How to choose the right vendor to update your website

If you were a consumer looking for a new checking account and you came across your institution's website, what would you think? Would you be able to find the information you needed? Would your page even show up in search results? If you don’t know the answer to these questions, it’s time to bring in the web professionals. Your website is a key component in your marketing and sales strategy. It’s the only branch that’s open for consumers 24/7.

In 2016, 72% of consumers used digital channels to open a checking account. That number was just 12% in 2014. Your site needs to cater to these consumers and create the modern, full-featured, digital experience that they expect. But with all of the vendors out there, how do choose the right one for your institution?

Learn what each vendor offers.

When you want to upgrade your site, you might look into a lot of vendors who offer a total website renovation. You’ll evaluate large marketing agencies, small specialty web firms, your core or online banking provider, and maybe a few friends of friends who have made a site here and there.

We recommend narrowing your search by looking for a vendor who specializes in community finance. Those big marketing agencies are great at what they do, but they often work for clients across many industries. They may not be familiar with community finance trends or the specific details of what consumers in your market are looking for.

We’ve found that while core and online banking providers tend to be well-versed in the industry, they typically don’t have the marketing and creative expertise required to turn your website into a sales funnel. They might be able to make a nice website that works, but if you’re looking to rank higher on search engines and sell consumers on your products with great copy, your core and online banking providers will fall short.

A custom solution where you can get everything you want from a vendor is what you should be looking for. This is why many businesses turn to someone in the community to build their site, like your CFO’s nephew. You can tell him what you want and he can code it. But he lacks the marketing and SEO knowledge you need and will probably also charge additional fees for any support.

Attract more consumers with FIRSTBranch.

Yes, FIRSTBranch® is from Kasasa, but we’ve spent years creating a product that checks all the boxes for what community financial institutions (CFIs) need. We've been building compliant websites exclusively for CFIs since 2006. There are more than 430 sites today and we use data from all of them to continuously optimize each FIRSTBranch.

Unlike other vendors, you also get an expert marketing strategy when you work with FIRSTBranch. All of the user experience (UX) is consumer-tested and our experienced SEO team helps craft every FIRSTBranch site so your institution ranks higher in search engine results.

While most other vendors will charge for additional updates and changes, we don’t. We know your strategy is always changing and we’re happy to change with you and offer whatever amount of support you need. Your designated support team jumps on the phone with you every three months for a quarterly health review.

If you’re ready to see how a FIRSTBranch site can upgrade your web experience, head over here.