The corporate website of the Commercial Bank of Ceylon has won the ‘Outstanding Website’ award worldwide in the Banking category at the 22nd annual international WebAward Competition of the Web Marketing Association, USA, which conducts the world’s longest-running website award competition.
More than 40 countries were represented in the competition this year and awards were presented to the best websites across 96 industry categories.
The entries for these awards are judged on excellence in design, innovation, content, technology, interactivity, copywriting, and ease of use. Scores were given for key criteria and the Commercial Bank of Ceylon website scored an impressive 65 points out of a total of 70 points, which was well above the global industry average of 53 points.
The visually-compelling Commercial Bank corporate website which is optimised for phone and tab devices uses the latest technologies for animation and interaction with augmented speed and user experience. The website’s user responsiveness stems from the way information is organised and presented, a factor that contributed towards securing this prestigious award, the Bank said.
Another feature considered for the ‘Outstanding Website’ award was the website’s enhanced Geo-location functionality for the Bank’s branch network, a feature that enables the website to automatically pick up the locations of users who have allowed it, and show them the closest available branch, with distance calculations.
Moreover, the streamlining of product information through an all-inclusive mini product portal from which users can get whatever information they need without clicking through to other pages, and persistent favourite pages that make it possible for users to save pages they frequently visit, significantly enhance the user experience, which is one of the criteria for the award.
The Commercial Bank website also features a needs-based user guidance wizard which simulates the personalised interaction experienced at a branch via a tool that captures a user’s needs and guides that user to the product or service that is most suitable for the requirement at hand.
For added convenience, website users can also fulfil all requirements of information on products and services and also apply for these facilities by obtaining applications from the site.
Another significant feature of the website is the use of assistive technology for users with visual disabilities, hearing impairments, physical disabilities and age-related conditions.
The Web Marketing Association was founded in 1997 to help set a high standard for Internet marketing and development of the best websites on the World Wide Web. Staffed by volunteers, this organisation is made up of Internet marketing, online advertising, PR, and top web site design professionals who share an interest in improving the quality of online advertising, internet marketing, and website promotion.
The only Sri Lankan Bank to be ranked among the world’s top 1000 banks for eight years consecutively, Commercial Bank operates a network of 262 branches and 780 ATMs in Sri Lanka. The Bank has won more than 30 international and local awards in 2016 and 2017 and 20 international awards in the first eight months of 2018.
Commercial Bank’s overseas operations encompass Bangladesh, where the Bank operates 19 outlets; Myanmar, where it has a Representative Office in Yangon and a Microfinance company in Nay PyiTaw; the Maldives, where the Bank has a fully-fledged Tier I Bank with a majority stake; and Italy, where the Bank operates its own money transfer service.