Treating Your Digital Presence as Your Newest Branch Office

Your Website as a Virtual Banking Branch

Whether it’s due to the COVID-19 pandemic or the continued development of digital tools, more people than ever are utilizing virtual banking services over in-person banking interactions. In fact, according to J.D. Power, “consumers that conduct their banking only by digital means are actually the least satisfied” while customers that did a mix of in-person and online were the most satisfied. While it can be easy to focus on the customers that come into your offices to do their banking business, it’s important that you provide a strong customer experience to those who only interact with your bank online.

So, what can you do to ensure your customers have a positive experience, no matter how they interact with you? It’s time to start thinking of your online presence as a digital branch and an extension of your bank by following these suggestions.

Use Digital Marketing to Engage Customers Personally

You should already be utilizing trusted online marketing techniques like search engine marketing (SEM) and social media advertising. But do you think about the type of experience those ads provide for potential customers? Many Google ads are focused on driving clicks to your website, which can put a lot of work on the user’s plate to accomplish what they want. Instead, consider optimizing your ads for phone calls so customers have the chance to call in to talk to your staff. You already place a focus on providing a memorable customer experience to people that come to your branch office. Why not provide the same experience to someone who chooses to connect with your bank online?

Embrace Customers Who Want to do Business Online

COVID-19 may have already forced you to think in these terms, so why not embrace the strategy moving forward? Your online banking platform likely gives users the options to enroll in e-statements and make bill payments via an online bill pay tool. But you could be doing more. Here are some potential options you can integrate into your website:

Give your users the ability to complete loan applications online.
Explore options to schedule appointments online so customers can meet your staff on their schedule.
Partner with vendors that allow customers to apply for credit cards online.
Add financial calculators to loan and deposit pages to give users the chance to see how their current financial situation could impact their financial future.

If you make it easier for your customers to help themselves online, you do more than improve their experience. You also free up time for your staff. If you choose to integrate any of these options, be sure to give users the ability to easily contact your staff if they have any questions.

Improving Local SEO

There are a lot of elements that go into making sure your bank can even attract potential customers online. First, you must make sure that your bank can be found easily online. Embracing strong Search Engine Optimization (SEO) techniques is critical to your bank’s success with attracting online business. Here are some items we recommend to get a strong start to improving your SEO:

Integrate Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager to track your site’s performance over time.
Verify all your bank’s web addresses in Google Search Console.
Create a Google My Business listing for each location of your bank with accurate hours of operation and pictures of your branches.
Utilize reputation management services to verify your bank’s locations on Google and other online directories.
Integrate a blog into your website to create relevant content for your users on a variety of financial topics.

Embracing these strategies will improve your odds of attracting new customers through your online presence while giving your current customers more tools so they can manage their finances on their time. If you would like assistance integrating any of these options, contact your VGM Forbin account executive. We’re ready to help you get started!