covered anywhere else on the Web.

A web site can offer four basic ways to allow visitors to contact your credit union.

• telephone numbers
• contact forms
• e-mail links
• physical address of your credit union

Allowing members to easily contact your credit union will build trust and ultimately increase member response rate. Telephone numbers lead potential members to become members, and members to inquire about a product or service. Contact forms requiring the least amount of data gives you more potential leads as it typically increases the forms response rates. E-mail links allow for your members to quickly contact you without having to fil l o ut a form. The physical address of your credit union should be included as text so that visitors may be able to quickly copy and paste your information into their contact management software such as Outlook or ACT!

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