IT and marketing departments at banks don’t always know how to work together, which can cause problems when they’re both responsible for a website. In the banking world, these two teams interact quite a bit. It’s not always fun.

Communicate Early and Often

This sounds like old fashioned relationship advice because it is. Early, frequent communication will solve most problems. Both teams should be very aware of the others’ long-range plans.

Respect Goes a Long Way

IT folks, your counterparts in marketing are not purposefully trying to ruin your lives. They don’t understand technology thoroughly and that’s totally okay. That’s why you’re here. Your job is to repeatedly, endlessly, politely, patiently explain the same thing multiple times. Then do it again. At the same time, be open to ideas. You don’t have all the good ones.

Marketing folks, the IT department does not huddle in the dark corners of the office, plotting nefarious ways to thwart your every move. They are very busy too. Managing technology in a bank is extremely tough. Push back respectfully and always try to find solutions that don’t make the tech folks reach for a bottle of vodka.

Use Your UX Professionals as an Intermediary

There are plenty of business books that will tell you how to get disparate teams to work together. We have a novel idea: Use a UX expert to solve disputes between IT and marketing. If it doesn’t answer user tasks or make users’ lives easier, it doesn’t go on the site. This approach works.

Can’t We All Just Get Along?

IT and marketing team members are often very different species. That doesn’t mean they can’t communicate and work together. It does take a little extra effort though. Both sides have to recognize their weaknesses and strengths. Both sides have to know when to step back and let the other side take the reins. And both sides have to practice listening, compromise, and patience. It’s often a test of virtues, but one that – done correctly – can lead to excellent digital products.

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Don't Let Internal Content Compete with External User Needs

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All Posts in This Series

• Keep Compliance and Regulations Out of Users' Way
• Prioritize Digital Accessibility for Good Business and Happy Users
• Cover the Basics Before Worrying About the Competition
• Users Before SEO (Always)
• For Easier Maintenance, Focus on Consistency & Efficiency
• Make Third-Party Tools Work for Your Unique Needs
• Keep Your IT and Marketing Teams Talking and Collaborating
• Don't Let Internal Content Compete with External User Needs
• Choose the Right Content Management System with Research
• Acquire New Customers and Retain Old Ones with Excellent Usability