How Santander Unlocks Exceptional Client Experience with Optimal

Santander, a leading multinational banking group, has successfully implemented Optimal's platform across multiple international teams to standardize user experience research and design validation. Santander operates in numerous markets worldwide, with distinct teams managing digital experiences across regions. Despite geographic separation, these teams face similar challenges in delivering intuitive, user-friendly banking interfaces that meet customer expectations. 

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To address their challenges, teams in Argentina, Poland, and Brazil leverage Optimal's tools to improve both public-facing websites and online banking portals, resulting in enhanced customer experiences and reduced churn.

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Challenges

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• Managing consistent UX testing methods  across geographically dispersed teams
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• Ensuring intuitive navigation on public banking websites across different cultural contexts
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• Validating designs for online banking portals before full implementation
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• Understanding factors contributing to customer churn
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• Measuring and improving the onboarding experience
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Solution Implementation

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Santander implemented Optimal's platform across multiple international accounts, allowing teams to:

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1. Standardize User Testing  Methods: Teams in Argentina, Poland, and Brazil adopted consistent testing approaches while maintaining regional flexibility.
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2. Validate Navigation Structures: Using Optimal's tree testing tools, teams systematically evaluated information architecture on public-facing banking websites.
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3. Test Portal Designs: First-click tests helped teams validate online banking portal designs before deployment, identifying potential usability issues early.
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4. Gather Customer Insights: Public-facing surveys provided critical data on churn factors and satisfaction with the onboarding process.
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Results by Region

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Argentina

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The Argentinian team utilized tree testing to restructure their mortgage products section, improving navigation success rates. First-click tests on their redesigned online banking dashboard revealed that users could more successfully locate key account functions compared to the previous design.

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Poland

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Optimal's platform helped the Polish team identify critical navigation issues in their investment services section. After implementing changes based on tree testing insights, customer support inquiries related to finding investment products decreased. Their churn survey revealed that account opening complexity was a primary pain point, leading to streamlined processes.

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Brazil

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The Brazilian team's use of first-click testing on their mobile banking portal redesign identified that users struggled to find transaction history. After repositioning this feature, successful location improved significantly. Onboarding satisfaction surveys showed increased customer satisfaction following interface improvements based on Optimal's data.

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Key Benefits

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• Cross-Regional User Insights: Despite operating in separate accounts, teams share methodologies and insights across regions, accelerating improvements.
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• Data-Driven Decisions: All design and navigation changes are validated with user data before implementation.
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• Reduced Development Costs: Early identification of usability issues prevents costly post-launch fixes.
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• Improved Customer Retention: Addressing identified churn factors has contributed to improved customer loyalty metrics.
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User Insight Highlights

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Uncovering Navigation Pain Points Through Tree Testing

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Santander's teams use Optimal's tree testing tools to validate information architecture before implementation. Teams create navigation structures, develop tasks that reflect common user goals, and analyze success paths and failure points. This methodology allows them to identify where users get lost in the navigation structure and optimize pathways accordingly.

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Revealing User Intent Through First-Click Analysis

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For online banking portal validation, Santander employs Optimal's first-click testing to evaluate initial user interactions. Teams present interfaces to test participants who are asked to complete specific banking tasks. The methodology focuses on capturing where users first click when attempting to complete a task, providing insights into the intuitiveness of the interface design.

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Identifying Experience Gaps with Strategic Surveys

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Santander has developed a comprehensive survey methodology using Optimal's platform to understand customer experiences. The framework includes targeted questions about onboarding friction points, satisfaction drivers, and reasons for considering account closure. This methodical approach enables teams to identify improvement opportunities in the customer journey.

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Conclusion

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Santander's implementation of Optimal's platform demonstrates how global organizations can maintain consistent UX research practices while respecting regional differences. By standardizing on Optimal's tools for tree testing, first-click testing, and customer surveys, Santander has created a culture of user-centered design across international boundaries, resulting in measurable improvements to both customer experience and business outcomes.

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Want to learn how you can get started gathering meaningful user insight? Reach out to us today.