Small Business Credit Card Companies Miss Opportunities to Win Customers Online

A new report released today by leading web site researchers Change Sciences Group shows the degree to which credit card companies are working to meet the needs of small business people as other forms of small business credit become increasingly scarce. The research, conducted over the last month, looks at what small business people experienced on 14 top card web sites as they attempted to find a card that met their needs and begin doing business with the card company.

To download details about the full report visit: http://www.ChangeSciences.com/Reports/Small-Business-Credit-Card-Sites.

For many small business people a business credit card provides cash flow security and simplifies payables. Increasingly, cards provide a much-needed credit line as other forms of small business credit dry up. To succeed, card sites need to have a razor sharp focus on the value proposition, clearly and quickly communicate the details of the offer, and ultimately make the application process as quick and painless as possible.

The sites differ significantly in their approach.

• The site that makes it easiest to understand its card offer does so in 29% less time than its closest competitor.
• The site that makes it easiest to apply requires 55% less effort than the average site.

"Even the best sites overall are missing pieces that will make prospects’ lives easier, and ultimately improve application throughput," said Steve Ellis, a Change Sciences Partner and contributor to the research. Problems include making it harder to enter data than it needs to be, navigation designs that disorient some prospects, and unanswered questions.

The three best sites overall are: Discover, American Express, and Advanta.

Other sites covered in the report include: Bank of America, BB&T, Capital One, Chase, Citi Cards, Fifth Third Bank, HSBC, M&I Bank, PNC, US Bank, and Wells Fargo.

About Change Sciences Group
Change Sciences was founded in January 2000 to help companies optimize online business by basing decisions on how people use technology while they live, work, and play.