January 2003 Archives
By Donovan Myers
Posted on Jan 14, 2003
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It’s normal for a credit union to design a web site with its current situation in mind, but the web site architecture should allow for some reasonable level of expansion. In many cases, after the web site is launched, departments within the credit union emerge that insist upon being included in the main navigation. These items, not identified within the initial architecture, appear as a visual and functional afterthought, frequently crippling usability and cohesiveness that the initial web site had.
Continue reading "2002 Credit Union Website Usability Issue Ten - Failure to Develop and Adhere to a Web site Growth Plan" »
By Donovan Myers
Posted on Jan 13, 2003
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Something as simple as a link to a missing page can tarnish the credibility of a credit union web site. When links are broken or pages are no longer available, a reputation is at stake and business may go elsewhere. From intermittent outages by third party service providers like home banking, to loan application forms that don’t submit properly, credit unions are quick to point a finger at their service provider. In the end, it’s the member that loses faith in the on-line system. Credit unions need to be as mindful of their web site appearance as they are a clean, bright lobby. Housekeeping applies to all representations of the credit union.
Continue reading "2002 Credit Union Website Usability Issue Nine - Insufficient Web site Maintenance" »
By Donovan Myers
Posted on Jan 10, 2003
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After a member spends the better portion of his evening rounding up financial records, placing very sensitive information into an on-line loan application and submitting all of it in good faith he receives this confirmation: Thank you for your information, expect a reply sometime soon.
Continue reading "2002 Credit Union Website Usability Issue Eight - Insufficient Communications Post-Transaction" »
By Donovan Myers
Posted on Jan 9, 2003
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It’s much easier and less stressful for a member to walk away from an on-line transaction than from an in-branch transaction. Therefore if someone is frustrated with an on-line loan application, she’ll just close her browser and take her business elsewhere. Frustration is most often derived from unclear pathways and unclear progression in crucial forms and applications. Lengthy forms should be divided between two or more pages and present clearly to the member where in the process he is. Aside from a simplistic “next” button, there is often little in the way of feedback for members with regard to where they are in the process, how much work remains, or what to do at any point if there are questions.
Continue reading "2002 Credit Union Website Usability Issue Seven - Leaving Dead End Pathways During Crucial Transactions" »
By Donovan Myers
Posted on Jan 8, 2003
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Clearly there is demand by credit union members to have on-line access to their account information, the ability to pay bills on-line and review canceled checks. However, this is not the only reason to maintain a web site for a credit union. Maintaining this small-picture thinking will only position the web site as a welcome mat for third-party services. Web sites need to spark interest and invite members to return on a regular basis. They need to function as a resource that members refer to and rely on to provide instructive, practical information. Members rely on their credit unions for financial advice, but too few credit union web sites deliver on this member expectation.
Continue reading "2002 Credit Union Website Usability Issue Six - Positioning the Credit Union Web site as a Narrow Gateway to Services" »
By Donovan Myers
Posted on Jan 7, 2003
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Too many credit union web sites evaluated use navigation systems that frustrate more than help users. The worst offenders are drop-down or fly-out menus that are slow to display, but disappear quickly if the user does not exercise precise control over his mouse. Many of these menus are not compatible with many older version web browsers, especially Netscape. What members with these browsers get in return is navigation that fails to appear at all, and if it does, it flickers. Members who want to easily manage their finances on-line consider poor navigation a frustrating nuisance.
Continue reading "2002 Credit Union Website Usability Issue Five - Navigation that Uses Temperamental Menus" »
By Donovan Myers
Posted on Jan 6, 2003
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As credit union web sites grow, and are forced onto the same playing field as banks, the need to add services like on-line banking, bill payment and credit card statements is the cost of doing business. However as credit unions add this functionality to their web sites, it’s fair to say that the term “integrated” doesn’t always exist in these implementations. In many cases, the member must use a separate ID and password for each service, sometimes up to five IDs for a single credit union web site. Add to this equation the disparate interfaces that members must learn, and you have a system that is less than usable.
Continue reading "2002 Credit Union Website Usability Issue Four - Use of Multiple Log-ins for On-line Services" »
By Donovan Myers
Posted on Jan 3, 2003
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The selling point here is fast service and increased convenience. Until on-line loan applications become a complete substitute for their printed counterparts, most should serve as pre-cursors to actual documents. Members applying for loans on-line have motives of convenience and often impulse-related purchases (such as a motorcycle or watercraft on your web site’s classifieds). If your form is too long because it asks members for non-essential data, your members may lose interest quickly and the impulse to purchase immediately is lost.
Continue reading "2002 Credit Union Website Usability Issue Three - Seeking Irrelevant Information on Loan Applications" »
By Donovan Myers
Posted on Jan 2, 2003
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Think about how your member conducts business in your physical branch. If a member needs to withdraw or deposit funds, there is a form to complete. Are they applying for a loan? Another form. If they have a question, they ask to speak to a manager. Rarely do you need to teach a new member how to conduct business in person. But what works in person, doesn’t always translate to the Web.
Continue reading "2002 Credit Union Website Usability Issue Two - Crucial Forms Lack Guidance" »
By Donovan Myers
Posted on Jan 1, 2003
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Surely these forms aren’t meant to be hidden intentionally…they are simply hard to locate, buried under layers of clicks. Blame poor web site architecture, lack of growth-management, non-standard maintenance or a new term, “link decay” which refers to shuffling pages and links without proper testing. Regardless, if a member has to search for a loan application, membership change of information or inquiry form that resides three or more clicks below the surface, research shows they are not likely to use them.
Continue reading "2002 Credit Union Website Usability Issue One - Crucial Forms Hidden from View" »
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