Build the online brand: Web-savvy customers are expecting more from a Web site than ever before. Here's a guide to the redesign process--including how to use your brand as the starting point.

• Author: Noaman, Abu
• Position: Web Site Redesign Basics

Think back to what your Web site looked like 10 years ago. It was short and sweet. A map of branches and ATM locations, the history of your bank and a list of products--that was about it.

Now, fast-forward to 2009. Online calculators, bill-paying options and online loan applications are the norm. Some of the more progressive bank Web sites use lifestyle banking to organize their products, feature a blog written by the bank CEO and offer informational videos on financial topics such as protecting yourself against identity theft and money management tips.

Why have these Web sites evolved to be feature rich and engaging content? Because they had no choice--banks have been forced to improve and enhance their Web sites because both current and potential customers are now extremely Web savvy.

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Your customers have gotten in the habit of doing everything online, from filing their taxes to researching a college to applying for Social Security benefits. Which means you need to quickly connect with your visitors or they will go elsewhere.

So, how does your site measure up to your competition? Does it accurately reflect your brand voice? Can users find what they need quickly? Does it speak to your key audiences? Does it give a compelling reason to pick your bank instead of another? And, does it have offers that resonate with your audience?

If you cannot confidently answer "yes" to all of the questions above, this article will provide the insights and tips needed to help improve the performance of your Web site.

Failing to plan is planning to fail

It's cliche but true--planning is essential. If you quickly throw your Web site together it will fail to yield results. It's our experience, however, that most banks underestimate the amount of time it will take to redesign their site. A realistic timeframe is four to six months; but it could take even longer if you decide to write the copy yourself. The first step is to get the key decision makers at your bank to answer the following questions:

* What are the goals and objectives for the redesign?

* What is worth preserving and what is not working? How do you know?

* Who is using it and how are they using it?

* What type of customer do you want more of?.

* Are you trying to cater more to existing customers or are you trying to expand your customer base?

* What does third-party objective research tell you about the features customers desire most?

* How will your search engine marketing strategy dovetail into the redesign?

These answers will help you create an experience that will get you desirable results. After all, you cannot expect your Web site to lead you somewhere if you don't know where you want to go.

For example, if you see that the majority of your visitors go to the home page and then login to online banking, that means your best opportunity for up sell and cross-sell lies inside the online banking section. If you discover that prospective customers are spending time on your planning tools, it makes sense to offer the ability to chat with a financial consultant on the spot. If you see that people are using a mortgage calculator, the result page is the perfect place to put a...