First impressions are hugely important in the world of digital banking, online shopping and the multitude of competition for attention in the digital space. Therefore, when thinking about your financial institution’s efforts to draw in new customers, respect them by creating trust and providing value, being as clear as possible about what makes your institution unique, and streamlining their interactions with your products and services.
Create Trust and Provide Value
Establish yourself as a valuable information source from the very first interaction. Put yourself in the shoes of a potential customer: They may be looking for banking information, may be exploring financial vehicles, or may simply be doing background research on a different topic that relates to personal finance. Whatever they’re looking for, be the valuable voice of reason for them. In your online content, focus on providing as much information as possible and as little promotion as possible, outside of the heading of your website and a link to your products/services. By providing valuable information right away, you’re already miles ahead of the pack, and you will draw in the attention and respect of the reader.
This is also why content marketing is important. Content marketing provides value first to your customer, with your brand and name as an afterthought the to valuable information you’re providing. This approach seems counterintuitive, but the reality is that the average person on the street is seeking out information and good choices, rather than a specific bank or brand. Make sure you provide value first in your interactions, and your brand’s name, even as an afterthought, will be more powerful.
Provide Clarity
Potential customers should immediately understand your core services, your best value offers and what makes your financial institution unique. Think about the best parts of your organization and what makes you better than your competition. Are your rates for loans low? Do you provide a personalized feel that is unique from your competition? Do you offer one-of-a-kind products? This information should be front and center, letting your potential new customer learn why you’re better than the competition. More importantly, make sure to frame that value add in the context of your customer’s life. If you have low rates, talk about the extra money they can save and reallocate to their personal lives. If you provide superior customer service, talk about how your institution can make their financial lives as stress-free as possible.
Make Purchasing Easy
We use “purchase” here as a relative term, which can be substituted with “signing up” or enrolling. If a potential customer is on one of your landing pages, their path to some sort of purchase or information sharing (such as email) should be as obvious and pain free as possible without being the sole content of your page. You want to respect a potential customer’s attention by providing as much information as possible while also streamlining the process when they choose to create an account or join your institution.
