Adding Multimedia to Your Credit Union’s Website

by Amy Neale

Including dynamic content on your credit union’s website can improve traffic if done right – or repel visitors if done poorly. Like with many visual media it’s best to follow the “less is more” mantra. That being said, adding multimedia elements to your site can have a huge impact. While there are many aspects of website multimedia, we’re going to go with the basics: images, audio and video.

Images

While image quality is important, you need to be careful when using stock photography. Many images have been overused, so if you do use stock images make sure they’re fresh and original looking. Using quality images of real members and staff from your credit union is always preferable. They can add credibility and authenticity to your brand and are statistically known to keep visitors on your website longer. Images really do matter to your members. A survey by SEO agency BrightLocal showed that 60% of the respondents said that images associated with local businesses made them more likely to consider or contact that business.

Audio

When audio first became available as a website component, there were numerous sites out there that started incorporating music on their site – much to their visitors’ chagrin. But there is an audio component you can add to your site that visitors not only enjoy but find useful – podcasts. Educational podcasts to improve your members’ financial literacy are simple to add to your site and go a long way towards illustrating to your members how your credit union continues to put their needs first. Your credit union could create its own podcasts, but there are also pre-produced podcasts that you could include that would give your site a more professional image.

Video

According to comScore, 100 million Americans watch online videos daily – why not have it be a video on your credit union’s site? And visitors who view a Web video are 64% more likely to purchase than other site visitors. Video is definitely the “now” multimedia element to include on your credit union’s website. Just make sure the videos are of good quality, short and relevant to the viewer. Viewer generated content, such as member contests, etc. are a great affordable option as well. So is pre-produced/credit union branded videos from partners like Gas Station TV and Invest in America. And the use of educational or instructional videos has been known to grow brand loyalty. Whatever type of video you incorporate, just make sure it loads quickly or they’ll have the opposite effect.

The SEO Advantage

Including images and/or video on your credit union’s website not only improves traffic, but it can boost search engine optimization (SEO) as well. Effectively filling in the image and video descriptions can help move your site up in the search engine rankings. And depending on how your videos or images are added to your website, you should be able to track visitors, videos watched and click-through rates. Like with many things in life, adding multimedia to your credit union’s website is a trial and error endeavor – but it’s worth it.

 Related Services: New Media, Podcasts, SEO