Credit Union Website Design Pro Tips

Eddie O'Leary President and Founder

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May 29, 2023

Planning & Strategy

Considering a design or redesign project? There is a lot to keep in mind when beginning a credit union website redesign. Most websites deteriorate as upgrades and new ideas are incorporated into their functionality. Over time, the website redesign process grows cumbersome, creating an endless cycle of quick fixes that don’t add value across the business.

These are uniquely impactful challenges for credit union websites since serving members is at the heart of the business. A credit union website should continue meeting members’ needs as time passes, yet the average redesign is a significant one-time investment yielding immediate returns then dropping steeply in the following months and years.

Website Design for Credit Unions – Tips for a Successful Redesign

Your website is often the first impression you give a potential member, and you want it to be an engaging experience. It can help you establish your credit union as an industry leader and earn the trust of consumers. Here are a few tips to keep in mind when starting the design process for your website:

Start with a Purpose

Good design starts with a clear, high-level purpose that aligns with your credit union’s brand strategy and vision. You should have this in mind before beginning the web design process to ensure you’re on track to create a website that is consistent with your brand and serves your business needs.

Provide relevant information

Providing valuable information to your members is essential for any successful credit union website design. The right content will engage your visitors and move them along the buying cycle by offering valuable information and presenting them with clear next steps to follow.
A strong website can also be used to educate your members on their finances, and how they can improve them with the help of your credit union. This can be done by providing them with helpful resources such as calculators and videos.

Consider incorporating live chat and chatbots into your credit union’s website. These tools can make it easy for your members to get answers to their questions instantly and are a great way to show them that you are committed to their success.

Build a responsive website

Mobile devices are the way most people access the internet, so it’s important to ensure that your credit union’s website is designed in a way that looks good and works well on a smartphone or tablet. Responsive designs make it possible for visitors to view your website on any screen and from anywhere, making it easy for them to access the information they need at any time.

In addition, a mobile friendly design can also boost your search engine rankings and attract new prospects to your credit union. This is especially important in the credit union industry, where Millennials are increasingly using online banking and looking for more options than ever before.

To ensure your website’s redesign is effective, your credit union website must be able to achieve desired outcomes while breaking free from the cycle of unproductive updates. Enter WebOps.

How Does WebOps Support a Credit Union Website Redesign?

WebOps is a website redesign framework that allows an organization to reimagine its site as a lasting, evolving product instead of a one-off project. COLAB has partnered with top credit unions using WebOps to create industry-leading websites that directly address credit union marketing challenges.

During and after WebOps implementation, your credit union takes a comprehensive approach to website redesign and addresses all aspects of the website, from site design and functionality to content management, customer service, sales, marketing, security, compliance, and more. This approach is ideal for credit unions because it puts member and staff satisfaction front and center in the process.

WebOps empowers your entire team to focus on the credit union’s most essential and meaningful work, eliminating wasteful activities that don’t deliver measurable marketing value. WebOps also streamlines the mechanics and processes working in the background of your site to support smooth, productive interactions. Your members see the results in their improved digital experiences, as do your staff members in their everyday work.

The Benefits of WebOps in your Credit Union Website Redesign Project

WebOps reliably delivers increased website management efficiency by streamlining numerous processes and automating repetitive tasks from compliance workflows to service messages and notifications. At the same time, it reduces costs by centralizing resources and expertise, getting the most out of every digital dollar you invest in your redesign.

Most of all, WebOps allows you to serve your members better. Enhance year-round credit union marketing campaigns and improve your members’ digital experiences with fast, responsive, user-friendly online options. To see the benefits of WebOps in action, take a look at COLAB’s Virginia Credit Union case study.

Applying the WebOps Approach to Your Credit Union Website

After years of partnership with some of the industry’s top credit unions implementing WebOps, we’ve learned some common missteps – and often missed steps – in the process. Be sure to avoid the common pitfalls in your credit union website redesign with our WebOps approach.

1. Set clear and measurable redesign goals.

A redesign can be an overwhelming process for any team, so taking the time to determine clear and measurable goals for your redesign will add structure and focus. Remember to report back on your progress. This allows you to identify the successes on the website and opportunities for further optimization.

2. Don’t skip the examination phase.

Don’t overlook the wealth of knowledge and insights various teams at the credit union can provide to assist in defining and creating exceptional member experiences on your website. Invite others to share how the site could better support them in working with members. Member services, compliance, and recruiting team members provide a variety of perspectives at your credit union to ensure your website is designed to best support your members and business goals.

3. Start building your roadmap and backlog from the very beginning.

If you’re worried that the tip above will result in an overload of to-dos or create competing priorities, you’re not alone. This is why some businesses skip the examination phase altogether. Combat information and priority overload by building your website roadmap and a set of tasks and ideas from the very beginning of your redesign. While you can’t address every concern or implement every idea simultaneously, you can curate a backlog so the team doesn’t lose sight of important information and insights.

4. Map the member journey.

Most websites have numerous user entry points and desired outcomes, making it feel impossible to design a cohesive site. For example, members might be coming to your website from an email, a Google search, or a postcard. They might be interested in signing up for a new checking account, applying for a mortgage, or logging in to check their account balances. Those users are all very different, so how do you ensure the website can best deliver for each of them? Determine the most desired outcomes on your website, then map the most common member journeys to those outcomes. Now you can create predictably positive member experiences across your website.

5. Prioritize an iterative process.

Choose a platform that allows your marketers to launch rapid iterations with fast deployment of new features for maximum value from your website. Be sure these iterative needs are prioritized right alongside the security, compliance, administrative, and other key requirements to enable you to test, implement, measure, assess, optimize, and repeat continually and efficiently on your website.

Learn how Virginia Credit Union increased website leads by 32%

Accomplish Effective, Iterative Credit Union Website Redesign Success

COLAB’s approach to a credit union website redesign with WebOps is based on three main components.

Vision

It’s vital to determine and align across the organization on the optimal future state of your website. Start by considering your credit union’s goals – both short and long-term – and preferred ROI. This will help as you identify desired features and member experience outcomes on your website and best prioritize them.

Platform

A website redesign with WebOps is much more than a content management system (CMS). Including your front-end architecture, infrastructure, visual design system, and digital branding, extensibility, security, and accessibility are centered in the implementation, maintenance, and optimization.

Process

Establishing a method in which to work collaboratively and continually fine-tune your site is imperative in producing the best outcomes. From site development to content and feature optimization and continuous iteration, creating an efficient and effective process ensures that as business goals and member needs change, your website has no problems keeping up.

How COLAB Can Help with Your Credit Union Website Redesign

With COLAB’s insights and assistance, your credit union can use WebOps to create exceptional member experiences to achieve goals and gain freedom from the endless cycle of redesigns. Download COLAB’s Comprehensive Guide To Credit Union Website Redesign to learn more.