Organizations naturally organize information around themselves. We have a lending department. A marketing department. Operations. Member services. Compliance. Products. Programs.
So it's tempting to organize the website the same way.
It makes perfect sense internally.
It doesn't always make sense to the person using the website.
Your members don't visit your website thinking, "I'd like to explore the products managed by the lending department." They think:
- "I need a car loan."
- "I need a credit card."
- "I want to open a checking account."
- "I need to join."
(Or sometimes, "Oh wait...I need to join?")
There's a difference.
For years, we've advocated for action-based navigation that reflects what people are actually trying to accomplish. And we still get some pushback. We understand why.
Organizations are used to thinking about their products and services in very specific ways. Those names make perfect sense internally. They're familiar. They're accurate. They've probably been used for years.
SEO can make this even harder. Organizations are often encouraged to structure their navigation and content around the phrases they believe people are searching for. Suddenly, a perfectly normal "Checking" category becomes "Checking Accounts," and everything needs a location attached to it: "Checking Accounts in Central Vermont," "Deposit Accounts Near Me," or "Auto Loans in New York."
But is that really how people think?
Would someone actually open Google and type "deposit accounts in Central Vermont" because that's how they think about their banking needs?
Probably not.
They're much more likely to search for something that reflects what they're trying to accomplish: "best checking account," "open a checking account," or "low auto loan rate."
There's an important distinction between optimizing a website so search engines can understand it and rewriting the website so it sounds like a search engine wrote it.
But websites aren't built for the people who work inside the organization.
They're built for the people trying to use it.
Consider something as simple as a credit card.
A credit union may categorize credit cards under Loans because, technically, that's what they are.
But a member may think about a credit card as a way to spend.
Checking accounts are another example. Internally, "checking" might be the obvious product category. But a member may be thinking about spending, managing money, or everyday banking.
Even the word Join can be surprisingly important.
"Become a Member" may be perfectly accurate. But if someone is looking for where to join your credit union, they're probably looking for the word Join.
These aren't semantic arguments.
They're usability decisions.
The question isn't:
"What do we call this?"
The better question is:
"What would someone look for if they were trying to do this?"
That's the difference between organizing a website like a filing cabinet and organizing it around intent.
A filing cabinet is organized around where information belongs.
A useful website is organized around what people are trying to accomplish.
That doesn't mean every website needs a clever navigation system or that familiar product names should disappear. It means the structure should reflect the visitor's mental model whenever possible.
Because people shouldn't have to understand your organization before they can use your website.
They shouldn't have to know which department owns a product.
They shouldn't have to understand your terminology.
They shouldn't have to figure out where you've decided something belongs.
That's your job.
A good website absorbs that complexity and gives the visitor a clear path forward.
And that's really what good navigation is supposed to do.
Not tell people how your organization is structured.
Help them find their way.