This Small Business Card Monitor Report examines the private site homepages of our Small Business Card Monitor group. The primary purpose of the private site homepage is to provide access to the rest of the site and to offer top-level account balance information. This report focuses on the accessibility and the overall layout that private site homepages provide.
The leaders in this report provide several important credit account balance data points and organize them in a way that is clear and easy to read. Other firms either offer a homepage cluttered with too many lines of text and links, or do not cater to small business card holders. Though it would take a tremendous amount of work for firms that do not already do so, we recommend that firms do not link to bank-only features, such as Bill Pay and Transfers, for clients without a bank account. These links take up space and distract from information that actually applies to credit account holders.
As far as homepage features go, two firms embed transactions tables within their private site homepages. These are tremendously helpful and each firm does so without distracting from other account information.
Along those same lines, a few firms utilize flyouts and pop-up windows to provide additional details, and also links for when clients decide they need them. One firm includes Pay Over Time details that expand to display in the same area as account balance information. The firm also provides a flyout menu with links to most of its private site account management features. Another firm utilizes a carousel at the bottom of the page with illustrated links to private site features. Finally, a third firm uses a Card Details pop-up window that provides additional account information, such as total credit line and APR.
Simply put, the best homepages make the best use of space. Every element on the page has room to breathe, so to speak. Firms should not forget that a clearly labeled main navigation menu is just as useful as including a myriad of quicklinks on the homepage. The best approach is one that provides a thorough balance summary and indicates the next due date and minimum payment. Firms should couple balance information with a few, high priority quicklinks, preferably related to small business credit card account management.
