Community West Bank
Services we provide:
- Discovery
- Strategy
- UX/UI design
- Website development
- Xperience by Kentico implementation
About Community West Bank
CWB is a large community bank in southern California with over 20+ locations and a track record of financial strength, security and stability gained over its 44 years in business. CWB has set itself apart from other banks by its people, dedication to client advocacy, exemplary "relationship banking," strong community support and a mission to exceed expectations. With a passion for providing customized solutions, the merger drove the decision to revamp their digital services to better serve their customers.
The Process
In an era where digital presence is critical to financial institutions and mergers are frequent, the successful merger of Community West Bank (CWB) and Central Valley Bank (CVB) depended on a robust and well-executed digital strategy, critical to providing a seamless user experience for customers and employees. SilverTech, leveraging its expertise in Xperience by Kentico website development, customized a digital solution that unified the brands of these two banks into one cohesive user-friendly digital experience in just 4 months from start to launch.
The Challenges
The merger of CWB and CVB presented unique challenges, particularly in integrating two distinct digital landscapes into a single cohesive website. The biggest challenges included:
- Differing Content Strategies: CWB's site was optimized for SEO with a rich content library, while CVB's site focused more on detailed product pages. Balancing these different content approaches was crucial.
- Short Timeline: The project needed to be completed with a demanding timeline, delivering a high-quality, functional website, from planning to launch in less than four months.
- Outdated Technology: The old CWB site suffered from poor mobile optimization, slow speeds, outdated information, and a lack of interactive features. This hindered customer engagement and usability.
Goals for New Site
SilverTech identified four main goals for CWB's new website with the main goal of unifying the brands. The merger of the two banks presented a unique opportunity to take advantage of the best from both brands.
Solution and Implementation
Based on the insight gained, SilverTech devised a comprehensive strategy roadmap to address the challenges and deliver a seamless digital experience for the bank merger. It was SilverTech's recommendation that Kentico's newest hybrid CMS platform Xperience by Kentico would be the best solution for the new website. Xperience with robust features and functionality allowed SilverTech to create an exceptional digital user experience efficiently for CWB.
The Key components of the solution include:
- Unified Content Strategy: SilverTech developed a content migration plan that combined the SEO-rich content from CWB with the detailed product information from CVB. This approach ensured that the new site would benefit from both banks' strengths while avoiding duplication and inconsistencies.
- Modern Design and Functionality: The new website was built with Xperience by Kentico, featuring a modern, responsive design to enhance user experience across all devices. Key features included:
- Enhanced Interactivity: Interactive elements and engaging content to improve customer interaction and retention
- Improved CTAs: Clear, strategically placed CTAs to guide users through the site effectively
- Technical Upgrades: Faster loading speeds, improved reliability, and mobile optimization to ensure a smooth user experience
- New Functionalities: Inclusion of essential tools like product comparison tools, branch locator and more
- Accelerated Development Timeline: Despite the tight timeline, SilverTech employed agile development practices to ensure timely delivery without compromising quality. The team worked in sprints to continuously test and refine the site, leading up to a successful launch within the four-month timeframe.
HIGHLIGHTS
Best Ways to Maximize Your 2024 Digital Marketing Budget Before Year-End
10/25/24
As the year winds down, we know that many businesses find themselves with leftover digital marketing budgets. Rather than letting that money go to waste or scrambling to spend it in a disorganized manner, partnering with a digital experience agency like SilverTech can help you maximize your remaining budget and set your brand up for success in 2025.
Here’s how you can strategically use your remaining 2024 digital marketing budget to drive value and impact in the final quarter of this year.
1. Audit and Refresh Your Content
A comprehensive content audit is an excellent way to assess how your existing content is performing and learn where improvements can be made. With a little budget, we can:
- Identify high-performing content that could be repurposed or updated.
- Optimize low-performing content for better engagement.
- Ensure all content aligns with your current brand messaging and SEO trends.
Content marketing continues to be a cornerstone of digital strategies, so a refresh can drive quick wins for both organic search and customer engagement.
2. Boost Your Paid Media Campaigns
With holiday shopping and end-of-year sales in full swing, now is the perfect time to allocate budget toward paid advertising on platforms like Google, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. We can help:
- Optimize existing campaigns with refined targeting to reach highly qualified audiences.
- Create holiday-specific promotions that cater to customer needs and seasonal trends.
- Test different ad formats like video or carousel ads to maximize engagement and conversion.
A final push on paid media can yield a strong return, especially during this high-consumer-spending period.
3. Invest in Personalization and Customer Experience Enhancements
Consumers expect a personalized experience across all touchpoints, and your remaining budget can be used to enhance your personalization efforts. SilverTech can implement:
- Personalized email campaigns based on customer behavior or segmentation.
- Dynamic website content that adapts based on user preferences.
- A/B testing of different landing pages, messaging, or CTAs to improve user journeys.
Investing in personalization and enhancing the customer experience now can lead to higher conversions during the holiday rush and create lasting loyalty into the new year.
4. Upgrade Your Martech Stack
If your current marketing tools aren’t delivering the results you need, now is the time to invest in a technology upgrade. Whether it’s adopting a new CRM, analytics tool, or automation platform, we can assist with the integration and implementation. This will enable:
- Enhanced data collection and insights.
- More effective automation of campaigns, saving time and resources.
- Improved customer journey mapping to optimize future marketing efforts.
Tech investments made now will not only help you wrap up 2024 on a high note but will also allow your organization to hit the ground running in the new year.
5. Double Down on SEO
SEO is a long-term play, but using your end-of-year budget to bolster your efforts can yield significant results in the coming year. As a digital experience agency, we can:
- Conduct a comprehensive SEO audit to identify areas for improvement.
- Optimize your website for current SEO best practices, including mobile-first indexing and Core Web Vitals.
- Develop a strategy for targeting high-intent keywords in your industry.
By investing in SEO now, you’ll be well-positioned to capture organic traffic when search demand picks up in the new year.
6. Explore Emerging Trends: AI and Automation
2024 has seen a rise in AI-driven marketing and automation, and this trend will continue to grow in 2025. Using your remaining budget to explore AI-based tools can:
- Automate customer segmentation and targeting.
- Personalize email marketing at scale.
- Use chatbots to enhance customer service and support.
Working with your agency to incorporate AI into your marketing efforts can provide an early advantage over competitors and streamline your operations.
7. Prepare for 2025 with Strategy and Planning
Finally, a significant way to use your remaining budget is by collaborating with your digital experience agency to plan for 2025. Use this time to:
- Evaluate your 2024 performance and identify what worked and what didn’t.
- Develop a comprehensive 2025 digital strategy that aligns with your business goals for the new year.
- Forecast and allocate budget for new initiatives such as influencer marketing, video content, or experiential campaigns.
Use this end-of-year period to optimize, innovate, and prepare for a strong start in 2025! Maximizing your remaining 2024 digital marketing budget is about smart, targeted investments that drive immediate results while laying the groundwork for future success. Whether you’re boosting your paid media campaigns, refreshing your content, or upgrading your Martech stack, partnering with a digital experience agency like SilverTech can ensure you’re getting the most out of every dollar. Reach out today and learn more about how we can help.
