Site Study: Bank Australia Is Doing Banking Differently Down Under

Our site studies identify the key attributes that help a bank or credit union website rise above the rest. Our site studies do not focus on PixelSpoke client websites, but rather bank and credit union websites that our clients admire. Do you have a recommendation for a future site study candidate? Let us know at contact@pixelspoke.com.

For this month’s PixelSpoke Site Study, we’re taking a leap across the equator to explore one of the most progressive banks Down Under: Bank Australia. Bank Australia has branded itself as “the bank Australia needs,” primarily because of its industry-leading environmental and social lending practices. Let’s dive in and take a look at three ways that Bank Australia “banks different”:

Transparency around lending practices 

Bank Australia is upfront about which industries they will and won’t lend to, with the “won’ts” including fossil fuels, gambling, arms, live exports, factory farming, and tobacco. Many U.S. credit unions and community banks don’t lend to these industries, but most are not transparent about it, perhaps for fear that they will alienate a subset of current and potential members. While Bank Australia’s bold approach certainly risks turning off potential customers who have ties to these industries, it also sets the bank apart from other financial institutions and energizes a core base of customers who share its passion for responsible, values-based banking.

Well-curated blog

It’s not every day you see a post on a bank website’s blog with the title, “Modern slavery is closer to home than you think.” Bank Australia’s blog further reinforces its commitment to ethical banking with thoughtful posts that both speak to and highlight its community. What’s more, its customers actually appear to be reading and responding to blog posts, which isn’t always the case with company blogs. Bank Australia is clearly not just churning out content for content marketing’s sake, but rather taking the time to compose unique articles that will truly educate and engage its customers.

Authentic, personable website imagery 

One of the most striking visual aspects of the Bank Australia website is its imagery, which often features a single person against a grey background, wearing a T-shirt with a slogan that depicts one of the many reasons—not offshoring jobs, being owned by customers instead of shareholders, and not investing in fossil fuels—that Bank Australia is the “bank Australia needs.” Bank Australia not only bypasses the corny, inauthentic stock photography that you find plastered over so many bank and credit union websites, but its images offer visual and thematic coherence by featuring real customers and their real reasons for choosing Bank Australia.

Improve your website today

Take stock of your company blog. If you have access to your website analytics, see how many pageviews your blog posts are getting and if your visitors are sticking around long enough to read them. If you blog is only capturing a small fraction of your website traffic, or if most visitors are exiting after just a few seconds, perhaps it’s time to rethink your content strategy. What content can you offer that isn’t widely available elsewhere? How can you use your blog to elevate and highlight your community? If you offer business banking services, perhaps you can start with a series of posts that spotlights your business members.

If you’re looking to revamp or bolster your website’s capabilities, contact us at PixelSpoke today!