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- Outdated Technology: The old CWB site suffered from poor mobile optimization, slow speeds, outdated information, and a lack of interactive features.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
Digital Marketing Services Backed with Empathy
1/29/25
Empathetic Website Development
In today’s digital landscape, creating a website that resonates with its audience is more important than ever. This is where empathetic design comes into play. Empathetic design is a well-established concept that emphasizes understanding users of a website by anticipating their needs, preferences, and pain points. As we dive deeper into the world of web design and development, we must also consider another critical aspect: the experience of content managers and marketers who maintain these sites.
Understanding Empathetic Design
Empathetic design focuses on the end user, crafting experiences that are intuitive and user-friendly. It’s about designing for the audience that will be interacting with the website. This approach ensures that the navigation is seamless, the content is engaging, and the overall user journey is smooth. In a world where user experience can make or break a brand, empathetic design is not just a bonus; it is a necessity.
The Bigger Picture: Content Managers and Marketers
While the focus on users is vital, it’s equally important to consider those behind the scenes—content managers and marketers. These individuals are responsible for keeping the website up to date, engaging visitors, and analyzing performance metrics. However, many web development agencies overlook their needs during a project, leading to frustration and inefficiencies.
This is where we need to shift our perspective. Empathetic design must extend beyond just the user experience to encompass the workflows of the teams managing the website. After all, a beautiful website is only as effective as its ease of management.
SilverTech’s Approach: Empathetic Development
At SilverTech, we believe in a holistic approach to web development—what we like to call empathetic development. Our strategists take the time to understand how our clients operate in their day-to-day jobs. We engage with teams to learn about their skill sets, preferences, and challenges. This insight allows us to tailor our development process to ensure that managing content is as straightforward and efficient as possible.
By integrating tools and features that align with a team’s existing workflows, we enable marketers and content managers to do their jobs more effectively. This not only boosts productivity but also enhances job satisfaction, as teams can focus on strategy and creativity rather than grappling with cumbersome website processes.
Conclusion
Empathetic website development is about more than just the end user; it’s about fostering an environment where both users and content managers thrive. By prioritizing the needs of all stakeholders, we can create websites that not only look good but also function seamlessly for everyone involved. At SilverTech, we are committed to this philosophy, ensuring that our clients are empowered to succeed in their digital endeavors.
