Judges praise unitusccu.com’s ease of use, design, content, and copywriting

Contacto con la prensa
Otoño Foster
afoster@unitusccu.com
503-423-8468

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Portland, Ore., September 8, 2022 – The Web Marketing Association has awarded Unitus Community Credit Union its “Standard of Excellence” WebAward, recognizing the credit union’s ongoing effort to improve the member experience, accessibility, and brand awareness. Unitus launched its new website on January 3, 2022 with technology improvements, an authentic reflection of membership, and new features to connect members to their accounts, investments, and Unitus staff.

By soliciting feedback from staff and members during the planning process, Unitus created a streamlined website that increases white space to improve navigation, site satisfaction, and the overall user experience. The new design offers a modernized look for both desktop and mobile users, featuring one-click site navigation to virtually any page. Eliminating visual clutter allowed designers to highlight the new Unitus brand more clearly through vivid colors, content banners, and custom videos.

As part of Unitus’ commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), designers worked to more accurately reflect the credit union’s membership, staff, and local community. Custom photography features real members and staff, local businesses, and Unitus’ community partners. The entire site offers English-to-Spanish translation along with appointment scheduling in both languages for every branch, Unitus Mortgage, and Unitus Financial Advisors. A WebAwards judge noted, “great progress on this initiative. Clearly DEI is represented on your site.”

In partnership with a trusted accessibility expert, the website went through a rigorous review and remediation process to ensure it meets Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, level AA.

Website content also went through an extensive overhaul to attract new prospects while still assisting existing members of the credit union. An updated blog layout with easy category navigation has improved organic channel performance as users browse engaging, relevant, and helpful content. Enhanced on-page Search Engine Optimization (SEO) drives traffic and has led to higher ranking within Google’s Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs). All site content adheres to the Unitus brand voice, which presents easy-to-understand content in a jargon-free environment. The friendly, welcoming, and inclusive tone reflects the inspiring service offered by the dedicated staff at Unitus. Dedicated landing pages drive traffic from ongoing digital marketing campaigns with clear calls-to-action and invitations to join Unitus Community Credit Union.

As Unitus strives to serve members right where they are, developers enhanced the credit union’s Virtual Branch offerings, allowing members to easily communicate with staff from the desktop and mobile site. Staff can serve members through face-to-face video calls, computer audio calls, phone calls, or live chat. The co-browsing feature allows staff to troubleshoot member issues. Physical branch locations are now more prominently featured, allowing members to find out more information about hours, location, available services, and appointment scheduling. Individual branch location pages also assist with local SEO efforts.

“The new unitusccu.com represents our commitment to both current and future members,” explained Scott Bell, VP and Chief Experience Officers at Unitus Community Credit Union. “The clean, modern look, simple navigation, and enhanced content offerings provide a first-class experience for website visitors. Since our website serves most people as the introduction point to our credit union, it’s critical that we roll out a virtual welcome mat to encourage authentic engagement, offer outstanding service, and provide relevant, helpful content to assist visitors throughout their financial journey. Our new site makes an excellent first impression.”

“We’re thrilled to be acknowledged by the Web Marketing Association. The Standard of Excellence WebAward is recognition for all the collaboration, hard work, and focus the went into building a website that is true to our brand and our credit union,” said Lori Fink, AVP of Marketing and Brand Development at Unitus Community Credit Union. “Both members and prospective members get a clear look at who we are, what we do, and what we stand for when they visit our website. I am proud the new site more accurately reflects Unitus and proud to be recognized for our efforts.”

About Unitus Community Credit Union
At Unitus, we’re dedicated to improving lives in the communities we serve. As a member-owned local credit union, we invest in people by doing the right thing. Through partnerships with nonprofit organizations, we provide support for community groups through volunteerism and financial donations. Our 107,000 members count on us to serve them and their communities; our 300+ employees share that passion for service. Click here to learn about the local impact Unitus makes.