Build the online brand: Web-savvy customers are expecting more from a Web site than ever before. Here's a guide to the redesign process--including how to use your brand as the starting point.

Think back to what your Web site looked like 10 years ago. It was short and sweet. A map of branches and ATM locations, the history of your bank and a list of products--that was about it.

Now, fast-forward to 2009. Online calculators, bill-paying options and online loan applications are the norm. Some of the more progressive bank Web sites use lifestyle banking to organize their products, feature a blog written by the bank CEO and offer informational videos on financial topics such as protecting yourself against identity theft and money management tips.

Why have these Web sites evolved to be feature rich and engaging content? Because they had no choice--banks have been forced to improve and enhance their Web sites because both current and potential customers are now extremely Web savvy.

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Your customers have gotten in the habit of doing everything online, from filing their taxes to researching a college to applying for Social Security benefits. Which means you need to quickly connect with your visitors or they will go elsewhere.

So, how does your site measure up to your competition? Does it accurately reflect your brand voice? Can users find what they need quickly? Does it speak to your key audiences? Does it give a compelling reason to pick your bank instead of another? And, does it have offers that resonate with your audience?

If you cannot confidently answer "yes" to all of the questions above, this article will provide the insights and tips needed to help improve the performance of your Web site.

Failing to plan is planning to fail

It's cliche but true--planning is essential. If you quickly throw your Web site together it will fail to yield results. It's our experience, however, that most banks underestimate the amount of time it will take to redesign their site. A realistic timeframe is four to six months; but it could take even longer if you decide to write the copy yourself. The first step is to get the key decision makers at your bank to answer the following questions:

* What are the goals and objectives for the redesign?

* What is worth preserving and what is not working? How do you know?

* Who is using it and how are they using it?

* What type of customer do you want more of?.

* Are you trying to cater more to existing customers or are you trying to expand your customer base?

* What does third-party objective research tell you about the features customers desire most?

* How will your search engine marketing strategy dovetail into the redesign?

These answers will help you create an experience that will get you desirable results. After all, you cannot expect your Web site to lead you somewhere if you don't know where you want to go.

For example, if you see that the majority of your visitors go to the home page and then login to online banking, that means your best opportunity for up sell and cross-sell lies inside the online banking section. If you discover that prospective customers are spending time on your planning tools, it makes sense to offer the ability to chat with a financial consultant on the spot. If you see that people are using a mortgage calculator, the result page is the perfect place to put a special offer and an incentive to talk to a financial consultant on a chat line.

Transferring your brand to the Web

Great brands have a strong, authentic voice that needs to be the foundation of your content strategy. That's why it's vital that your management team reaches a consensus on the tone and personality of your bank. This is key to differentiate your bank and your Web site from others.

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To understand how to make sure your Web site supports your brand strategy, let's explain the thinking behind the Web sites of two community banks that have a different look and feel.

NexTier

NexTier (assets: $545 million), Evans City, Pa., founded in 1878, was renamed as part of the bank's rebranding four years ago. It currently has 16 community offices in Western Pennsylvania. The name represents the bank's mission to help customers get to the next step financially. The logo was changed to include "step" visuals. To communicate this message on the Web site, the bank used images of people around steps. Part of this bank's growth strategy focused on diversifying its offerings. Thus, it now offers a small-business consulting group, a wealth management practice and an insurance division, the types of services customers need to "step up" to the next financial level.

Like many community banks, NexTier wanted to show that it is accessible to customers. On the Web site, a link called, "e-mail the president" tries to personalize the experience.

Washington Federal Savings Bank

Washington Federal Savings Bank (assets: $705 million), Washington, Pa., was founded in 1899 and has eight branch offices and two loan centers in Western Pennsylvania. The bank takes pride in being easy to do business with. The bank's managers realized that that was not the impression a person got from the old Web site's confusing structure. Managers are also proud of the strong relationships they have with their customers. They decided that their site should have a more personal feel to convey this relationship. They see their Web site as an extension of their branches and wanted to make sure people feel welcomed when they land on their site.

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To project a more personalized message, the site photos are arranged to look like informal snapshots. The home page features a large "snapshot" of a real customer and his or her story about how the bank has helped them. The goal is to have this be user-generated content where customers can upload their personal stories with photos. To get things started, Washington Federal approached some of their key business customers and asked that they share their stories. Eventually, statement stuffers and other forms of promotion will be used to drive customers to the Web where they can independently upload their photos and stories. The visuals, copy and overall structure of the site emphasize the strong connection this bank has to its community.

These two banks were able to communicate their distinct brand because they spent the time to plan the site and develop a realistic game plan. Their sites celebrate what's unique about each bank.

Putting it all together

So, you've taken the time to ask and discuss critical issues. The key decision makers are in agreement on your brand story. You're ready to start the hands-on work of crafting the site. Now what? Whether it's your internal Web designers or an outside vendor who takes your brand to the Web, make sure your site ends up following these basic rules:

* Provide a consistent login to online banking across entire site.

You never know which page your customers will land on your Web site, so make sure a login box to online banking is highly visible and appears in the same spot on every page.

* Make sure contact information and branch/ATM locations are easy to find.

Research shows that the consumers choose banks based on convenience.

* Separate "wants-based" navigation from "needs-based" navigation.

Wants-based navigation groups information that is task specific, such as a listing of what checking accounts are available. Needs-based navigation groups content and information that is based on the general life stages your customers go through; those newly married need different things from their bank as compared to someone about to retire. Needs-based navigation leads to exploration, while wants-based leads to task execution.

* Humanize the brand with authentic photography.

Photography is perhaps one of the best investments a bank can make simply because authentic photography brings warmth and believability to your Web site.

* Provide simple guide copy to transition people through the different steps.

Don't assume a site visitor will automatically know what to do next. Providing simple copy eliminates confusion. After all, it's too easy for a person to click off your site if they feel lost.

* Make it easy for customers to access customer service,

What type of message are you sending if your customer service phone number cannot be found? Make sure it's easy for customers to find out how to contact you.

* Select the font style and size to appeal to your target audience.

For example, if you have a large percentage of senior citizens as customers, make sure your type size is larger enough to be read easily. Select type that is consistent with your brand and vary the size and weight to help guide the user.

* Use colors that support your brand.

Your Web site supports your other marketing efforts. Do not treat it like an island, designed separately!

* Speak in your customers' language--not banker jargon.

It's too easy for a person to quickly leave your site if they don't understand the terminology. An informative, conversational tone is the best way to keep visitors on your site.

* Don't write boring copy.

As the advertising legend David Ogilvy once said, "You can't bore anyone into buying something." Story telling is a powerful way to present information. Remember to weave engaging stories through your copy so people can connect with you.

* Make sure your site architecture supports your search engine marketing strategy.

How your Web site chunks information and how it discloses it progressively influences both people and search engine rankings. If a Web site bundles multiple services on a single page, it will be difficult for that page to rank high on search engines.

Return on investment is always a big topic for Web sites. Clients always ask how this can be measured. For an e-commerce site, it's easy. A visitor comes to the site and makes a purchase. For a bank, it's not that clear cut. We tell our bank clients to measure the multiple conversion points that occur on the site. For example, how long a person is on your site, what resources they viewed, whether they signed up for online banking or another service, if they've submitted an application for a loan or requested more information.

By looking at all of these mini-conversions, you see if more people are engaging with the bank--which, in turn, can lead to a transaction that generates revenue.

Another key question clients always ask is, "What will this cost?" And the answer is always, "It depends." The quality of your current site plus the number of specialized services you have all influence the final price of the Web site redesign. Expect to pay anywhere from $75,000 to $150,000.

Considering more people will see your information online than in print, it's obvious that the cost of redesigning your Web site is worth an investment of both time and money.

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Traffic Increases 34 Percent After Pennsylvania Bank Redesigns Its Web Site

Where do you start when you are contemplating redesign your Web site? At First Commonwealth Financial (assets: $6.4 billion), Indiana, Pa., we began by evaluating our current site and then considering how the site could align with our strategic business goals.

Initially, we found a few areas that needed improvement. First, the overall feel of the site looked much too institutional for a bank that prides itself on the work it does within the communities. Therefore, we needed to become more human in our look and feel. Second, we realized we were out of sync with what our customers wanted from their online experience. Finally, we needed a tool to make it easier for our clients to locate our offices and our ATMs and track down our office hours of operation.

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From a business standpoint, we wanted our site to boost lead generation by 10 percent to 20 percent in the first year.

The design, copy and navigation on the home page were changed to address the previous problems. To make the Web site seem more friendly and inviting, photos are used throughout the site, plus personalized stories of real customers are regularly featured on the homepage. This page was designed to do a better job at cross-selling and up-selling to current customers who land on the site looking for product specials and general information.

We have a strong commitment to being a superior, customer-focused financial institution, thus we have a section on the home page called Customer Care Center. Here are links to our hours, branch and ATM locations, online security alerts and other important sections of the site.

Then, to attract new customers, we added planning tools and used search engine optimization to drive prospective customers to those pages. We also thought it was important to stress the investment we make in the communities where we are located so a Community Commitment tab is in the header of the site. Changes to the navigation of the site made it easier for users to find what they needed.

The result is a site that has received overwhelming positive response from both customers and our employees. There has been a 34 percent increase in site traffic and the use of localized search tools has brought a more focused and regional audience to our site. As a result, office traffic and account opening has shown positive growth over the past year and weekly feedback through our Contact Us link on the site is over 90 percent positive. Our Web site was nationally recognized as an official Honoree by the Webby Awards in 2008.

Suggestions for customers to feature on the home page come from various people within the bank. Most customers do not hesitate to do the testimonials, especially after we tell them our site gets over 550,000 visitors a month. One customer told us he experienced an increase to his small-business Web site of over 50 percent once we posted his testimonial to our home page. He had no other reason to account for the traffic increase other than being featured on our site. All of this begins by partnering with the right company that understands your goals and works directly with you to achieve them.

--Orlando E Fulgenzio III, Senior Vice President, Business Integration Group, First Commonwealth Bank.

Abu Noaman is the CEO of Elliance, Inc., Pittsburgh. The company, an e-marketing software and service firm, helps banks improve their online presence with Web site design, strategy and search marketing.