Credit Union website best practices: condense, consolidate, and cull content

One of the strongest trends we’ve seen over the last few years in the credit union websites we build could be called “page compression”. Back in the ancient days (you know, maybe four years ago in web years) a typical CU website launched with 125-150 pages, maybe even more. 

Nowadays? That’s closer to 50 – 70 pages. And the benefits are massive. Members and potential members find what they need faster and without all the fluff and confusion, and they get to know your brand better. 

This is probably obvious, but fewer pages also make it easier to maintain your content and make sure it’s accurate, up to date, reflects well on your brand, and is trustworthy. Outdated information can create misunderstandings and even significant risks.

Plus, in the age of AI-powered everything, it’s absolutely vital to clean up crusty old content and keep those dusty corners of your website clean and tidy. Even if you haven’t looked at a page or blog post in five years, the AI bots will find it.

Moreover, running a tighter ship in your site’s product and service pages can also allow more focus on differentiation. What features REALLY make your products different? What actually makes your CU different, or better for your community? It leaves more room to tell your larger story, to be perceived as a well-rounded organization, and to better answer how your credit union fits into your members’ stories.

Here’s how to condense, consolidate and cull your website content to create a razor-sharp member experience and increase CU website effectiveness.

Consolidate product pages

For example, instead of a page for each checking account, put them all on the same page in an easy comparison format. (Or better yet, consolidate down to one checking account that has everything for everyone, all at once.)

And there are also things you just don’t need to explain in detail any more. For example, mention debit cards, overdraft protection, and direct deposit on your checking page, not separate pages, and keep the words to a minimum. Everyone knows what a debit card is anyway, and there’s little that differentiates them. That’s where members will look anyway, and it makes your checking accounts seem more complete.

The same goes for credit cards, auto loans, mortgages, etc. Put all the options in a single page in a highly condensed comparison format so members can instantly see the differences and take action without a lot of clicking and tapping. Remove repetition, and cull the lists of benefits down to things that people actually care about. 

Think through rates

The most-visited pages on every CU website are the rates pages. There’s no one clear correct answer here, but some CUs put all the rates on one page, some separate loan and deposit rates, and some group them differently.

The point is to think this through; what kind of experience do you want to give members? What kind of data would you like to get from your rates pages? What fits your brand? For example, maybe there’s value in putting certificate or auto rates on their own page; people often bookmark these, and that way you can target the bookmarkers with offers when you want. 

Or, maybe you want to really condense and speed up the experience of reviewing rates and have a lot of members on mobile devices. So an all-in-one page with ways to quickly tap and find rates makes more sense. 

And of course, you should also put product rate sheets on the product pages and landing pages so that members don’t have to hunt them down.

Manage and minimize PDFs

Another often-overlooked content corner is PDFs; we’ve seen several issues arise when AI bots, search engines, or real live members find old PDFs and don’t understand that the content is no longer current. 

Keep an inventory of PDFs on your CU’s website and review it every so often to make sure that they’re all still current and necessary. For example, keep old newsletters to a minimum; it’s too easy for that rate or promotion from three years ago to be misunderstood. (And besides, trust us… no one EVER looks at these.)

PDFs are best used only when there’s a good reason. For example, a form that is intended to be printed, or a disclosure that is required to be in an exact printed format.

A lot of PDFs lurking on credit union websites are fairly simple and mostly text, and many should probably be turned into content on a web page. 

Pages to consider adding

Fewer, simpler pages are usually better, but there are times you really should consider adding pages or blog posts.

For example, do you have a page or two of information for Spanish-speaking people? Do you have clear instructions on your site for resetting your online banking password? Do you have an FAQ page that actually has answers to real Frequently Asked Questions?

If you have a brand focus on financial education, make sure you have real, localized info and resources on your site to help members going through common life events like divorce, bankruptcy, eviction, or illness. Or maybe a page explaining the car loan application process in detail would help attract more younger members to apply.

If your brand is focused on your community and community service, then more and more frequent blog posts, a community calendar, and greater integration with your social media outreach might make more sense. 

These are all important parts of differentiation, and clearing up the content and product cruft is an important way to focus your attention – and your member’s attention – where its most needed.

Brian Wringer
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