Using the right tools to deliver a great user experience
Service
DevOps, Digital Experience
Industry
Financial Services
Platform
Sitecore
Key Terms
Business Objectives, Measurement Strategy, Organizational Change Management (OCM), User Experience (UX), Digital Strategy, Cloud Architecture, ADA Compliance, Managed Services
Quick Snapshot
Providing personalized, tailored solutions to all their customers.
Challenge
Banner Bank, a cornerstone of the Pacific Northwest’s financial ecosystem, faced the challenge of creating a seamless, secure, and accessible digital experience for both users and the organization. Following rapid growth from the 2015 acquisition of American West Bank, which doubled its size and expanded operations across five states, the bank needed to modernize its website to address operational inefficiencies, integrate acquired web content, and improve customer engagement, all while maintaining its community-focused ethos.
Solution
To address these challenges, RBA partnered with Banner Bank to completely overhaul their digital presence. By implementing a robust measurement strategy, facilitating organizational change management, and designing a user experience that prioritized accessibility and usability, RBA redefined how Banner Bank engaged with its customers online. The solution included migrating the site to Sitecore 9 hosted on Azure PaaS for scalability, ensuring ADA compliance through regular audits, and establishing managed services for 24/7 monitoring and support. Key enhancements included improved site stability, better integration of acquired content, actionable analytics, and intuitive digital design.
Impact
The revamped BannerBank.com delivered measurable improvements in operational efficiency, enhanced user satisfaction, and bolstered site performance. By leveraging modern cloud architecture and accessible design standards, Banner Bank now provides a secure, scalable, and inclusive digital experience that aligns with their mission of personalized customer service. These changes have empowered the bank’s internal teams to focus on strategic growth while continuing to support the communities they serve.
“ADA compliance is definitely a big factor in the planning of our new site. We also want to provide a more personalized user experience. RBA has been great in helping us gain a better understanding of our site analytics. They are helping us provide one clear picture where we’re comparing apples to apples, which isn’t always the case today.”
Process
To address Banner Bank’s challenges, RBA began by conducting executive-level workshops to clearly define the bank’s business objectives and establish key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure success. This strategic foundation guided the entire project. Organizational change management (OCM) played a crucial role in ensuring the bank’s teams were fully prepared to adopt and leverage new capabilities through tailored communication and training strategies. RBA’s User Experience and Digital Design team crafted an intuitive, accessible, and user-centric website that balanced functionality with Banner Bank’s brand identity. Leveraging advanced analytics, RBA helped Banner Bank transform data from disparate sources into actionable insights for better decision-making. To enhance scalability and operational efficiency, the bank’s site was migrated to Microsoft Azure PaaS, reducing the burden on IT teams while improving performance. Accessibility was a priority, with quarterly ADA compliance audits powered by Siteimprove ensuring the website met WCAG standards. RBA also upgraded Banner Bank’s platform to Sitecore 9, enabling the marketing team to manage content independently and efficiently. The solution was supported by managed services, providing 24/7 monitoring, disaster recovery, and high-availability support to ensure long-term stability and reliability. This holistic approach resulted in a seamless, secure, and user-friendly digital experience.
Business Objectives & Measurement Strategy
Organizational Change Management (OCM)
User Experience (UX) and Digital Design
Strategy and Analytics
Cloud Architecture
ADA Compliance
Managed Services
Solution
The overall solution for Banner Bank was a comprehensive digital transformation that addressed both immediate operational challenges and long-term strategic goals. At its core, RBA’s approach was rooted in aligning technology with business objectives to create a seamless, scalable, and secure digital ecosystem. The solution began with a deep understanding of Banner Bank’s needs through executive workshops, where business objectives were outlined and formal KPIs were established to ensure measurable success.
From there, RBA developed a modern, user-friendly website powered by Sitecore 9, hosted on the Microsoft Azure Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) infrastructure. This setup provided the flexibility and scalability needed for growth while minimizing IT management requirements. The integration of Sitecore Experience Editor and Content Editor empowered the marketing team to manage content autonomously, streamlining workflows and reducing bottlenecks.
Accessibility was a key component of the solution, with quarterly audits using the Siteimprove platform to ensure the site met ADA compliance and WCAG standards, providing a user-friendly experience for all customers, including those with disabilities. Additionally, the website was designed with a focus on user experience, balancing aesthetics, usability, and functionality to deliver a site that not only served customers effectively but also reinforced Banner Bank’s community-focused brand identity.
RBA also implemented advanced analytics and reporting capabilities, helping Banner Bank transform data into actionable insights that supported better decision-making. This was complemented by 24/7 managed services, which included monitoring, disaster recovery, and application maintenance, ensuring long-term site stability and operational efficiency.
By addressing every aspect of the digital transformation—strategy, design, technology, accessibility, and ongoing support—RBA delivered a solution that not only resolved the immediate challenges of integrating acquired web content and enhancing site stability but also positioned Banner Bank for future growth. The result was a robust digital platform that aligned with Banner Bank’s mission of providing personalized, community-focused service while supporting their expansion and operational goals.
A Renewed Drive to Overhaul the Bank’s Website
Sitecore Architecture and Development
Cloud Infrastructure & PaaS
Services
User Experience and Digital Design
UX Design leads to experiences that are memorable, loyalty-building, and balance business, brand, and technology perspectives. Our User Experience team worked with Banner Bank to create a meaningful customer experience through usability, accessibility, and delightful interactions.
Strategy and Analytics
Data is good. Information is better. Insight is best. RBA helps Banner Bank make sense of the variety of data sources in their organization and provide meaningful reporting, analytics and intelligence.
Cloud Infrastructure & PaaS
Using a modern Platform as a Service (PaaS) approach using the scalability and flexibility of Microsoft Azure, RBA was able to take advantage of the benefits of the cloud, minimizing the need for additional IT management. This allows the Banner Bank teams to focus on driving growth through digital.
ADA Compliance & WCAG Standards
The Americans with Disabilities Act (often referred to as ADA) is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on disability. In addition to being the right thing to do, following WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) is considered good web design. Partnering with the Siteimprove platform, RBA delivers quarterly audits for Banner Bank, focusing on meeting the needs of users with disabilities.
Managed Services
We provide 24/7 monitoring and support for all Banner Bank web properties: Disaster recovery, high-availability, and application maintenance services.
Sitecore Architecture and Development
To power their non-authenticated website, Banner Bank upgraded to Sitecore 9. Banner’s infrastructure is hosted within Azure PaaS. The Banner marketing team manages their own content using Sitecore Experience Editor and Content Editor.
OCM
Ensuring adoption with focus
Impact
The impact of RBA’s services on Banner Bank was transformative, delivering measurable improvements across key areas of their digital ecosystem. The newly designed website provided a seamless and secure experience for users, enhancing customer satisfaction and reinforcing Banner Bank’s community-focused brand. The integration of Sitecore 9 and Microsoft Azure PaaS streamlined content management processes, empowering the marketing team to manage updates independently while ensuring site stability and scalability to support the bank’s growth.
Operational efficiency improved significantly, with reduced IT management burdens and enhanced performance monitoring through 24/7 managed services. Advanced analytics and reporting capabilities enabled Banner Bank to make data-driven decisions, unlocking new insights into customer behavior and business opportunities. Quarterly ADA compliance audits ensured the site remained accessible and inclusive, reflecting the bank’s commitment to serving all members of their community.
Overall, RBA’s comprehensive approach resulted in a robust digital foundation that not only addressed immediate challenges—such as integrating acquired web content and improving site performance—but also positioned Banner Bank for sustainable growth. By aligning technology with strategic objectives, Banner Bank enhanced customer engagement, streamlined operations, and strengthened their role as a trusted financial partner in their communities.