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1st Choice Savings

A New Virtual Branch that Delivers Big Results

Challenge
Like many Credit Unions, 1st Choice Savings had a website, but it was ineffective. Not only did it fail to meet members' needs, it didn't perform as a lead generation tool, was out of date and it had little or no continuity with other marketing collateral. On top of that, staff lacked confidence in the website and were reluctant to direct members to use it as a resource. 1st Choice Savings knew it was time for a major change and they turned to us to help them achieve heightened success and credibility online.

Solution
As we do with all projects, we started with persona development to help us really understand who would be coming to the website and what they really needed once they got there. Then we got down to designing a site that would rise up to meet members' needs and help 1st Choice Savings to attract new members looking for something different online. The personas helped us to define design, content, messaging, functionality and tools. Along the way we involved 1st Choice Savings staff and management, creating a building sense of excitement and buy-in that would set up the new web property for ultimate success. 

We also provided a powerful Content Management System that would allow them to make real-time updates once the site went live.  Finally, we created a long-term partnership with 1st Choice Savings that assured them of the enduring value, flexibility and growing influence of their new web property.

Result
1st Choice Savings staff experienced a renewed confidence and pride in their new web property. The web property also offered a newly integrated staff training process that was well received by all involved.

From a marketing perspective, the web property made it easier for 1st Choice Savings to offer polished campaigns in all of its branches. These campaigns had continuity across all touch-points including web, point of service, mailers and in-branch collateral.

With respect to new business, 1st Choice Savings experience a 1000% increase in leads for products and services.  In addition, they saw a 10% increase in online banking usage over the industry standard. They also recorded a dramatic reduction in printing costs and significant savings in training resources.

This website garnered 1st Choice Savings the coveted AIM award at the Marketing Association for Credit Unions Conference in both 2007 and 2008.