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- Outdated Technology: The old CWB site suffered from poor mobile optimization, slow speeds, outdated information, and a lack of interactive features.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
Sitefinity, Kentico, or Sanity.io: Ideal CMS Alternatives to Complex and Costly DXPs
2/5/25
As organizations continue to prioritize their digital presence, selecting the right Content Management System (CMS) is crucial for ensuring efficiency, scalability, and cost-effectiveness. Many businesses are discovering that alternatives like Sitefinity, Kentico, and Sanity.io offer flexible, modern, and cost-efficient solutions tailored to meet diverse business needs. Each platform delivers powerful features while avoiding unnecessary complexity and overhead.
Key Reasons for Switching
1. Cost Effectiveness
- Lower Total Cost of Ownership: Sitefinity, Kentico, and Sanity.io generally have more affordable licensing and implementation costs compared to larger-enterprise level platforms such as Sitecore, making them ideal for organizations aiming to optimize their budget.
- Flexible Pricing Models: Sanity.io offers a usage-based pricing structure, providing businesses with the flexibility to pay only for what they need.
2. Ease of Use for Non-Technical Teams
- User-Friendly Interfaces: Sitefinity and Kentico offer intuitive, easy-to-navigate interfaces that empower non-technical teams to manage content without heavy reliance on IT.
- Streamlined Content Management: Sanity.io’s structured content approach makes it simple to create, organize, and manage content across multiple channels.
3. Rapid Deployment
- Faster Implementation: These alternatives are quicker to deploy, enabling businesses to go live and see results faster.
- Developer-Friendly Architecture: Sanity.io’s API-first approach allows for seamless integration with existing tools and systems, reducing setup time.
4. Scalability and Performance
- Right-Sized Scalability: Sitefinity, Kentico, and Sanity.io offer scalable solutions designed to grow with your business, without the complexity of larger enterprise-level platforms. With a globally distributed Content Delivery Network (CDN), these platforms ensure fast and reliable content delivery across geographies.
5. Multichannel and Multilingual Support
- Multilingual Management: All three platforms provide robust tools for managing multilingual content, ensuring global consistency.
- Omnichannel Delivery: A headless architecture supports seamless content delivery across websites, mobile apps, IoT devices, and more.
6. Strong Focus on Security and Compliance
- Enterprise-Grade Security: Sitefinity, Kentico, and Sanity.io feature built-in security measures to protect sensitive data and ensure compliance with global standards. From GDPR to regional regulations, these platforms make it easy to adhere to legal and compliance requirements.
7. Marketing and Personalization Features
- With built-in marketing features like automation, lead capture, and flexible personalization, these platforms integrate seamlessly with external marketing platforms, enabling tailored customer experiences with greater flexibility.
8. Flexibility and Customization
- Custom Workflows: Limitless customizations are attainable with Sitefinity, Kentico, and Sanity.io. Stay ahead of the curve with flexible workflows for content creation and approval processes. These CMS platforms ensure your digital infrastructure is adaptable to future technology shifts, allowing you to easily integrate new tools.
9. Community and Support
- Robust Support Networks: Sitefinity, Kentico, and Sanity.io provide excellent customer support and have active developer communities to assist with implementation and troubleshooting offering accelerated resolutions.
10. Avoid Over-Engineering
- Right-Sized Solutions: Extensive features can often lead to unnecessary complexity for businesses with straightforward needs. Sitefinity, Kentico, and Sanity.io deliver powerful functionality without overloading teams with features they may not use.
By choosing Sitefinity, Kentico, or Sanity.io, your organization can benefit from modern, scalable, and cost-effective solutions tailored to your needs—without the extra complexity often associated with larger platforms. Feel free to contact us if you'd like to explore these options further or discuss how they could benefit your business.
