Most credit union websites are sorely antiquated, poorly templated or—in some really unfortunate situations—both. We felt we had a real opportunity to raise the bar for credit union websites in both design and function, but creating a web presence as ambitious as the rest of CitizensFirst’s vision was no small task—it was a major overhaul that involved critical thinking and planning from square one.
The site design effectively merges their corporate branding with the member-friendly aesthetic of their new flagship branch and corporate headquarters. The new interior creates a feeling of warmth unlike most other financial institutions, without compromising the perception of their financial strength—the website needed to do the same. But it was not just a facelift. The overall aesthetic was an important facet, but we wanted to discover ways to improve their member’s online experience.
We addressed functionality from day one. Agonized over user-experience details like “How many clicks should it take to get this rate?”, “What’s the best place for the link to a savings calculator?”, “What’s the threshold between ‘thorough’ and ‘overwhelming’ when it comes to navigation?” and on and on. By restructuring and reorganizing the content into more logical sections, streamlining the navigation paths, the new layout puts the right information in front of the viewer at the right time.
The site design effectively merges their corporate branding with the member-friendly aesthetic of their new flagship branch and corporate headquarters. The new interior creates a feeling of warmth unlike most other financial institutions, without compromising the perception of their financial strength—the website needed to do the same. But it was not just a facelift. The overall aesthetic was an important facet, but we wanted to discover ways to improve their member’s online experience.
We addressed functionality from day one. Agonized over user-experience details like “How many clicks should it take to get this rate?”, “What’s the best place for the link to a savings calculator?”, “What’s the threshold between ‘thorough’ and ‘overwhelming’ when it comes to navigation?” and on and on. By restructuring and reorganizing the content into more logical sections, streamlining the navigation paths, the new layout puts the right information in front of the viewer at the right time.
While information about various member services were fragmented throughout the old site, the new site collects all of these services onto a single page, giving members a broader overview of the benefits of being a member.
In a further effort to ease access, we implemented a prominently- and consistently-located module throughout the website that connects visitors to an actual CitizensFirst representative to assist by answering questions through either live internet chat or via telephone.
And while previously rates were reported across in large chunks by sub-category, divorced from context, the new structure pins the relevant rates and other services directly to the related description. Reading about a Health Savings Account? The HSA-specific product rates and frequently-asked questions link are located immediately next to the description.
As a credit union focusing on providing “Wow! Service” to their members, they now offer potential and existing members a website redesigned and rebuilt from the ground up to meet their needs, not the other way around. As such, CitizensFirst now looks the part of the largest credit union in their local market.
In a further effort to ease access, we implemented a prominently- and consistently-located module throughout the website that connects visitors to an actual CitizensFirst representative to assist by answering questions through either live internet chat or via telephone.
And while previously rates were reported across in large chunks by sub-category, divorced from context, the new structure pins the relevant rates and other services directly to the related description. Reading about a Health Savings Account? The HSA-specific product rates and frequently-asked questions link are located immediately next to the description.
As a credit union focusing on providing “Wow! Service” to their members, they now offer potential and existing members a website redesigned and rebuilt from the ground up to meet their needs, not the other way around. As such, CitizensFirst now looks the part of the largest credit union in their local market.