Hang Seng ebanking enhances usability for branding

The following is my personal experience.

TG at Kelikuru.com is currently an ebanking user of Hong Kong-based Hang Seng Bank, which offers a range of banking services from account management to fund investment, securities trading. To manage and keep track of my fund investment performance, TG recently spent more time in the past 2 weeks to make use of the ebanking system than before.

Hang Seng Bank turns user feedback into action items FAST

Last Thursday, my usability sense from brain cells fired up in one second. It urged me to inform the bank that the ebanking system has room for improvement; hence, TG made three recommendations to the Hang Seng Bank through its online feedback form:

1. Hyperlink the fund name so that users can access the past record of the fund performance

2. As Hang Seng Bank allows users to search fund with its code name, the code name should be one of the attributes in the row of information for quick reference

3. Enable users to check the current trading price and their subscription price so as to compare how much we have gained or lost in less than 2 clicks.

Friday afternoon, TG got a call from a lady representing the bank to clarify my concerns. It was on Sunday TG found my feedback was processed.

TG was impressed by Hang Seng bank’s efficiency in dealing with my comments and took a fast lane to fulfill my needs. It is such a user-centered approach and customer-first service that can eventually take the local bank to its next level - a leap from a functional to emotional branding. It also underscores the importance of collaboration between online and offline services which will bring true benefit to the company and users at the same time.

Usability and Branding works hand-in-hand for company’s revenue growth in Internet Age

While TG saw some big corporations are hailing user-centered design and usability as their primary slogans in one hand, they are also internally skeptical of how good user experiences can facilitate key performance indicators (KPIs).

How usability can improve the balance sheet? How usability can be converted into dollars sign? How user research can be beneficial to product development? TG was asked by my colleagues many time!!

Perhaps we should think it from another perspective. The benefit is intangible and the effect is accumulative. Internet business is unique and is very much relied on branding. It’s tough to get users a second return without proving your company is outstanding both in terms of serving their physical needs and giving them mental satisfaction. Again, TG has to use Apple as an example. A new favor in TG‘s mind is Amazon.com

Branding itself is marketing, Web Site itself is marketing.

Branding a company is hardly a one-off deal. It takes time and can only be built on users’ mind step by step. The exercise is partly attributable to user-centric design and customer-first paradigm. With a group of loyal customers who spread good words about your companies, TG is convinced that the word-of-mouth marketing will lift the bank’s balance sheet.

By the way, thanks from kelikuru.com to Hang Seng Bank for respecting users feedback, making your ebanking system more usable and useful!