What is the main difference between the bank website and others?
To answer the question taken into the heading of this section, we should consider some narrower ones, namely::
- What are the most critical factors of bank sites? The safety of the user’s personal data, reliable protection of financial transactions, and the compliance of the activity carried out using this resource by the state’s law – all these are general requirements for any site or mobile application. However, the banking sector elevates to the Absolute as in no other of these conditions. In particular, the safety of any operations and protection against external influences on them is not just a sign of a good product here, but is directly regulated by many laws and internal instructions.
- How is the development of a banking site going? At first glance, the development of a banking site is no different from creating any other Internet resource. In the same way, the customer discusses the terms of reference, design, prices, and general wishes with the contractor. However, in this case, the fundamental difference is that the actor, by default, should have a number of necessary documents that allow him to develop such projects. The developer must thoroughly know all requirements of the banking legislation – of the country where the headquarters of the customer bank is placed and those countries where its activities are planned. It is obvious that only a few certified professionals, for example, experts from SECL, can meet these requirements.
- Which CMS is better to choose for the bank website? Regarding the choice of CMS, there are no harsh requirements. In this case, the customer himself should make a choice. On the one hand, the existing Content Management Systems, or as professionals call them, “site engines,” will cost cheaper than those created from scratch, precisely for your resource. On the other hand, it is easier for hackers to hack an already well-known system than a unique one. At the same time, it goes without saying that creating an engine for your resource will cost more than integrating a third-party CMS.
- Why should the creation of a banking site be ordered only for professionals with experience in this area, confirmed by a convincing portfolio and positive reviews from customers? Basically, the answer to this question is contained in the second paragraph. However, there is another extremely important nuance. Since the damage from any hacking of such a site can be catastrophic, the customer cannot do without a contract with the contractor carefully worked out by lawyers. This document should provide the slightest details and unequivocally prescribe the responsibility of both parties in case of possible troubles. Only a serious company can give you such guarantees and, if there is such a need, compensate for damage.
Attractive design and flexibility of the interface are integral components of success
Of course, the recommendations below are also relevant for any other site. However, since banking Internet representations should inspire confidence and reliability, neglect of these aspects can mean significantly more tangible financial losses for the bank than, say, for an online store owner. Each element of the design of a banking site should affect not only the consciousness but also the subconscious of the visitor, inspiring him with a sense of comfort and comprehensive security.
So, here is not a complete list of requirements for the appearance of a successful banking site:
- The convenience of using the site in all the most minor details
- Clear steps and noticeable calls for action
- High level of security and its confirmation in design elements (safety signs, etc.)
- Fast availability and clear statement of essential information
- Optimization for mobile devices
- Web accessibility for users with disabilities
- The integrity of style and coordination in color schemes, icons, fonts, etc.
- Confirmation of the Bank’s reputation using design elements (certificates, awards, etc.)
- Emphasis on the values of the target audience in images and texts
The banking site involves close interaction with users. At the same time, any typo can turn into many thousands of losses or, at best, untimely transactions and, as a result, untimely fulfillment of customers’ financial obligations. In this regard, the trouble-free work of all kinds of interactive forms, their multiple verifications, rechecking, and protection against possible errors is a factor whose significance cannot be overestimated. Here are three bottlenecks that in Internet banking can cause problems while they should work flawlessly:
- Slow loading speed (too heavy pictures or annoying captchas).
- Incorrectly working feedback and transaction forms.
- The site’s code is not optimized for promotion (search queries are not used in the texts, and the service fields of the site are not filled out).
These three points are all about the need to optimize the code. Meanwhile, the third position is not about the interaction with users, but about the effectiveness of the website promotion. Since the SEO tags are supposed to provide the appearance of the site’s references in the first lines of any search.
Competent SEO optimization – the key to the competitiveness of the site
Since it was about promoting the site (which is especially important in conditions of tough competition in the Internet banking market), it is worthwhile to dwell on SEO optimization a little more. Here are elements that guarantee “love” for the site from the algorithms of search engines:
- Human-understandable URL – a description of each page of the site and key phrases listed in a specific service field of the page.
- Site Map card – instructions for search robots, which stores in the Robots.txt file,
- Configuration file .htaccess, which allows an administrator to distinguish between user rights and make changes to the site without the threat of the fact that the site will “fall apart,”
- Meta tags are special characters used by search engines to register site pages.
Summing up
So, an excellent banking site is a site that is made by highly qualified professionals and guarantees users comfort and impenetrable protection.