It is vital to understand the importance, value, and impact that banking services has on people’s lives. Today, many users tend to use digital channels to manage their financials, and in order to achieve an optimal experience, we must be fully aware of the users’ needs and preferences when it comes to designing their banking platforms.
User Experience (UX) encompasses the entire customer journey, from the moment they first interact with a bank's website or mobile app to the moment they complete a transaction. It includes aspects such as ease of navigation, accessibility, security, mobile optimization, and customer support.
By prioritizing UX, banks can ensure a seamless and enjoyable experience for customers on their digital banking touchpoints. This is especially relevant because UX directly impacts customer satisfaction through a customer-centered process that delights banks’ customers at each step of the journey, which in turn, also improves conversion rates and ultimately enhances revenues.
In today’s digital age, where customers have numerous options for their banking needs, a strong UX can be a crucial differentiator for banks.
However, it is quite easy to miss the mark when it comes to UX design and create a product that frustrates or alienates users. Here are a few common UX mistakes in digital banking, and how you can avoid them:
- Poor navigation and user flow
Avoid overwhelming users with too many options which can make it difficult for users to find the information or features they need, leading to frustration and a poor user experience. Instead, keep navigation simple and intuitive. - Disregarded accessibility
Not taking into consideration users with a broad range of abilities leads to a poor user experience. You must ensure that your app is equipped with assistive technologies such as screen readers and voice assistants. - Inadequate security measures
When it comes to banking, users expect their financial information to be fully secured. It is likely that the bank already implements robust security measures to protect sensitive data, but don’t forget to present it to your users to provide that reassurance and maintain trust. - Lack of mobile optimization
Many users prefer to access their banking information on the go. Not having your platform optimized for the smaller and versatile screens of mobile devices can create frustration for the users. - Insufficient testing
Although banking management make important decisions on the UX strategy, often they are not able to see it from the users' perspective. This leads to failure because their financial knowledge is inherently better than users, accordingly, not testing with end users can result in missed usability issues that become apparent once the digital banking app is live.
In conclusion, we need to understand that the importance of UX in the banking sector cannot be overlooked. The banking industry is highly competitive, and customers have many options to choose from, having a positive user experience can be a key differentiator for banks and can help to drive customer loyalty and retention.
What’s more, positive UX can build trust and confidence in a bank's brand, as customers are more likely to trust a bank that provides a positive user experience and takes their security and privacy seriously.
