What’s the number one rule of good user experience (UX)? Don’t make me think!

First, let’s explore what exactly user experience means. UX refers to how a person feels when interacting with a system or product, like a website, including their emotions, perceptions, and responses as they navigate and engage. 

We’ve all seen websites that look fancy and feature flashy technology but are annoyingly hard to navigate and use. This, of course, leads to frustration, lack of trust, and an increased likelihood of jumping ship. 

That’s why most of the time, “boring” UX is the best UX. Boring is super straightforward. Boring gets the member exactly what they need. Boring gets the job done with the least number of steps and minimal confusion.

We know marketers like to be creative. Users do appreciate a great-looking site, with nearly half of them assessing a site’s credibility based on visual design. But a well-designed website isn't just about aesthetics; it's also about functionality, clarity, and reliability. A clean, intuitive user experience enhances engagement and can significantly improve conversions.

So, what constitutes a “friendly” user experience on a credit union website? Let’s explore five key best practices:

1. Streamline navigation menus and calls-to-action

The menu is the initial point of interaction for most visitors, and its design must be intuitive and easy to use. Credit unions typically offer a broad spectrum of products and services; a cluttered menu that attempts to list every offering simultaneously will easily overwhelm visitors. To counteract this, the most critical calls-to-action (CTAs), like the online banking login, should be prominently displayed, ideally in the top right corner, where members are conditioned to look for it. 

You want to aim for a navigation structure that enables members to locate the information they need within three clicks or fewer, and you’ll want to logically group products and services into clear, easily understandable categories like "Accounts," "Loans," "About," or "Resources." Consistency across the site is also important; for instance, using "Get Started" on one page and "Apply Now" on another for the same process can create confusion.

We often get requests from clients to be creative when it comes to navigation labels. We understand the impulse, but catchy names like “Save & Spend” actually require more cognitive effort to understand and therefore detract from a seamless user experience. You also want to pay careful attention to the cognitive effort your drop-down menus require. According to Miller’s Law, retention depends on grouping information into meaningful chunks. That means if a drop-down menu is getting overwhelmingly long, you may need to consider a “mega menu” that organizes the same pages into clear categories. 

The more thoughtful and straightforward you are in your menu labels and organization, the more you increase the ease by which users can get to the information they need, rather than forcing them to invest extra energy in figuring out how to get there. By helping users feel competent and in control, you can help strengthen their trust in your credit union.

2. Improve insite search results 

Even with an expertly designed menu, some users prefer to use search functionality, which means that a search bar should not only be easy to find but also deliver helpful results. Results should not only be relevant and easy to scan, but they should account for everyday language variations. That means a search for "car loan" should yield the same results as a search for "auto loan" or "vehicle financing." 

It’s also helpful to distinguish between different types of content. A blog post with tips for vehicle financing might be relevant but not quite what the user is looking for. Consider clearly distinguishing between blog posts, other financial education content, FAQs, and product pages in your search results. 

This all means you’ll want a robust search tool that gives you the ability to prioritize what search results display for specific keywords and allows for fuzzy matching and like terms. And while your insite search capabilities should not be an afterthought, remember that search is one component of your site navigation, typically used by a small fraction of your total visitors. It should always be complemented with clear, well-designed navigation menus and labels. 

3. Create copy that is easy to skim and understand

The financial sector is often perceived as complex and laden with jargon. Effective UX-friendly copywriting prioritizes clarity and simplicity above all else, which can be difficult in an industry filled with terms and concepts that many people find intimidating. 

Remember, you might be well versed in the language of financial services, but many of your members might not be familiar with terminology like “secured” or “unsecured” loan. If users encounter complex financial terms they do not understand, they are likely to disengage or seek information elsewhere. Make sure to use straightforward, consistent language to explain complex financial concepts. 

While you want to create comprehensive and informative product pages that flow beautifully from beginning to end, it’s also worth keeping in mind that most visitors only skim as they scroll. Paragraphs of text might be fitting for a blog post, but for most of your website pages, you’ll want to make sure to break up text into easy digestible sections. This is called “content chunking,” a concept with origins in cognitive psychology, and it helps your visitors better process, understand, and retain information. 

Instead of a descriptive paragraph about the benefits of your high-yield checking account, consider dividing it into three columns with subheadings and intro text. Instead of a lengthy overview of your home-buying process, consider breaking it into steps, with visual aids, like numbered icons or relevant photos, to distinguish each step from the next.

Remember, copy is only one component of your website content and should always be created with visuals in mind, including icons, images, infographics, and multimedia components. 

When it comes to tone, the most important consideration from a UX standpoint is consistency. If one page uses playful language and another page employs more formal language, it will disorient visitors. Whatever your brand voice, make sure it’s employed throughout your website. 

4. Ensure interactive tools are intuitive and don’t require too much effort

Just like the language surrounding financial products, financial tools can be needlessly complex. Consider a standard mortgage calculator, which often asks users to input a lot of information, like annual property tax or home insurance costs, that may not be at their fingertips. 

A mortgage calculator with a lot of inputs is going to give a visitor the most accurate monthly payment, and it could be a great financial education tool. But most people won’t know the answers and won’t take the time to find them.

It’s important to consider the end goal and the purpose of the tool in the context of the page. If a calculator is intended as a sales tool to offer a rough estimate of a monthly loan amount, you’ll want to drastically pare down the required inputs and only ask for the necessary information. Ask yourself what else you can do to reduce what you’re asking of your visitors. Can you, for instance, integrate a calculator with your rates tables so users only need to input the loan amount and term, without having to cross-reference to determine the rate? 

We understand that credit unions may have limited control over the fields in some of their tools, including loan and deposit applications. But keep these questions in mind when vetting vendors and assessing any potential digital tool:

• Are we asking the right questions to get the visitor to the next step? 
• Is there any information we can cut or any steps we can consolidate for fewer clicks?
• Is it clear and intuitive how to advance to the next step? 
• Are we managing expectations as to what the visitor will find when they get there?
  
  

5. Don’t forget about security, accessibility, and mobile responsiveness

Beyond specific features, the overarching success of a credit union website relies on fundamental UX pillars that instill confidence and ensure inclusivity for all members.

Visibly integrating robust security measures is paramount to fostering member confidence, and designing for universal accessibility, in compliance with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), is not only a legal imperative, it’s vital for creating an inclusive experience that serves all users, including those with disabilities. Maintaining cross-device consistency also ensures a seamless and predictable experience for members regardless of how they access the website.

For more specific and comprehensive guidance on security, accessibility, and mobile responsiveness, see these key considerations for credit union website CMS platforms and hosting providers, our guide to credit union website accessibility and ADA compliance, and responsive design best practices.

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