Financial institutions have a lot of responsibilities in customer communications. These documents must follow compliance guidelines while displaying information accurately and engaging the consumer. One of the most vital communications is a bank statement. Creating bank statements is more than just putting some account numbers on a piece of paper. There are strategic considerations that can make them more powerful.
If you’re ready to improve your statement design, check out these tips.
9 Tips for Creating Bank Statements
Bank statements don’t have to be merely transactional. They are a part of your bank’s brand and key customer communication. Based on our expertise in the industry, we’ve put together these tips.
Use Your Brand Colors
First, you should consider the color palette. If you’re using black and white, you’re missing out on branding opportunities. Adding color to your bank statements makes them more visually appealing, and it also reinforces the consistency of your branding. If cost has kept you from doing this, find a transactional print and mail company where color is standard.
Add Charts and Graphs
If you want your customers to look at trends over time around spending or deposits, a chart or graph may be useful to them. Such a design feature could help them understand their habits more clearly and incite them to ask about other products or ways to manage their money better.
Highlight Important Information
Are there areas of bank statements that need more attention? You can highlight these by adding boxes around them or making them more visible. You can consider bolding sections or using bright colors. The eye will naturally lock on to these areas of the statement for better recall. In deciding what you should make prominent, go back to the simple question, “What’s the most critical information?”
Leave White Space
Adding color, charts, graphs, and other layout components should work to give the bank statement a clean look. You’ll be able to do this by leaving white space in the document. You’ll want to create balance around all the information, and readers will find it easier to consume when it’s not too busy. Be intentional in how you update the design so that readability is a crucial objective.
Make Any Call to Action Prominent
Within individual statements, you may have calls to action. Your objective is to prompt the customer to do something. It could be related to upselling or cross-selling. The call to action could also relate to steps someone needs to take regarding their account that’s urgent.
Get the Flow Right
When creating a bank statement, consider the flow of information. What makes sense to present to the recipient at the top, middle, and end? Keep in mind that most people are going to scan it, not read it from end to end. The best way to do this is by:
- Developing a statement hierarchy.
- Employing layout to guide eyes, such as a grid.
- Uncluttering statements (remember the white space!).
- Leveraging color and contrast to differentiate between sets of information (i.e., debits, credits, fees).
Review Language
The words and tone of a bank statement should be consistent with the rest of your content. However, don’t think of this as simply transactional. Choose language that’s easy to understand, including short words, bulleted lists, and free of jargon. You don’t want to turn customers off by being too sophisticated or dry.
Ensure It’s Legible for All
When your customers open their statements, you want them to be highly readable. You’ve got many more options for layout, but you want it to be clear, not overwhelming. Pay attention to the size of the font and its legibility. Avoid using more than two fonts, and break up large blocks of text into bullets or smaller paragraphs.
Personalize Messaging on Bank Statements
The last recommendation for creating bank statements is the ability to personalize them. When you work with a print and mail company that uses advanced equipment and technology, this is possible. Dynamic printing enables you to segment your customers and promote things to them that are the most relevant. When it’s on the statement, people are more likely to view it versus an insert. It also demonstrates that you know their account and what needs they may have.
You can track responses to these communications with unique URLs, emails, or phone numbers. Adding a QR code to drive people to the specific URL is another great idea and requires little effort by customers.
Ready to Refresh Your Bank Statements?
If your bank statements are in need of a makeover, you can consult with our team of experts to
learn about our design services. Outsourcing bank statements with PCI Group can elevate your operations, too. You’ll enjoy 99.9999% accuracy, reduced costs, enhanced compliance, and real-time tracking of all your jobs.
Learn more about our print and mail solutions for banks and credit unions.
