How to Build a Bank Account Website

You can create a dynamic business website with a few simple tools.

To build a reliable online banking website, you need programming and website design knowledge. Bank customers will use the business site, so it must be attractive and user friendly. You should be familiar with tools for designing business websites. If you're prepared to build a website, these steps will simplify your task.

Things You'll Need

• Computer
• Internet access
• Content management system (CMS)
• Graphic designs
• Search engine optimization (SEO)

Instructions

Design

1. 

   Graphics should be attractive, but not distracting.

   Use a fairly simple design, one that's attractive, and use a likable color that isn't distracting.

2. 

   Too many choices can be confusing.

   Avoid providing too many links and buttons, making the site confusing.

3. 

   Use graphics as a website promotional tool.

   Promote your customer's business identity by using graphics that represent the company, its employees and policies.

4. 

   Breadcrumbs let your user know his location in the website.

   Make usability choices obvious and easy to use, not frustrating. Using breadcrumbs, a secondary navigation tool, shows the user his current and past location. Breadcrumbs enable the user to navigate to his destination web page in less time and with less frustration. For example, if the user wants to view his recent checkbook transactions, his breadcrumb trail, viewed along the top of the web page, might be http://www.statebank.org/login/overview/checking. This breadcrumb path shows the user's current website location, statebank.org, that he has logged in, that he has visited the overview page for his account and is viewing his checking account transactions.

Content Management

1. 

   Make navigation easy to understand.

   Be aware of current industry standards to provide optimum usability for clients. Your chosen Content Management System (CMS), the program that enables your customer to edit his own website, should be easy enough for a nontechnical site manager to use.

2. Whether you use an existing template or write your own, design the site so content can be added easily and the user can navigate the site in a logical manner.

3. 

   Don't overuse the same words.

   Select search engine optimization words that show you have a knowledge of your customer's needs. SEO is the use of keywords and phrases to gain a high ranking in search engines.

4. Be informed about other sites that want the same client and might use the same words, but don't try the unconventional. Stick to the rules for choosing keywords and avoid being picked out as a spammer.

Tips & Warnings

• Changes will be necessary, even after you launch your site, so be prepared to spend extra time on fine-tuning.

• Spell check often and after you've completed all work.

• This is a job for professionals, but even a professional will make mistakes.

• Take a break instead of relying on caffeine to work longer.

References

• Tips for Building a Bank Website
• Bank Website Design
• Strategic eCommerce Solutions

Resources

• Paperthin
• Smashing Magazine: The book for modern webdesign