I have to get a local Bay County checking account. After using Bank of America's online banking system for a few (several?) years, I'm comfortable with it and must have online banking.
Bay Bank shows up on the first page in a search for "Panama City, Florida Banks." I go to their site; they apparently have online banking, but no demonstration.
In a search for "Lynn Haven, Florida Banks," I find Regions Bank and Bank Trust.
Bank Trust doesn't have a demo, and their 3rd party online banking partner announces at the very front that they do not work with the latest Internet Explorer browser. Hmmm...
Regions has a fast site that takes me right into a clear demo. I don't even go through the entire presentation; at this point the fact that their site works means something.
I go to People's First, who were nowhere to be seen in the search engines but are everywhere you look around town. They have online banking, and there's a button for a demo, but every time I click "demo", it just keeps looping me back to the same page. Is that a demonstration of how frustrating my online banking experience will be?
I made my decision tonight, and unless I walk in the office tomorrow and get very poor service, Regions is going to have a new customer tomorrow.
Businesses must learn now that more and more customers will make a decision based on how easy you are to find online, and the information provided through your website. If you don't do it right online, how will you do it right offline?
1 comment:
Regions Bank is currently going through a merger and the Online Banking/Online Bill Payment system *may* change. I don't want to change your mind if you have settled on Regions Bank, but if you are used to Bank of America's Online Bill Payment system I would recommend Wachovia if there is a branch convenient to you. And in case you are curious, I don't have any affiliation with any of these companies, but I did used to work in the banking industry and still keep tabs on these sort of things.
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