As banking websites go, they aren’t really built to excite.

In fact I often wonder if they’re built to transact. It doesn’t seem as much, considering their failure (in my opinion) to find even a swift of balance between creative design and the user-experience.

That being said, FNB has changed my perception.

This weekend, FNB’s new site went live. And frankly speaking, creatively and user-experience-wise, FNB’s site blows their competitors out of the water. six-luv. six-luv. six-luv.

Consider some of South Africa’s top bank’s websites:

www.absa.co.za

www.standardbank.co.za

www.nedbank.co.za

www.investec.co.za

Now, compare them to FNB’s (screen shot below):

fnb

Andy Hadfield, FNB’s social media guy, gives us a glimpse into their thinking behind the new design with his blog post “The New FNB.co.za“. An excerpt…

“From the very beginning, we started out with a couple of lofty strategic ideals centered around the customer experience. It (the site) had to be:

• An experience
• Friendly
• Intuitive
• A bit 2.0ey
• Personal
• More visual more often
• About the conversation

Make it easy for customers. Full stop.”

FNB’s brand message is simple: “How can we help you?”. I’m starting to believe them.

Nice work FNB.

Read more posts by LouisJvR

Louis is the Johannesburg manager of web marketing firm World Wide Creative. Louis is also known as the ‘Case Study Guy’ with an encyclopaedic knowledge of research resources to support the strategic initiatives he is involved in. In between organising Heavy Chef Sessions in the Gauteng region, Louis happens to have a mean sidestep on the rugby field. With his silky skills, dashing good looks, Colgate smile and cunning wit, Louis is the high school quarterback of the World Wide Creative marketing team.

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