When the first Covid-19 restrictions hit, many things had to change quickly. Businesses sent workers home, restaurants closed down, and financial institutions shut their lobby doors.
Classified as “essential”, banks and credit unions had to find a way to stay open. They need to be accessible to account holders and keep them informed, all while keeping everyone safe.
We work closely with hundreds of financial institutions and these are the digital tools they found to be the most useful.
Announcement Bars
The majority of bank and credit union websites we work with utilize an Announcement Bar to display an “emergency” message at the top of their website. It is used to list new hours, information on lobby access, or link to pages which featured more in-depth details.
Anyone at the financial institution can log on and type in a new message. The website updates immediately with the message in a prominent spot. There is no need to rely on new graphics, programming new sections, or creating new pages.
Does your website have a feature like this built in? This tool is part of our Web Tool Suite and would be an easy addition to your site. Contact us about getting it installed.
A pink announcement bar used by Riverside Community Credit Union
Local Listings Management Tools
Watch this video to see how Local Listings Management Tools can help you.
A Local Listings Management Tool proved to be a big time saver with hours changing and lobbies closing many times over.
This service connects directly with dozens of websites like Google My Business (Maps), Bing Maps, Yelp, and Facebook. They are used to find current hours and information about their local bank or credit union branch.
So, imagine what it would be like to have to update dozens of websites each time just ONE of your branches had to change their hours? Or whether your lobby was open or closed? Or available by appointment only?
With this type of tool, financial institutions are able to update information about each of their branches from one central location. Those updates immediately send out and update dozens of websites with the new data.
It saves so much time and effort and ensures account holders have the right information when they need it.
Are your listings showing the right information? Try our free scanner to find out!
Facebook & Social Media
Bank of Pontiac using Facebook to inform customers of lobby access
Facebook and other social media accounts have always been a place customers look to for the latest information about a business. Financial institutions are using it as a place to keep account holders informed in real time on things like:
- Changes in hours
- Lobby access
- Drive-thru options
- Mask and temperature check policies
- Appointment procedures
If you haven’t yet, claim your Facebook page. It’s never been more important to have the ability to update account holders quickly and cost-effectively.
Email Newsletters
More and more of our clients are using email newsletter blasts as a fast and efficient way to give their account holders updates. Email marketing newsletters are a great way to deliver an important update to hundreds or even thousands of subscribers all at once. It’s more than a sales tool, it’s also a way to deliver essential information.
Not equipped to deliver emails yet? Contact us to get started!
Online Chat
Lobbies are closed and phone lines are pretty busy. We had many financial institutions turn to us for assistance in selecting and installing an online chat service tool. This allows them to communicate with account holders who not only prefer this method of communication, but may have found it easier to use while juggling a home filled with kids. It also allows their own staff to be able to work from home and provide customer service support.
What tools did you implement to keep account holders informed and your financial institution operating?
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