A/B Test 25: Emphasizing lending expertise increased home equity page engagement by 103%

When someone visits a credit union’s home equity loan page, what are they looking for?

Some visitors may already understand their options and be ready to apply. Others may still be comparing loan products, evaluating affordability or trying to determine which option makes the most sense for their financial situation. For these visitors, access to knowledgeable lending professionals may be just as important as the product information itself.

That was the idea behind an A/B test conducted on a credit union’s home equity product page. The original page primarily presented product options and encouraged visitors to explore available loans. The redesigned version placed greater emphasis on the institution’s lending expertise, encouraged visitors to speak with a home loan specialist and reorganized how the available products were presented.

The results were substantial. The redesigned page increased the click-through rate (CTR) from 22.22% to 45.14% — a 103% improvement with 99.69% statistical confidence.

Here’s what the credit union tested, what changed and what the findings could mean for other financial institutions.

The question

The credit union came into the experiment with a straightforward goal: generate more home equity loans. Before the test, the team reviewed the existing conversion funnel to identify where visitors might be encountering difficulties.

The initial analysis showed that the home equity page had a click-through rate of just 4.48%. Of 134 recorded product page views, only six progressed to the application-start step. The team considered this a significant opportunity, particularly because its internal benchmarks suggested that comparable home equity product pages could achieve click-through rates ranging from 15% to 30%.

But the conversion rate wasn’t the only indication that something could be improved. A review of the page’s heatmap revealed an interesting pattern: visitors were interacting with the frequently asked questions and Contact Us CTAs, but there was relatively little interaction with rates and Start Application CTAs. That suggested some visitors might be looking for additional information or assistance rather than immediately starting an application.

The team also identified several usability issues. The available home equity products weren’t clearly differentiated, making it difficult for visitors to compare their options. The page lacked a way to estimate monthly loan payments, and rates were presented separately from the product information. Together, these issues could make it harder for someone to understand the available choices and determine what to do next.

The question became: Could a clearer home equity page, with greater emphasis on personal guidance and lending expertise, encourage more visitors to take the next step?

The hypothesis

The team believed that making home equity options easier to understand and giving visitors a more direct path to knowledgeable lending professionals would increase engagement.

The original page focused primarily on presenting the available products. While that information was important, the team saw an opportunity to better serve visitors who were still evaluating their options. For someone considering a home equity loan, the decision can involve several questions. Which loan product makes the most sense? What might the monthly payment look like? How do the available rates and terms compare?

The team proposed improving the clarity of the product options, making payment estimates more accessible and connecting rates more closely with the relevant loan information. It also wanted to change how the credit union communicated its value.

Rather than relying primarily on product descriptions and application links, the redesigned page would emphasize the institution’s mortgage team and encourage visitors to schedule a consultation. The reasoning was simple: visitors who aren’t ready to apply may still be ready to speak with someone who can help them make an informed decision.

What changed

The variation introduced a noticeably different approach to the home equity product page.

The original design opened with the headline “Equity at your fingertips” and featured an image of a homeowner working on a renovation project. Further down the page, visitors could review mortgage solutions, including a second mortgage and a home equity line of credit. The page also included additional resources and contact information.

The variation shifted the focus toward the credit union’s lending professionals. Its new headline emphasized that the institution’s experts could answer questions and help visitors find the best home equity loan for their needs.

Several changes distinguished the redesigned experience.

1. Lending expertise became the primary message.

Instead of leading with a broad statement about accessing home equity, the variation emphasized the availability of knowledgeable professionals who could help visitors understand their options. This positioned the credit union’s mortgage team as a central part of the page’s value proposition.

2. The primary CTA shifted toward consultation.

The redesigned page prominently featured a consultation-focused CTA connected to a lead capture form. Rather than focusing exclusively on moving visitors toward an application, the page encouraged them to connect with someone who could help them evaluate their choices. This provided a more accessible next step for visitors who wanted assistance before making a borrowing decision.

3. The page highlighted reasons to speak with a lending professional.

A new section explained the benefits of working with the credit union’s home loan experts, emphasizing a free consultation, local understanding and professional experience. These messages helped communicate what visitors could expect from reaching out and why speaking with a lending professional might be valuable.

4. Home equity options were presented in a clearer layout.

The variation displayed the available home equity solutions together in a dedicated section, making the different products easier to identify and explore.

The experiment plan also identified opportunities to improve access to payment estimates and better integrate rates with product information, although the available documentation does not confirm that those particular changes were implemented.

The central change was clear: the redesigned page made consultation, lending expertise and product organization more prominent.

The results

Why might the variation have performed better?

The experiment produced a strong result, and the findings from the initial research offer a reasonable explanation for why the redesigned page performed better.

Before the test, visitors were already interacting with FAQs and contact options more than rates and application CTAs. That behavior suggested that some visitors might be looking for additional guidance before moving forward. The variation responded to that observation by making lending expertise and personal assistance more prominent.

Rather than expecting every visitor to be ready to apply, the redesigned page provided a clear opportunity to speak with someone who could help them understand their options. This may have made the next step feel more approachable, particularly for visitors who were still deciding which home equity product was right for them.

There was also a change in how the credit union communicated its value. The original page emphasized access to home equity products, while the variation emphasized the people who could help visitors navigate those products. For a financial decision involving borrowing amounts, repayment terms and affordability, access to experienced professionals may be a meaningful reason to engage.

The revised layout also made the available home equity solutions easier to identify and explore. Taken together, these changes created a more focused experience around helping visitors understand their options and connect with the credit union.

Because the experiment changed multiple elements simultaneously, it cannot establish how much of the improvement came from the consultation CTA, the expertise-focused messaging or the reorganized product information. But the result was consistent with the original hypothesis: a page emphasizing guidance, expertise and clearer options generated substantially more click-through engagement.

What this means for your site

This experiment raises an important question for credit unions evaluating their website design: Are product pages helping visitors make decisions, or are they primarily presenting information and asking visitors to apply?

For some financial products, a direct application CTA may be the most appropriate next step. But for more complex products, such as home equity loans, visitors may need additional guidance before they’re comfortable moving forward.

This test offers several lessons worth considering.

Consider where visitors are in the decision-making process.

Not everyone who visits a lending page is ready to apply. Some may still be comparing products, evaluating costs or trying to understand which option best fits their needs. A website that recognizes those different stages may be better positioned to encourage engagement.

Make assistance easy to find.

The original heatmap showed that visitors were interacting with FAQs and contact options. That was an important signal. When visitors demonstrate interest in getting help, making that assistance more prominent is a reasonable approach to test.

For this credit union, the redesigned page placed consultation near the center of the experience and achieved a substantial improvement in CTR.

Explain the value of speaking with your team.

Simply including a Contact Us button may not communicate why someone should reach out. The variation went further by highlighting free consultations, local understanding and professional experience. Those messages gave visitors a clearer picture of how the credit union’s lending team could help them.

Look beyond the application button.

An application CTA is important, but it isn’t necessarily the only meaningful next step. For visitors who are still researching, speaking with a lending professional may help them move closer to a decision.

That doesn’t mean every credit union should replace its application CTA with a consultation CTA. It means the right next step should be informed by visitor behavior and tested against the existing experience.

Measure the full lending journey.

A higher click-through rate is an encouraging result, particularly when the improvement is as substantial as it was in this experiment. Financial institutions should also consider how that engagement translates into consultation requests, application starts, completed applications and ultimately funded loans.

Understanding those downstream outcomes can help determine how improvements to the website contribute to broader lending goals.

The takeaway

Sometimes the next step is a conversation, not an application

Credit union website design isn’t just about presenting products. It’s also about helping visitors understand their options and identify the next step.

In this experiment, a redesigned home equity page that emphasized lending expertise, consultation and clearer product organization increased click-through engagement by 103%, with 99.69% statistical confidence.

The variation won.

The experiment doesn’t establish that every lending page should prioritize consultation over an application CTA. But it provides strong evidence that this approach can improve engagement in the right circumstances.

For banks and credit unions evaluating their lending pages, the lesson is worth testing: making knowledgeable assistance more visible may help turn product interest into meaningful engagement.

Sometimes, the most valuable next step isn’t asking someone to apply. It’s making it easier for them to have the conversation that helps them get there.