2002 Credit Union Website Usability Issue Seven - Leaving Dead End Pathways During Crucial Transactions

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.

Keep your members informed of what's going on and what to expect.

The Fix: The key to a successful on-line transaction is testing, testing and more testing. What appears intuitive to your staff is often not for your member. Just as you would encourage a member to ask questions when taking an application in the office, you must predict which questions your members will have while on-line and answer them clearly on the web page. It’s helpful to present mockups of your applications to a focus group of real members during the web site planning phase. Your members will be able to tell you directly if items are not clear or if your applications are cumbersome. If you have an existing site, consider using a focus group to evaluate it today.