Research on Credit Union Website Design Leads to 99% More Clicks on Mortgage Page

Derik Krauss
Aug 25
4 min read

Guest Editorial by Derik Krauss, Co-Founder, MetriFi

An effective credit union website design turns web traffic into measurable results: more loans and deposits. Among all the methods of optimizing conversion rates, A/B testing is the gold standard because it is scientifically rigorous, yet easy to implement.

The following A/B test was conducted with AmFirst, a $2.6B credit union based in Birmingham, Alabama.

Background

AmFirst wanted to increase their volume of home loans, but their mortgage webpage wasn't converting well. Using our funnel analysis tool, we measured that its click-through rate was only 5.11%. When we benchmarked it with mortgage pages from other credit unions, we saw that it was converting far below average.

Analysis and Hypothesis

We evaluated the existing mortgage page and developed a hypothesis based on three key points: We believed we could boost conversions by (1) increasing trust in AmFirst's mortgage officers, (2) improving the calls to action, and (3) improving the visual appeal of the page with graphic elements and more emotionally driven images.

Increasing Trust in Mortgage Officers

People prefer to open some types of loans and accounts online without any human interaction. But that's not the case with complex loans like mortgages. When it comes to buying a home—the biggest purchase most people will ever make—mortgage applicants care about who they work with. They need to know they can trust the mortgage officer they will work with throughout the process.

While the existing mortgage page did mention that AmFirst has "experts to help you", it was not highlighted at the top of the page or reinforced throughout. We believed that further emphasizing that point would increase user trust and conversions.

Accordingly, we rewrote the page's headline, subtitle, and several other sections of the page to reinforce that AmFirst is "Your trusted partner in the home buying journey."

Improving the Calls to Action

Initially, the primary call to action (CTA) on the page was "Mortgage Solution Center". We suspected that most people weren't familiar with that term, so we replaced it with a simpler CTA to "Get Started Today".

We also changed the secondary CTA from "View Rates" to "Estimate your payment". While users want to view rates, we've also seen repeatedly in heatmaps that people want to use calculators to estimate payments. We believed this new secondary CTA would do a better job of engaging users by leading them to both rates and the on-page calculator.

Additionally, we removed links that previously directed users away from the mortgage product page, ensuring all CTAs led directly to applying or talking with a mortgage officer. By eliminating distractions and streamlining the path to conversion, we hypothesized that these adjustments would result in an increase in mortgage applications.

Improving the Visual Appeal

We believed enhancing the visual appeal of the page would contribute to increasing conversions.

At the top of the page, in the "hero" section, we replaced a somewhat blurry image of a front door with an image of a family. We aimed to create an emotional connection with users, reinforcing the idea that buying a home is a personal journey supported by AmFirst.

We also changed the appearance of the hero section to create higher contrast and make it look more modern. Throughout the rest of the page, we made similar changes, introducing new images, icons, and graphic elements.

A/B Test Results

Based on our analysis, we used our AI prototyping tool to design a new version of the page. Then, we put it to the test. We conducted a live A/B test, in which users were randomly shown either the original or new version of the page to measure which one produced a higher conversion rate.

Note: This is where many credit unions fall short: not testing their changes. Without measurement, even well-intentioned updates can backfire. We've learned this from running over 100 A/B tests. While most of our tests have won by increasing conversions, some have actually decreased conversions. The only way to know the real impact of a change is to test it, otherwise you're just assuming you're right without validating it.

Results

The new version of the page significantly outperformed the original (with statistical confidence of 100%).

Version A: 12.00% conversion (107 of 892)

Version B: 23.92% conversion (227 of 949)

Version B is the clear winner, producing a 99% higher click-through rate.

After the experiment, we verified these results against AmFirst's application data and saw that they experienced a corresponding uptick in completed applications.

Ultimately, the credit union expects to loan out millions of dollars in additional mortgages per year as a result of the improved webpage.

How to Apply These Findings to Your Mortgage Page

This A/B test demonstrates some concepts that you can test on your own mortgage page:

Emphasize mortgage officer trustworthiness. Prominently highlight the experience and reliability of your mortgage officers.
Use familiar, task-oriented calls to action (and remove distractions). Replace ambiguous calls to action with simple, intuitive language that clearly communicates the next step. Also, remove any links or content that could distract users from your main CTA.
Enhance visual appeal. Use relatable images and modern design elements to connect with users and enhance credibility.

Approach any changes you make to your mortgage page the way a scientist would approach an experiment. Just because you see how these concepts helped AmFirst with their mortgage page, don't blindly assume that your execution of these concepts is going to have the exact same effect.

Instead, create a new variation of your page and measure its impact with an A/B test. This is a foundational strategy in credit union website design, and the only way you can know if your changes help, hurt, or have no impact.

Conclusion

By emphasizing trust in mortgage officers, simplifying calls to action, and enhancing visual appeal, AmFirst boosted its click-through rate by 99% and saw a notable increase in mortgage applications. The success of this experiment shows that data-informed changes to your credit union website design can significantly improve conversion rates and drive growth in loans and deposits.

Derik Krauss is the co-founder of MetriFi (metrifi.com). He didn’t set out to disrupt the status quo—his heart just led him to seek the truth. That passion has fueled over 100 A/B tests and helped credit unions generate ~$143M in new loans and deposits. Now, he’s building MetriFi and Paraloom to harness analytics and AI for measurable growth. He’s a family man who loves Jesus, liberty, basketball, fly fishing, and delicious food. He can be reached at dk@metrifi.com.