This UX Review analyzes the user experience of Snakeriverfcu.com from the perspectives of Ashley and John. Ashley and John are fictitious humans, but the people they represent are very real for credit union marketers.

1. snakeriverfcu.com
User
Experience
Review
The Good, the Okay, and the Ugly
Get more members and
borrowers

2. The day you start talking
to your audience and it’s
about them, that’s the
day that business really
happens.
SCOTT STRATTEN
User Experience Review

3. What’s on the menu?
1. ASHLEY IS INTERESTED IN MEMBERSHIP
2. JOHN, A MEMBER, NEEDS AN AUTO LOAN
User Experience Review

4. 1. Ashley is interested in membership
Ashley is a 30-year-old mother with two kids. She’s married
and makes most of the financial decisions. Ashley heard
about your CU from a friend and she’s interested in
becoming a member even though she’s been adequately
happy banking with Wells Fargo.
User Experience Review

6. Ashley: Let’s see if I
want to become a
member of this CU.

7. I want to know
why I should
become a
member.
Ashley: Let’s see if I
want to become a
member of this CU.

8. I like this picture. It makes
me feel good. I can imagine
what it’d be like to to be
there in that beautiful field,
soaking up the warm sun,
and laughing at the cute kids.

9. Overall, the site
feels dated.

10. Overall, the site
feels dated.
It lacks the
engaging, clean
feeling I expect
from a forward-
thinking
organization.

11. Overall, the site
feels dated.
It lacks the
engaging, clean
feeling I expect
from a forward-
thinking
organization.
Editor’s note: Let
me point out a few
things that make
the website say,
“I’m out-of-date
and not very
engaging.”

12. The homepage is
mostly text :(
People love and
connect with
imagery.

13. These seem to
just be floating is
space with no
particular
purpose or
structure.

14. The site is more narrow
than most modern sites,
which gives away the
website’s age. Often,
modern sites make use
of valuable homepage
real estate by using big
visuals because imagery
is naturally engaging.

15. Let’s get back to
Ashley’s journey.

16. Ashely: Interesting.
Do I get life
insurance just from
being member?
Let’s find out.

18. Uh, weird. Should
I not trust the site
you’re sending
me to?

20. Hmmm. Looks like you sent me to the
homepage of a completely different
website. I just wanted to find out
about benefits of being a member of
the CU. I’m going back.

22. Perfect. This must
have been put
here just for me.

24. Looks like I qualify
for membership.

25. Looks like I qualify
for membership.
But I don’t see
any reasons why I
should become a
member.

26. Looks like I qualify
for membership.
But I don’t see
any reasons why I
should become a
member.
Nor do I see any
information about
how to become a
member.

27. Looks like I qualify
for membership.
But I don’t see
any reasons why I
should become a
member.
Nor do I see any
information about
how to become a
member.
I’ll take a last look
at the homepage
to see if I can find
some helpful info.

29. Nope. Not seeing any
place to find more info
about membership and
I’m not going to dig for
reasons to become a
member. Why would I dig
for information?

30. Nope. Not seeing any
place to find more info
about membership and
I’m not going to dig for
reasons to become a
member. Why would I dig
for information?
Well, I’m off to
lunch.

31. RECAP - Ashley wants to become a member
The Good
The OK
The Ugly
• Easy to find the membership page
• The homepage image is visually and emotionally appealing (though it should be
bigger)
• Though the homepage has an appealing image, most of the page—including the
image—is covered in text
• Ashley couldn’t find any reasons why she should become a member
• Overall, the site is outdated and not engaging

32. 2. John needs an auto loan
John, a member of your CU, is 37 years old and has an
established career. At this point in his life, he has money to
spend and he wants to buy a new car. He’s here to learn
about getting an auto loan from your CU.
User Experience Review

34. John: Let’s see if I
want to get an auto
loan from my credit
union.

35. I’ll definitely want
to check out loan
rates.

36. I’ll definitely want
to check out loan
rates.
Looks like here I can
see rates, calculate
payments, and learn
about applying. Let’s
go there.

38. Oh, it just took me
to the rates page.

39. I have a good credit
score, so it looks like I can
get a pretty good rate.

40. I have a good credit
score, so it looks like I can
get a pretty good rate.
This is a bit hidden,
but I would like to
calculate my
payment.

42. I know the car I want
to buy and how much
it costs. I know how
much I can afford to
pay monthly. This
calculator, I guess?

44. I’ll try to fill these in
the best I can.

46. What was the
interest rate I can
get?

47. What was the
interest rate I can
get?
I think it was
2.99%. I guess I’ll
roll with that.

48. Click.

49. $270 per month. I
can probably
swing that.

50. $270 per month. I
can probably
swing that.
But, I’d really like to get my monthly
payment down to $220 per month;
that would better fit my budget. I
wish I could just plug in the monthly
payment and loan amount I want and
the calculator would give me
potential interest rates and terms.

51. $270 per month. I
can probably
swing that.
But, I’d really like to get my monthly
payment down to $220 per month;
that would better fit my budget. I
wish I could just plug in the monthly
payment and loan amount I want and
the calculator would give me
potential interest rates and terms.
What now?

52. $270 per month. I
can probably
swing that.
But, I’d really like to get my monthly
payment down to $220 per month;
that would better fit my budget. I
wish I could just plug in the monthly
payment and loan amount I want and
the calculator would give me
potential interest rates and terms.
What now?
Editor’s note: A user
should never think,
“What now?” The
website should lead
users along with calls to
action, just like was
done on the auto loan
page.

53. I guess I’ll just go
back to the
previous page.

55. I’d like to know more
about getting an auto
loan from the CU, but
there doesn’t seem to
be anywhere to find
more info.

56. I guess I will check
out the application.
I’d like to know more
about getting an auto
loan from the CU, but
there doesn’t seem to
be anywhere to find
more info.

59. Wow. This is a
terrifyingly long
application.

60. Scroll down Wow. This is a
terrifyingly long
application.

63. Scroll down

69. I’m definitely not ready to
complete this very long
application.

70. I’m definitely not ready to
complete this very long
application. Well, I’m off to
lunch.

71. I’m definitely not ready to
complete this very long
application. Well, I’m off to
lunch.
Editor’s Note: The greatest failure
of this whole loan process is that
there are zero opportunities for
John to submit his name and
contact info online saying he’s
interested in getting an auto loan
outside of completing the very
long application. I can’t
overemphasize the importance of
lead capture if growth is truly one
of the CU’s goals.

72. RECAP - John needs an auto Loan
The Good
The OK
The Ugly
• Finding auto loan rates was easy
• Offering a calculator is useful
• Loan calculator was useful, but not as much as it could have been; people often
know the monthly payment they can afford and loan amount they want; they don’t
know the interest rate or term—that’s why they are on your website
• John found nothing about why he should get a loan from your CU; as it stands, the
only incentive for John to go with your CU is if your rates are better
• Few calls to action; John had to forge his own path much of the time
• No lead capture outside of loan application