Using Content-Driven Design for ING Bank's Portal

The process of designing a new portal begins with looking at the issue from a broad perspective. We want to understand the client’s marketing strategy, investigate the sales processes, and how clients are reaching their decisions. This is where we get the answers to questions like, “what is the purpose of the page and what value does it bring to the receiver?”It’s after obtaining those answers that we wonder how to present the offer and how to plan the content and functionality.

At this stage we work closely with the client. In the case of ING, we started with a thorough audit of the retail products offered to look at the offer comprehensively. We analyzed the customer base and the decision-making process behind the purchases.This has allowed us to create strategic content. We used the content structure at a more basic level and individualized the message of certain product lines.

"It’s e-point which showed us that our virtual product shelf is too complicated. They convinced us to focus on the key points. Right now we don’t even mention five different types of personal accounts. Instead, we’re concentrating on putting all the advantages underneath a common brand, underlining only the variable features."

After we’ve tackled the “what to say” issue we approach another one. “How?”
We’re trying to get into the user’s mindset and analyze the decision making process, which allows us to create an intuitive layout and plan website interaction. We find this to be an interesting magazine and typography, in this case, is very important: style differences,font size, light images, content in the center of attention.

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to cram the whole page above the footer. Users are perfectly willing to scroll down and read just as they do on their mobile devices.A site can be full of content, and doesn’t always need to be short, as long as it’s still appealing to the eye.

It is unusual to include interactive elements directly in the product site content – calculators, and adjusters. According to the “a-site-is-to-be-read” line of thought we decided that these elements don’t have to stay hidden as they are both interesting and functional. This proved to be correct as users willingly look at the refreshed content. Regarding cash loans, the average time spent on the site increased from 3’38” to 4’2”. The overall traffic and specific conversion indicators have also increased.

An essential change in creating a user-friendly portal was to change the perception of it, internally, as advertisement space for certain departments. Every department within a bank wants to advertise their products on the site to the fullest. Unfortunately, users are usually resistant to the advertisement-like messages. The better an element blends in the site, the more likely it engages the user. We’ve set new rules and now ads have to be an essential part of the content. We’ve persistently eliminated banner-like elements or other placement ads. It’s imperative that the user perceive everything as useful and not as advertisement.