UK banking sites have been found lacking when it comes to customer experience, according to research by Keynote Systems.

Research assessing behaviour, attitude and experiences of consumers shows that online customer experience is a key driver for online conversion and improved brand perceptions.

Keynote Systems compared the leading bank websites in eight countries – the UK’s sites were Bank of Scotland, Barclays, Halifax, HSBC, Lloyds TSB, Nationwide, NatWest, RBS and Santander – which were then compared to 47 sites across the world.

None of the UK banks monitored came in the global top ten for overall customer experience, with the Co-Operative Bank scoring the highest in 12th place. Halifax and Nationwide followed in 16th and 17th place globally.

The Co-Operative Bank’s homepage was seen as the most helpful in the UK, with 63 per cent of participants agreeing; success rates for customers in opening accounts were highest for the Bank of Scotland (82 per cent), compared to the lowest rate in the UK of an undisclosed bank at 56 per cent.

The top drivers of brand and acquisition for deposit prospects were site design and organisation, as well as homepage appeal.

“Successful bank marketing sites drive high customer acquisition rates and also deliver an excellent impact on brand perceptions,” commented Malcolm Otter, senior director at Keynote Systems. “They make the new-to-bank prospects more receptive to engaging with the bank in the future, and ultimately more likely to set up an account. This research gives site managers a clear understanding of global best practice to help them improve the business outcomes for the site.”

Otter added that it is surprising to see the UK banks lagging so far behind those from other countries. “It’s essential that banks keep up with best practice online, otherwise they risk losing valuable customers to the competition and could end up investing in areas of the site that ultimately don’t lead to more business.”

The study was conducted in the UK, US, Canada, Australia, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland.

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