Page 25 - Michigan Credit Union League: 2018 Contact Q3

searches made on the internet every month. Just last A ROBUST CMS IS HALF THE BATTLE
year, Google announced that it achieved significant break-

throughs in voice recognition technology, rendering its Credit unions have to ask themselves if the content

AI-backed voice recognition about 95 percent accurate. management system (CMS) they are using is one that

That is about as accurate as the average human. Moving is the right fit for them long term. Modern organizations

forward, sites need to be optimized for voice search. need the ability to add or change content on the fly,

and this means a high demand for a CMS that is easy

Measuring ROI: Websites can be expensive, so organiza- to use, flexible and secure. From rate updates to blog

tions want to get the most value for their money. Financial posts, credit unions are demanding more control over the

institutions are paying special attention to the conversion content on their websites, without having to go through

rate of their online properties, as well as understanding vendors and waiting for updates.

what triggers a visitor to convert, and leaving plenty of

opportunities for them to do so later. However, the market is currently overloaded with CMS plat-

forms. Popular platforms such as WordPress, Joomla and

BUILDING FOR THE USER Drupal support websites across all industries, but are they
the right fit for credit unions? While there are a number

of CMSs purpose-built for financial institutions, choosing

At the end of the day, a credit union’s website is meant one depends on a credit union’s specific requirements.

for the member. Intuitive design means meeting members

where they are and with what they want: making banking Questions credit unions should ask internally:

more convenient, more secure and more attractive. For

2018, this means ensuring that mobile websites are •• What are the primary goals for the website?

equally as accessible and functional as desktop versions. •• What kind of content will be available?

According to Zenith’s Mobile Advertising Forecast, mobile •• W ho are the primary stakeholders involved

devices accounted for 75 percent of global internet use (marketing, IT, etc.)?

in 2017, and in 2018, this is projected to increase to

79 percent. Questions credit unions should ask regarding their CMS:

A few key things to keep in mind when it comes •• How easy is the CMS to install?

to mobile-first design: •• Who else in the industry uses the CMS?

•• Does it have the features the credit union requires?

P age speed: Google announced in January that page load- •• Is there reliable and speedy support?

ing speed will be a new ranking factor for mobile searches. •• What security features come with the platform?

In general, page speed matters much more on mobile than •• Is the CMS scalable?

it may for desktop, due in part to the difference between

Wi-Fi or wired networks and mobile data networks. When it comes to finding a CMS, organizations want to

have their cake and eat it too. Companies are looking for

M obile-optimized content: In a way, mobile-first design an intuitive and easy-to-learn system that at the same

can also be called content-first design. Credit unions time offers a wealth of functionality. Having access to

should ensure their mobile websites have readable fonts, updating source code is very important, especially when

a bug-free and intuitive user interface (UI), as well as it comes to editing at a page level. Credit unions need

ditching outdated technology such as Flash. to be aware of potential problems that could slow down

load time and page speed, such as too much Flash, too

Responsive design: Why bother spending all that time many redirects, large graphics or graphics that have

on creating content when it’s not appealing? Responsive been scaled in HTML. They also should be aware of any

design is now a standard across all industries due to its robots, text files or malware that could be on the site.

one-size-fits-all appeal. Responsive design offers a grid-

based content structure that allows designs to match This article is from the Q2 2018 issue of CU TrendScan. To

different screen sizes, regardless of whether content read more articles covering the latest trends in technology,

is viewed on a smartphone, tablet or 82-inch monitor. marketing and HR performance, visit CUTrendScan.com

THIRD QUARTER 2018  I  CONTACT 25