Australia's Bankwest has revamped its Web site, taking inspiration from online shopping portals.
In what it claims are firsts, the bank's site includes shopping basket type functionality, filtering capabilities, user-generated comparison charts and ways to save and share selections.
It also features a more powerful search tool which predicts popular terms and suggests keyword matches as users type. But rather than recommending alternative keywords, the tool suggests direct links to relevant information and services.
The bank told ITNews that the site, built on javascript, is the result of significant investment over 18 months involving 50 staff, and has seen a proprietary content management system replaced with one from US vendor FatWire.
Vittoria Shortt, retail chief executuve, Bankwest, says: "We've looked at the best Web sites beyond financial services and used this to benchmark ourselves. We've simplified online research for customers and given them the rich experience they expect from the best sites online whilst also maintaining our unique Bankwest brand."
An updated iPhone app has also been launched.