Year: 2011

Alumni News — Week of April 25, 2011

By finovate Posted on
Categories: Alumni News, Bill.com, BrightScope, Capital Access Network, CashEdge, Credit Karma, FinovateSpring 2011, Geezeo, Xero, Yodlee

On April 27, Prosper gave 200 new lenders $104 to get started. The company is celebrating the news that prosper lenders are averaging 10.4% returns. http://bit.ly/finovate426111

American Banker on Yodlee and Geezeo growth in the PFM market. Yodlee grows French market, and Geezeo signs more credit unions. http://bit.ly/finovate429111
Author Jean Chatzky opens her Debt Diet Challenge to 5 Credit.com readers who are in debt. http://bit.ly/lDmZ54
Bank Innovations highlights six companies as noteworthy to see at Finovate Spring on May 10th & 11th in San Francisco. http://bit.ly/kqBr39
Bill.com releases site upgrade. The upgrade, made over the Easter weekend, includes improved calendar, a revised mobile application, receivables managements and online payments and more. http://bit.ly/finovate427113
BrightScope featured on TechCrunch. The post highlights BrightScope’s launch of advisor pages. http://tcrn.ch/finovate426113
Capital Access Network awarded prestigious award. The company won the 2011 Monarch Innovation Award from Barlow Research Associates. http://bit.ly/finovate425113
CashEdge’s Small Business Survey finds that small businesses want electronic payment solutions. http://bit.ly/kmC1lM
Consumer Reports integrates BillShrink’s recommendations into reviews. BillShrink has similar affiliate relationships with Walmart.com and T-Mobile. http://tcrn.ch/finovate426112
Credit Karma releases Credit Score Climate Report stating credit scores fell two points in the Q1 2011. http://mwne.ws/lnXZn7
Currensee makes Lead411’s Hottest Boston Tech Companies list second year in a row. See them at Finovate Spring. http://bit.ly/lmrLNK
H&R Block names former eBay exec as new CEO. http://buswk.co/ipszZa
Mengia signs with Icelandic banks, Arion and Landsbanki. Mengia will provide PFM services to both banks, which will provide 90% of Icelandic banking customers with access to an integrated PFM platform. http://bit.ly/finovate427112
Monitise launches Hong Kong mobile service with JETCO, which will help it break into the Asia Pacific market. http://bit.ly/kEEcCP
Stock Twits names Francisc Costello chief operating officer.  http://bit.ly/finovate429114
Tile Financial releases the “Spend Grow Give” app. Now available free in the App Store. http://bit.ly/finovate425111
USA Today covers BrightScope’s new tool for choosing the right financial adviser & informs what attributes to look for. http://usat.ly/msrb7l
Wescom Resources Group offers Geezeo PFM to clients. Wescom will be rolling out Geezeo as a complement to the Credit Union’s existing online banking platform. http://bit.ly/finovate425112
Xero releases Xero Touch, its new app built on HTML5 that will run on iPhone, Android, Windows7 and Blackberry. http://bit.ly/eLPrdA
Yodlee holds a mobile banking webinar on May 3. Attendance is free. Details online at  http://bit.ly/finovate427111

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Account Alerts: Discover Card Helps Users Visualize the Options

By Jim Bruene Posted on
Categories: Alerts & Messaging, Discover Card

image We are approaching the 15-year anniversary of the first retail banking account alert. Britton & Koontz Bank was the first to offer them in the summer of 1996 (note 1). But alerts didn’t become widely available until a few years later. 

Back then, you’d be lucky if you had three or four different alerts to choose from. And of course, there was no such thing as a mobile alert.

Today, banks and card issuers offer a dozen or more alert types capable of going to multiple email addresses, multiple mobile devices, or even to your land-line via voice message. Consumers are better served overall, but the wide range of options can be confusing.   

One solution is to use default selections. Users can select their preferred profile, and the bank establishes a set of recommended alerts. This profile selection could be made during online banking registration. For example:

  • Normal alerts
  • More alerts
  • Less alerts

Another helpful practice is to show examples so users can visualize what they are signing up for. Discover Card uses this technique in its card-management area with popups that show both the email and text-message version of each alert type (see screenshot below).

Alerts are a vital part of online and mobile banking, so take time to educate users on the appropriate mix (note 2). It’s also a great topic to cover in your blog or Twitter feed. 

————————————–

Discover allows users to review samples of each alert type (28 April 2011)

Discover Card allows users to review samples of each alert type (28 April 2011)

Notes:
1. Signet Bank was the first major to offer email account alerts. We covered it in OBR 22 (Feb 1997).
2. For more information on alerts and messaging, refer to this Online Banking Report published in 2003.

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Full FinovateSpring 2011 Demo Lineup Revealed – Buy Your Ticket Now to See the Future of Fintech!

By finovate Posted on
Categories: FinovateSpring 2011

FinovateSpring_Logo_Date.jpg

FinovateSpring 2011 is less than two weeks away and so it’s finally time to reveal the full lineup of the demoing companies! On May 10th & 11th, sixty-four hot startups and established fintech leaders will take the stage in the Bay Area to showcase their newest innovations in financial and banking technology.

Without further ado, here is the full list of companies that will be on
stage in San Francisco (including the handful we’ve had to keep
confidential until now):

  • Adobe
  • Afiniate
  • Aptys Solutions
  • Arroweye Solutions
  • Backbase
  • Balance Financial
  • BancBox
  • BancVue
  • BankOns
  • Bill.com
  • Billeo
  • BillFloat
  • Bills.com
  • BillShrink
  • Braintree
  • Bundle
  • ChargeSmart
  • Clovr Media
  • Code Green
  • Corduro
  • Currensee
  • doxo
  • Dwolla
  • edo Interactive
  • Enloop
  • eWise
  • Expensify
  • Experian
  • Figlo
  • Fiserv
  • FMN Technology
  • Gold Bullion Int’l
  • Gratio Capital
  • HelloWallet
  • HOYOS
  • ID Analytics
  • Ideon
  • Intellaegis
  • Kabbage
  • Kiboo
  • Kony Solutions
  • Lend Street
  • Lendio.com
  • Liqpay
  • Mint.com
  • Mitek Systems
  • MyBankTracker
  • oFlows
  • OpenCuro
  • Openfinance
  • PayDivvy
  • PayNearMe
  • PayPal/Discover
  • peerTransfer
  • ProfitStars
  • Q2ebanking
  • ReadyReceipts
  • RobotDough
  • Silver Tail Systems
  • TILE Financial
  • TrustedID
  • Wikinvest
  • Wipro Technologies
  • Xero

If you decide to attend, you’ll watch the selected companies showcase their latest ideas as part of an influential audience that’s shaping up to be Finovate’s largest ever. We’re on track to pack the auditorium with more than 750 attendees (up from 550 last year).

A small sample of the organizations already registered includes: Ally Bank, Bain Capital, Bank of America, Battery Ventures, BBVA, BMO, Capital One, Chase, Citi, CNN Money, eTrade, Fidelity, FIS Global, GE Capital, GRP Partners, H&R Block, Harland, Highland Capital Partners, ING Direct, Intuit, JD Power & Associates, Reuters, Scotiabank, SunTrust, The Motley Fool, Time Inc, TowerGroup, USAA, US Bank, Visa, Wells Fargo, and Yahoo!Finance.

Register by this Friday to save $100 over the last-minute ticket price and lock in your spot to see the future of fintech debut live on stage. We’ll see you in San Francisco!

FinovateSpring 2011 is sponsored by: The Bancorp, Tier One Partners, and the law firm of CB&S.

FinovateSpring 2011 is partners with: BankInnovation.net, BankerStuff, CardWeb, Filene Research Institute, Finance on Windows, PYMNTS.com, Mercator Advisory Group, Mobile-Financial.com and TheStartup.eu

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Full FinovateSpring 2011 Demo Lineup Revealed – Buy Your Ticket Now to see the Future of Fintech!

By finovate Posted on
Categories: FinovateSpring 2011

FinovateSpring_Logo_Date.jpg

FinovateSpring 2011 is less than 2 weeks away and so it’s finally time to reveal the full lineup of the demoing companies! On May 10th & 11th, sixty-four hot startups and established fintech leaders will take the stage in the Bay Area to showcase their newest innovations in financial and banking technology.

Without further ado, here is the full list of companies who will be on
stage in San Francisco (including the handful we’ve had to keep
confidential until now):

  • Adobe
  • Afiniate
  • Aptys Solutions
  • Arroweye Solutions
  • Backbase
  • Balance Financial
  • BancBox
  • BancVue
  • BankOns
  • Bill.com
  • Billeo
  • BillFloat
  • Bills.com
  • BillShrink
  • Braintree
  • Bundle
  • ChargeSmart
  • Clovr Media
  • Code Green
  • Corduro
  • Currensee
  • doxo
  • Dwolla
  • edo Interactive
  • Enloop
  • eWise
  • Expensify
  • Experian
  • Figlo
  • Fiserv
  • FMN Technology
  • Gold Bullion Int’l
  • Gratio Capital
  • HelloWallet
  • HOYOS
  • ID Analytics
  • Ideon
  • Intellaegis
  • Kabbage
  • Kiboo
  • Kony Solutions
  • Lend Street
  • Lendio.com
  • Liqpay
  • Mint.com
  • Mitek Systems
  • MyBankTracker
  • oFlows
  • OpenCuro
  • Openfinance
  • PayDivvy
  • PayNearMe
  • PayPal/Discover
  • peerTransfer
  • ProfitStars
  • Q2ebanking
  • ReadyReceipts
  • RobotDough
  • Silver Tail Systems
  • TILE Financial
  • TrustedID
  • Wikinvest
  • Wipro Technologies
  • Xero

If you decide to attend, you’ll watch the selected companies showcase their latest ideas as part of an influential audience that’s shaping up to be Finovate’s largest ever. We’re on track to pack the auditorium with more than 750 attendees (up from 550 last year).

A small sample of the organizations already registered includes: Ally Bank, Bain Capital, Bank of America, Battery Ventures, BBVA, BMO, Capital One, Chase, Citi, CNN Money, eTrade, Fidelity, FIS Global, GE Capital, GRP Partners, H&R Block, Harland, Highland Capital Partners, ING Direct, Intuit, JD Power & Associates, Reuters, Scotiabank, SunTrust, The Motley Fool, Time Inc, TowerGroup, USAA, US Bank, Visa, Wells Fargo, and Yahoo!Finance.

Register by this Friday to save $100 over the last-minute ticket price and lock in your spot to see the future of fintech debut live on stage. We’ll see you in San Francisco!

FinovateSpring 2011 is sponsored by: The Bancorp, Tier One Partners, and the law firm of CB&S.

FinovateSpring 2011 is partners with: BankInnovation.net, BankerStuff, CardWeb, Filene Research Institute, Finance on Windows, PYMNTS.com, Mercator Advisory Group, Mobile-Financial.com and TheStartup.eu

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65 Most Popular iPhone Apps from U.S. Banks and Other Financial Services Companies

By Jim Bruene Posted on
Categories: Apps, Mobile Banking

image This is a followup to last week’s 30 most popular iPad apps. Unlike the iPad, most major financial institutions have had an iPhone app for a year or longer. So the most-popular list reads pretty much like a who’s who of U.S. banking.

Observations:

  • Only 16 (25%) of the top-65 also have iPad apps
  • 36 (55%) apps are from banks representing 29 unique banks (i.e., 7 apps are second or third ones from the same bank)
  • 15 apps (23%) are from credit unions
  • Banks/card issuers command 6 of the top 10 spots (7 if you count PayPal)
  • The highest credit union is #23, Navy Federal Credit Union; Suncoast Schools FCU is second highest at #35

Methodology: Using an iPhone in the late afternoon today, I accessed the Free apps in the Finance category of the Apple App Store and sorted by “Most Popular.” I included apps only from U.S. financial institutions or from third parties that tap directly into financial institution data using account aggregation (e.g., from Yodlee, CashEdge, etc.). Pure content apps, like ING Direct’s ATM Finder, were not included even if from a financial institution.

Note: The first column below is the rank among all financial institutions (as defined above). The second column in the app’s rank within the entire App Store “finance” category. And the third column is the rank of that company’s iPad app, if they have one.

Table: 65 Most-Popular U.S. Banking Apps

FI Rank Finance Rank iPad Rank Company
1 1 — Bank of America
2 2 4 Chase bank
3 3 — Wells Fargo
4 4 — PayPal
5 5 — Capital One
6 6 1, 5 Pageonce
7 9 — Mint.com
8 10 — American Express
9 12 2 Square
10 14 8 USAA
11 15 — Citibank
12 17 — Regions Bank
13 18 — Discover
14 19 — TD Bank
15 20 — PNC Bank
16 21 9 Fidelity Investments
17 23 6 E*Trade
18 24 — ING Direct
19 25 — SunTrust
20 26 — US Bank
21 27 — Schwab
22 30 — PNC Virtual Wallet
23 32 — Navy Federal Credit Union
24 35 7 TD Ameritrade
25 43 — Barclaycard
26 44 22 BB&T
27 47 — ShareBuilder (ING Direct)
28 48 — Citizens Bank (RBS)
29 52 — Vanguard
30 58 — JP Morgan
31 66 — M&T Bank
32 67 24 BBVA Compass
33 70 11 Expensify
34 78 15 Merrill Lynch, My Merrill
35 82 — Suncoast Schools FCU
36 89 — TCF Bank
37 93 — Arvest Bank
38 103 — SchoolsFirst FCU
39 105 14 TDECU
40 108 — Charter One (RBS)
41 109 10 thinkorswim (TD Ameritrade)
42 110 — RBFCU
43 113 — Wings Financial Credit Union
44 121 20 Merrill Lynch, Edge
45 122 — Union Bank
46 124 — Safe Credit Union
47 125 — Service Credit Union
48 140 — Comerica Bank
49 141 — BECU
50 143 — Zecco
51 151 — DCU
52 158 — NetSpend
53 160 — Tyndall FCU
54 161 — Golden 1
55 162 — America First Credit Union
56 174 12 Mercedes-Benz Financial
57 178 — Woodforest National Bank
58 179 — TradeKing
59 182 — M&I Bank
60 189 — Wells Fargo, CEO
61 190 — First Tennessee Bank
62 195 16 Bank of Oklahoma
63 196 — SFEFCU
64 201 — IBC Bank
65 205   VyStar Credit Union

——

Note: For more info on mobile banking, see our previous Online Banking Reports.

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Southern Bancorp Launches "Shake and Bank" iPhone App Aimed at Youth

By Jim Bruene Posted on
Categories: Apps, Deposits, Checking, Savings, CDs, iPhone, Mobile Banking

image It’s been more than six months since we last featured a new mobile app from a financial institution (see Arvest Bank’s financial calculators). It’s not because of lack of activity, or importance. In that time, more than 1,000 financial institution apps have been introduced and the market has really heated up.

But we focus on what’s new and different. And for the most part, the class of 2010 and 2011 have been “me-too” entries. Which is exactly as it should be. Every mid-sized and larger bank and credit union needs at least one app in the iTunes store, so the last 18 months have been about gaining competitive parity. 

But things will start to get more interesting again as financial institutions:

Southern Bancorp’s new mobile app, Shake and Bank, ticks all four boxes. It’s an iPhone/iPod Touch app designed to give kids (or any account holder) a quick look at the balance in their account. As you can see below, Shake and Bank is pretty much self-explanatory:

1. Open app (note 1)

2. Shake iPhone

3. See balance

The app requires a setup code to launch. According to the iTunes entry, the code can be obtained through the bank’s website or at a branch. But as of today, I see no mention of Shake and Bank, or mobile banking for that matter, at their website.

Bottom line: I’m a sucker for pigs, so obviously I like it. But more importantly, Southern Bancorp makes it easy to monitor account balances with a simple kid-friendly approach. And parents will appreciate the help reinforcing the savings habit (note 1).

Southern Bancorp has $1.1 billion in assets and 40 branches in Arkansas and Mississippi.
————————

Southern Bancorp’s iPhone app targeted towards kids (link, 25 April 2011)

Southern Bancorp's iPhone mobile banking app targeted towards kids      image 

—————————

Notes:
1. Since I couldn’t test the app without an account, I assume there is no subsequent login requirement once you’ve entered the setup code. And more importantly, I hope that it oinks when shaken. 
2. For more info on mobile banking, see our previous Online Banking Reports.

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Alumni Updates — Week of April 18, 2011

By finovate Posted on
Categories: Backbase, BancVue, BillFloat, Doxo, Dwolla, eToro, Kashoo, Lending Club, Mint.com, PayPal, SmartyPig, Yodlee
To follow updates from Finovate alumni companies in real time, be sure to follow us on Twitter.
 
Backbase extends content services offerings. Backbase CMS is available as an add-on module. http://bit.ly/finovate420112
BancVue launched “Money Island,” an educational game for children to be offered by banks and financial institutions. https://demo.moneyisland.com/
BillFloat partners with Online Resources to offer small-dollar loans to biller clients. Online Resources will now offer BillFloat as a payment option. http://bit.ly/finovate418112
Doxo signs Oregon Federal Employees Credit Union (OFECU). Members will be able to receive statements and banking documents via the service. http://bit.ly/finovate421111
Dwolla will provide an online payments option at Tikly, an online ticketing startup  expected to launch within the next thirty days. http://bit.ly/finovate418113
eToro surpasses 1.5 million users. The company cites the growth of thousands of members joining per day since the launch of eToro’s social platform, OpenBook. http://prn.to/finovate421113
PayPal and Discover partner on person-to-person payments. Rollout begins this week for Discover’s person-to-person payments system. http://bit.ly/finovate42112
Several Finovate Alumni firms have been nominated for Webby awards. Good luck to Lending Club, Mint, Billeo and Kashoo. http://bit.ly/finovate420116
SmartyPig eliminates redemption fees. Transferring SmartyPig savings account funds to a retailer gift card is now free. http://bit.ly/finovate418111
Yodlee partners with Boursorama to provide Money Center service. Boursorama customers will receive the Money Center PFM service free of charge. http://bit.ly/finovate420115

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Homepage Hits: Bank of America Promotes Image ATMs

By Jim Bruene Posted on
Categories: Advertising & Promotion, ATMs, Bank of America

imageI look at banking sites a lot, and sometimes a page or promotion strikes me as a cut above the  rest. For example, today’s Bank of America promotion of its image ATMs is eye-catching and must be gathering substantial clickthroughs (more on that below). 

Technically, everything about the promotion is first-rate, from the color to the typography to the copy. But what I really like is how this positions the bank as the place for anyone who appreciates elegant technology solutions to their everyday problems. 

Bank of America personal homepage (21 April 2011, Seattle IP address, customer cookies)

Bank of America homepage (21 April 2011, Seattle IP address, customer cookies)

However, the landing page (below) leaves a lot to be desired. A video of someone using the ATM would be perfect. How about links to an FAQ for those with more questions about the technology, risks, costs, guarantees, availability and so on? And a link to the checking account signup form would seem appropriate. But at least BofA did direct people to its ATM finder (in two places). 

Landing page

image

Bottom line: This BofA effort reminds me of the advertising adage that the worst thing you can do is put out good advertising for a bad product. Before the bank put such an appealing visual on its homepage, it should have put together more content for those clicking through. It’s not bad, just a bit of a wasted opportunity. 

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30 Most Popular iPad Apps from U.S. Banks and Other Financial Services Companies

By Jim Bruene Posted on
Categories: Apple, Apps, Mobile Banking

image Apple tweaked its propriety algorithm that ranks apps in terms of popularity (Cnet article). Evidently the changes had an impact on overall rankings, but little or no effect on intra-category ranks.

That holds true with my casual observations within the finance category. Regardless, it seemed like a good time to visit the App Store and document which financial iPad apps are currently most popular (see Table below).

Note: The first column below is the rank among all financial institutions (as defined below). The second column in the app’s rank within the entire App Store “finance” category.

Observations:

  • The highest rated bank is Chase at number 9 in the finance category
  • There are only two banks (Chase & USAA) in the top 20
  • There are only seven consumer banks in the top 200 (Chase, USAA, Bank of Oklahoma, Trustmark, BB&T, BBVA, Bank of Texas)
  • There are more credit unions (8) than banks (7) in top 200 in the finance category
  • Still missing some huge banking names (Amex, BofA, Capital One, Citi, Discover, Mint, PayPal, US Bank)

My methodology: Using an iPad and iPhone, I accessed the finance category of the App Store and sorted by “Most Popular.” I am including only apps from any U.S. financial institution or from third parties that tap directly into financial institution data using account aggregation (e.g., from Yodlee, CashEdge, etc.). Pure content apps, like Schwab’s On Investing magazine, were not included even if from a financial institution.

FI Rank Finance Rank Company App Name
(+ company)
1 1 Pageonce Money & Bills (free)
2 2 Square  
3 3 Maximo Cavazzani (works with
TD Ameritrade)		 iStockManager
4 9 Chase Bank Mobile
5 10 Pageonce Pro – Money & Bills
6 11 E*Trade Mobile Pro
7 15 TD Ameritrade Mobile
8 20 USAA  
9 21 Fidelity Investments  
10 22 Thinkorswim (TD Ameritrade)  
11 29 Expensify Expense Reports
12 49 Mercedes-Benz Financial My MBFS
13 50 Wescom Central Credit Union Mobile
14 59 TDECU Mobile
15 67 BofAML (BofA Merrill Lynch) MyMerrill
16 68 Bank of Oklahoma Mobile
17 74 MACU (Mountain America) Mobile Banking
18 88 Trustmark National Bank  
19 96 thinkMoney (TD Ameritrade)  
20 97 BofAML (BofA Merrill Lynch) Merrill Edge
21 98 JP Morgan Mobile
22 107 BB&T Banking
23 114 thinkorswim (TD Ameritrade) VEO Mobile
24 131 BBVA Compass Mobile Banking
25 169 NASA FCU Mobile Banking
26 170 DATCU Credit Union Mobile Banking
27 182 SCU (Scott Credit Union) Mobile Banking
28 188 Bank of Texas Mobile Banking
29 193 GWCU (Goldenwest Credit Union) Mobile Banking
30 194 American Eagle FCU Mobile Banking

——–

Note: For more info on mobile banking, see our previous Online Banking Reports.

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Alumni News — Week of April 11, 2011

By finovate Posted on
Categories: Boku, Garland Group, GoalMine, Intuit, Striata, Sybase 365, The Receivables Exchange

To follow Finovate alumni companies’ latest news in real-time, see our live feed on Twitter. 

GoalMine receives first Morningstar rating. The fund received a top rating of five stars and achieved returns that ranked in the top one percent of 400 funds in the mid-cap value category for the three-year period ending March 31, 2011, based on risk-adjusted performance. http://bit.ly/finovate41211
Intuit releases report outlining its vision for banking in the year 2020. http://bit.ly/finovate412111
MobileBeat: Why does NFC Matter? (Mentions of Boku, Sybase and others). Does tap beat swipe for mobile payments? http://bit.ly/finovate412113
Striata and Payments Gateway partner to securely deliver electronic property-tax bills. Allegheny County, in Pennsylvania, USA, will be billing electronically with Striata. http://bit.ly/finovate413113
The Garland Group announces strategic partnership with Deluxe Corp.  The Garland Group’s RiskKey’s compliance program will now be included as a product within Deluxe Corp’s enterprise compliance programs.  http://bit.ly/finovate413111
The Receivables Exchanges partners with Coupa to provide suppliers with working capital. Coupa, a developer of cloud spend-management solutions (CSM), is integrating the receivables exchange system into invoicing for suppliers, to provide greater working capital.  http://bit.ly/finovate413112

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Links from My April 13 FIS Customer Conference Presentation

By Jim Bruene Posted on
Categories: Conferences, FIS

image Thanks again to FIS for allowing me to speak at its annual customer confab in Milwaukee. And thanks to everyone who attended.

Here are the links from my presentation in the order presented:

image 2010/2011 highlights:

 imageMobile does new tricks:

imageOnline information management:

Merchant-funded rewards:

image

Family banking:

———

* Will be demoing at FinovateSpring 2011, May 10 & 11

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Bank Website Redesigns are Back: Salem Five Outdoes Itself

By Jim Bruene Posted on
Categories: Salem Five Savings Bank, Website Usability & Design

image Unless it was mission critical, or compliance mandated, there is a good chance your pet project was put on hold during the 2008-2010 financial crisis. Most website-redesign projects, despite good ROI, drop into that “discretionary spending” bucket.

But as we approach the one-third-mark of 2011, we are starting to see the results of design projects green-lighted in the last budget cycle. Bank of America, the most-visited financial website, rolled out its new design late last year.

But smaller financial institutions are also doing great work, ofttimes offering a better user experience than the big brands, which must be all things to all people. The Financial Brand rounded up a half-dozen great examples in a March 23 post.

One that I particularly liked (note 1) is Salem Five’s new homepage (shown below). Not only is it gorgeous, the navigation is outstanding with a large box containing key info (see points A and B below) and drop-down mega-menus (second screenshot) for everything else.

A few highlights of the new design (letters correspond to those shown on the screenshot):

A. The small outlined box on the left contains important info including the online banking login and current rates for key products.

B. The bank makes it easy to find contact info by listing the toll-free number at the bottom of the box. The bank also features LivePerson-powered click-to-call, one of the recommendations from our most recent report (note 3).

C. Despite the minimalistic design, the bank still has four low-key, text-based promos running across the screen.

D. Users can choose from 19 background themes to use as the backdrop (note 2).

Salem Five homepage with customizable backgrounds (18 April 2011)

Salem Five homepage with customizable backgrounds (18 April 2011)

Salem Five uses drop-down “mega menus” to help users navigate to the far corners of its website

Salem Five uses drop-down "mega menus" to help users navigate to the far corners of its website

Notes:
1. I’m a bit biased because I’ve been following Salem Five since the summer of 1995 when we both spoke at the first-ever conference on Internet banking.
2. I’m not sure many users really want to choose their homepage backdrop; I personally prefer that the images be randomly rotated. However, it does show considerable web-savvy that the bank offers a customizable design option. After Salem Five is done showcasing the feature, the option to change pics should probably be taken off the homepage. It’s taking up prime real estate in the upper-right corner. 
3. For more info on click-to-call and other “live help” techniques, see the most recent Online Banking Report (March 2011).

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