Simplifying banking experience for Key customers

KeyBank used these steps to develop coherent navigation to boost lead generation

The Story

KeyBank understood its customers through market research, encompassing customer segments and target audiences. However, the bank faced a gap in comprehending its users from a behavioral UX perspective.

See Market Research vs UX Research: Pros and Cons

The Challenge​

KeyBank’s imperative was to unravel users’ challenges when managing their finances. It sought answers to questions such as: What obstacles did users encounter while handling their finances? What were the concerns of first-time home buyers compared to repeat buyers? Did users grasp concepts like FICO scores or ARMs? Furthermore, the bank aimed to identify the tools most beneficial for managing loans or debts.

The Turning Point​

KeyBank’s approach to planning center content underwent a transformative shift as user interactions differed from the internal team’s assumptions. Users’ lives were often chaotic, and most online banking experiences inundated them with information, exacerbating the process of navigating life changes. KeyBank’s online team discerned that content needed to resonate with users’ real-world situations to become a trusted advisor. This necessitated simplifying complex calculator features, repositioning content to address pain points, and providing tools aligned with users’ objectives.

To achieve this, Experience Dynamics engaged in interviews and observations of users within their homes, where they shared their strategies for problem-solving. Users’ interactions with websites assisting were analyzed, shedding light on issues related to applying for, selecting, and managing financial products. Through a “card-sorting” task, insights into navigation, links, and labeling organization were gleaned.

 

The Execution

These immersive home visits revealed dominant “user profiles” (personas) that accurately represented Key.com’s user base. A synthesis of photos, videos, and research notes yielded detailed profiles outlining users’ desires, areas of confusion, and the essential features and tools necessary to utilize KeyBank’s planning resources successfully.

Card sorting analysis of navigation “groupings” as logical to users is shown below.

Experience Dynamics interviewed and observed users in their home environments as they described problem-solving strategies, interacted with websites they turned to for help and described the issues and concerns they had about applying, choosing and managing financial products such as mortgages, car loans and student loans. Users were given a “card-sorting” task that helped gain insight into navigation, links and labeling organization.

The “day in the life” home visits yielded rich insights into the dominant “user profiles” that represented Key.com’s user profiles. Photos, video and research notes were analyzed and distilled into detailed profiles of what users wanted, what confused them and what features and tools they needed the site to have in order to succeed with KeyBank’s planning tools and resources. Experience Dynamics created “task-centric” design recommendations, in order to align functionality with the observed users goals and objectives, such as integrating calculators and helpful articles into the user’s natural navigation flow.

The Evidence

Experience Dynamics subsequently devised design recommendations for users’ tasks, seamlessly integrating calculators and informative articles into users’ natural navigation patterns. In collaboration with the Key UX team, we used user research to guide our design decision-making.

“Very pleased with the usability study excellent work, excellent turnaround and excellent pricing”.

Trina Evans,
Executive VP, Key Bank

The Result

The impact of the redesigned landing pages and product-specific content was substantial for KeyBank. Adopting task-centric planning content, tools, and resources emerged as pivotal, resonating strongly with users and reinforcing KeyBank’s brand as a reliable advisor. Incorporating planning resources and tools led to a remarkable increase in usage, uncovering previously unnoticed content. KeyBank’s strategic investment in third-party tools and functional enhancements was validated, bolstering its confidence in delivering an elevated customer experience that outshines its competitors.

KeyBank’s journey towards boosting lead generation through coherent navigation exemplifies how aligning content with user behaviors and goals can yield significant enhancements. By shifting the focus to task-centric design and understanding user profiles, the bank achieved higher user engagement, increased utilization of resources, and fortified its position as a trusted financial partner.

 

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