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

Energize Your Credit Union Members' Online Experience

Just about every company and product has its own website. And by now, you know the basics—make your site easy to navigate and user-friendly, include a call to action on every page where a product or service is described, and use online applications and contact forms.

Now What?
Now it’s time to add that “little extra something” to your website—something that gets your members coming back time and again. Use one or all of these website enhancements to energize your site:

Video
Sure, you can put videos on YouTube at no cost. But do you really want members navigating away from your website? The best alternative is to place the videos on your site. The videos can be:

• Instructional – Financial literacy is a must at any age. Place videos that cover different topics and appeal to members of all ages.
• Community-oriented – Share a brief video of your credit union staff participating in community events.
• Promotional – Promote a product or service—or simply post the video of your CEO’s appearance on the local TV news to discuss Bank Transfer Day.
• Informative – Keep members informed about the issues facing credit unions—such as proposed legislation that has challenged credit unions’ tax-exempt status in the past.
• Motivational – Want to do more than keep members informed? Use a video to encourage them to write to their legislators or take other actions.

Blog
A blog invites interaction, which in turn invites people to return to your site. Keep the topics relevant and helpful—and ask visitors to comment. Consider, too, a guest blog. If your credit union has a relationship with a financial planner, invite that person to post a blog. Also, look to your membership. Perhaps a member can share his or her experience with solving a budgeting problem.

(Tip: Use one of your website pages for the blog. If you’re using a “page commenting” feature, visitors can use that to post comments.)

Podcast
Podcasts aren’t yesterday’s news. They’re an efficient way to provide snippets of information to members who are on the go—and find it easier to listen to a message rather than watch one. Use podcasts to provide financial tips and messages from your CEO.

Keep it Going
Once you’ve added one or more of these features, don’t stop there. Talk to your members or survey them—and learn what other features would make your site more valuable. Because when it comes down to it, members are the reason you have a website.

 
Related products: CUBE TV, Podcasts, Web Development