Behind the Scenes: Secret Shopping Our Own Website
by James Robert Lay on September 23, 2024
After facilitating over 1200 website secret shopping studies for financial brands over the past decade, the Digital Growth Institute decided it was time to drink their own medicine. After recently launching their new website, they put out a call-to-action for industry leaders to provi …
The Website Blind Spot Benchmark Study: Results and Insights
by James Robert Lay on September 17, 2024
Let’s face it, a lot of financial institutions are really struggling to position themselves online and make the most of their digital channels. Many banks and credit unions sound more like robots with their scripted value propositions and fail to address the real issues their account …
Website Secret Shopping 101: A Guide to Uncovering Consumer Journey Blind Spots
by James Robert Lay on September 10, 2024
Many financial brand leaders are unsure where to begin when it comes to secret shopping their website and often feel intimidated by the process—if they even know what website secret shopping is. That’s why on this episode of the Practical Perspectives series, James Robert Lay and Audr …
Social Listening: Lessons from Frost Bank’s Customer Experience
by James Robert Lay on September 9, 2024
Financial institutions often struggle to manage and appropriately respond to online feedback, especially negative reviews, risking the loss of potential loyal customers. Statistics reveal that a single negative review can severely damage a brand’s reputation, requiring up to 40 positi …
Three Common Website Secret Shopping Objections Debunked
by James Robert Lay on September 4, 2024
Many financial brands may not realize that their websites could be their biggest sales blind spots due to lack of proper evaluation. Without secret shopping, banks and credit unions may not identify critical issues that could be causing them to lose out on potential loans and deposits …
Why Are You Here? Challenging Leaders to Find Meaning and Motivation
by James Robert Lay on August 27, 2024
As financial brand leaders navigate the complexities of a post-COVID world, the economic shifts, and the rise of artificial intelligence, feelings of exhaustion and burnout are rampant. Leaders and team members alike are struggling to stay engaged and find fulfillment in their roles. …
The $10,000 Website: Underestimating the Value of Digital in Financial Services
by James Robert Lay on August 20, 2024
Many financial brands are underinvesting in their digital sales channels, especially their websites, in 2024. Organizations often view their website as a one-time cost rather than an ongoing investment and fail to recognize its critical role in the customer buying journey. Failing to …
Leading Beyond Fear: Taking Action to Conquer Doubt and Drive Growth
by James Robert Lay on August 19, 2024
Many leaders struggle with the fear of change, failure, uncertainty and not being good enough. Left unchecked, fear can become debilitating and prevent you from taking the actions needed to move forward. You may find yourself procrastinating, doubting your abilities and resisting need …
Navigating User Experience Pitfalls: The Impact of Misaligned Expectations
by James Robert Lay on August 9, 2024
In the latest episode of the Practical Perspectives series, James Robert Lay and Audrey Cannata highlight the often unseen complexities of opening new deposit accounts at financial institutions. They reveal how a cumbersome user experience can overwhelm and even frustrate customers, l …
Balancing Digital and Human Connections in Banking
by James Robert Lay on July 30, 2024
Despite the rise of digital-first and digital-only banking tools, there remains a strong desire for personal interaction in banking. Many people still prefer human interactions because they inherently trust people more than automated systems. In this episode, James Robert shares a liv …