Set Yourself Apart by Being Un-Original

What Really Matters for Credit Union Websites: REVISITED - Part Two

We have heard credit union customers say that they want a site that is “like nothing you’ve ever seen.” We tell them that it will then also be like nothing your members have ever seen, so they’ll have to spend too much time figuring out how to use it. If we develop a site that is modeled after a highly used website that effectively employs best practices, it is likely to be more successful.

The ironic thing is that poor user experience is what people are used to, so if we provide a well designed one, they think it’s like nothing they’ve seen before, even if it uses traditional web design methods that they see all the time. A well-designed user experience does not try to re-invent the web, but it satisfies site visitors every time.

Prime Example: Life Events as Main Navigation

A commonly requested solution to being the most original credit union on the planet, is to use "life events" or "life stages" as main navigation on a credit union website. We always understand the reason why this could be perceived as a good navigation model: often the selection of financial products are based on what life stage you are experiencing. However, we also understand that this is not how users think. This falls under the "don't tell me what I need" rule of marketing (which could be a blog post of its own).  When you start telling people what you think they need, they start going the other direction. No one likes to hear "you need to...". When you base the content that someone will see on what they are experiencing in life, you are making assumptions about what they need. What if they are graduating from college but trying to help their parents learn about retirement. Then they have to pretend they are 30 years older than they are to use the site. 

Main navigation phrasing and the content behind those items should be in the context of traditional website practices. The most concise name possible that describes what will be presented after its clicked on. People are looking for what is offered by the CU, not what the CU thinks they might be experiencing today based on what everyone else goes through in life.

Check back soon or subscribe to the Cloud 9 blog feed so you catch the next part of this series, "The Benefits of Good Brand Representation". Thanks for reading!