How many times per month would you look at your bank's website, other than online banking, if you didn't work there?

Zero would be pretty close, I'd wager.

Case in point: I have far more interest than the average consumer, but I can count on one hand the times I've looked at my bank's website during the past seven or eight years since its been online.

Sure I login most weeks, but my visit consists of finding the login button as soon as it loads, then moving into online banking to take care of my business. (Don't tell my website usability collegues I said this, but it might be worth moving the login button around from time to time to "force" users become engaged with your homepage.)

Zero visits per month makes it tough to introduce new products, promotions, and features. Or to get customers to use self-service.

Action Item
To encourage visits, how about an old-fashioned Grande Re-opening or Open House celebration? Make it an annual event on the anniversery of your website launch. Publicize it with signs in the branch. Issue a press release. Drop a statement insert.

Decorate your homepage with balloons or something festive, and just like a real-world open house, offer virtual donuts (Krispy Kreme downloadable coupon), free coffee (Starbucks coupon), and door prizes after customer fills out an online entry form.

To encourage visitors to click further into your site, you could sprinkle freebies deeper in the site, or use an online scavenger hunt. And the great thing about this open house is there's no cleaning up afterwards.

If you'd like to explore more about the interactive bank marketing ideas, check out the Interactive Financial Marketing Database from our sister publication, the Online Banking Report.