Site Study: Bank of America

As one of the largest banks in the world, Bank of America has the benefit of a big marketing budget and all the digital bells and whistles that come with it. But its size also presents some unique challenges. Here’s our breakdown of some things their site does well and some things it can improve:

 

Highlights

 

Clear, modern design

The obvious log-in, appropriate use of white space, and clearly defined promotional areas make it easy for site visitors to understand where to find what they’re looking for without getting overwhelmed.

 

Targeted content

With such a large target market, Bank of America has the challenge of appealing to many different segments. They cleverly approach this by adjusting the content based on the state the site visitor is in, which allows them to target audience segments much more specifically.

 

High Functionality

Well, a big budget definitely doesn’t hurt when it comes to functionality. This site has it all, from simple online applications, predictive search tool, easy-to-use financial calculators, financial planning tools, a robust mobile app, and a locations finder for ATMs and branches.

 

Opportunities

 

Generic Imagery

While the site does a good job of targeting content by state, it misses out on the chance to also target its imagery. Most of the photos used on the site are generic stock images, whereas they could make it feel much more personal by using images local to the targeted area.

 

Unfocused Calls to Action

The product pages on Bank of America’s site present a lot of useful information, but they often lack a clear call to action for the visitor to follow. With more defined pathways, the product pages could potentially create higher conversions.

Confusing Navigation

Possibly the greatest opportunity for improvement on this site is the navigation. Because of the way the menus are split up (“siloed,” in industry speak), the visitor can’t easily move between tabs. The site assumes visitors always know exactly what they’re looking for, rather than letting them know what they want when they see it. Additionally, once a visitor clicks on a menu item, the main navigation disappears entirely and requires a click on the browser’s back button to return to the previous page.

 

Get started today

Look at your three most popular product pages. Is there a clear call to action inviting the reader to visit his or her nearest branch or open an account online? On the flip side, are there too many calls to action, with no clear hierarchy? See if you can create a simple pathway that makes it easy for someone visiting your page to take one priority action.

If you’re looking to take a bigger step, talk to us about a website redesign!