A case study by Praxent

Credit Union’s
33% boost in account opening conversions

The rapidly digitizing banking industry demanded a human-centered approach.

Meriwest and Praxent collaborated to enhance user experience of their account opening flow to minimize drop-off and boost conversions.

Scope

UX Audit

  • Homepage and Landing Pages
  • NCR’s Terafina Account Creation Process

User Testing and Research

  • User Interviews and Research Workshops

UX Redesign (desktop and mobile)

  • Reduced friction by simplifying steps.
  • Reduced cognitive load by dividing information.
  • Added clarity on next steps.
Results
  • Increased new account opening conversion to 33%
  • Consistency between marketing site and the off-the-shelf Terafina account opening experienece
  • Recognized as ‘Best Credit Union’ by Mercury News

The challenges

User drop-off

Despite being able to pinpoint where it was happening, Meriwest struggled to understand why users were dropping out of the flow before opening an account.

New generations

To continue growth into the future, acquiring new digital-native members was critical. However, user expectations are much harder to meet for Millennials and Gen Z.

Off-the-shelf technology

An end-to-end digital account opening experience was a significant step forward. However, integrating multiple off-the-shelf solutions into one seamless experience is a challenge.

The vision for Meriwest Credit Union

Meriwest sought to reduce friction and increase conversions by understanding why prospective members dropped off before converting within their marketing website and NCR’s Terafina account opening experience.

A fully digital account opening experience

Quickly and easily understand membership requirements

Open multiple accounts at the same time

Visibility into fees and rates on the account pages for smooth comparison

Why Praxent

A partner from end to end

Technical Design Workshops

Existing MVP prototype architecture, non-functional goals, and potential architecture patterns.

Vendor Selection + Technical Design

Key technology selections and cloud deployment approach.

UX Design

User flow diagrams and wireframes representing a landing page concept and design review for the PH 3.0 platform.

V1 Feature Prioritization and MVP Agile Dev

Comprehensive feature list for first product release.

Launch

In less than 6 months, enabling the onboarding of 50 SMBs at launch.

AlwaysDeliver:

“They (Praxent) knew what they needed to do and streamlined everything for us. I would say that probably one of the standouts for me is that structure of, ‘Here’s what we do next.’ And then they delivered.”

–Mary Shelton, Project Manager, User Experience
Meriwest Credit Union

How we turned can into done: Comprehensive UX audit

To meet our client’s goal of launching before the upcoming sports season, we faced a tight 5-month deadline.

We used lean methodology to focus on essential early-stage features, achieving an MVP within the timeline. The product is designed for iterative evolution, based on real user feedback.

User insights


Double quotes

Our UX audit was a deep dive into Meriwest’s digital customer journey, using best practices to identify hidden friction points. However, only speaking with actual users can uncover their unmet needs and tell you what information or validation they’re missing to move forward.

Meredith Barnett
 Principal Product Designer. Praxent

20+ years of experience in UX Strategy, revenue models and digital transformations

What we delivered: Value-centered homepage

In the redesign, essential information for potential members was strategically highlighted to guide them forward.

This included prominently featuring special promotions on the homepage and providing quick access to various account types for streamlined decision-making.

Fees and rates were made highly visible on account pages, enabling swift comparison.

 

Upfront membership requirements

Clarifying member requirements prior to the account opening experience in clear but friendly and understandable terms, helped streamline member approvals and reduce drop-off later in the flow.

Re-configured Terafina flow

Praxent adjusted Meriwest’s Terafina configuration to create a more intuitive flow and better highlight the benefits of each account.

A frictionless account opening experience

33%

Increased new account opening conversion

+70

Issues identified through UX Research

 

8

Research interviews conducted

What Meriwest had to say

Mary Shelton

Mary Shelton

Project Manager, User Experience, Meriwest Credit Union


Double quotes

We’re excited to implement Praxent’s proposed changes because they give that [consistent] look and feel. It does add a feature set that we don’t currently have today. Simple things, like comparing products chosen on the fly and beginning the onboarding process within two to three clicks.