BALTIMORE (Map, News) - Provident Bank’s Web site is getting a face-lift.

The Baltimore-based bank has commissioned local interactive agency The Berndt Group to lead a large-scale project aimed at revamping and redesigning the bank’s corporate Web site. It’s a change Provident says is overdue.

“It’s been a couple years since we’ve done any major enhancements to it; we’ve been adding things, and not necessarily in the most efficient manner for us or our customers,” said Andy Snyder, Provident vice president and Internet channel manager. “We’re really looking to freshen it up ... to make it easier for customers to find what they’re looking for.”

According to its own Web site, The Berndt Group, headquartered in Baltimore, has developed Web sites for the National Aquarium, Maryland Science Center and Johns Hopkins University, among others.

As Internet technology has advanced, customers’ expectations for their bank’s Web site have grown as well, said John Berndt, president and chief executive officer of The Berndt Group. Berndt said his company’s work for Provident would endeavor to sell the bank’s products and services without bogging down viewers just trying to check their account balance. “It’s striking that balance of, can they scan and find the service they need, and at the same time not making them anxious by seeing too much at once.”

The revamped site will specifically target customers’ ability to check on and manage their accounts, the primary reason most viewers log on to the site, Snyder said. He also looked to build Provident’s standing in online searches and said Berndt would work to improve the site’s performance in search engines.

Snyder said Provident’s Web site, when finished later this spring or by early summer, would meet or exceed the online presence of rival national banks.

“I think we’re going to stack up fairly well,” he said. “If you look at the Bank of America and Citibank, they’ve got huge amounts of money to pour into this, but I think this is a chance to make inroads.”

acahall@baltimoreexaminer.com

Comments from Examiner Readers

1:07 PM MST on Thu., Dec. 20, 2007 re: "Court of Appeals allows class-action lawsuit against Provident"

Examiner Reader said:
Reality is that banking is a for-profit business. To capture the business the bank pays the closing costs up front and uses the 3 years to recoup those costs and collect interest. If the client never uses the loan then there is the chance that the bank will not recover these funds. The client agreed to this and knowingly signed the documents. How can this be ruled as an unfair practice?

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7:18 AM MST on Sun., Dec. 16, 2007 re: "Court of Appeals allows class-action lawsuit against Provident"

Examiner Reader said:
Closing costs need to be paid either at the beginning, at the end, or by way of higher interest rates. There is no deal in having a "no closing costs loan", because there is no free lunch.

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2:29 AM MST on Sun., Dec. 16, 2007 re: "Court of Appeals allows class-action lawsuit against Provident"

Examiner Reader said:
That's great, so if we want to bank with a Provident or First Mariner, this will make us all pay the closing costs up front now just like a mortgage. The closing costs are clearly stated in the disclosure upfront so it's not like it's hidden. This is not protecting the consumer at all, it's promoting unfair competition since banks outside of Maryland can recover the closing costs if someone decides to refinance after taking the loan. This guy agreed to Provident waiving the fees, he knew the deal he was getting. Now he has ruined the deal for all of us.

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10:02 AM MST on Sat., Dec. 15, 2007 re: "Court of Appeals allows class-action lawsuit against Provident"

Examiner Reader said:
You could not be more wrong, the decision ensures that transparency needs to be shown in closing costs. Provident offered no closing costs, but charged fees to the borrower if they refinanced their loan sooner than the lender wanted. Clearly MD law states that pre-payment penalties are not allowed. If Provident needed to make a profit on the loan, then they should have included closing costs or higher interest rates to the borrower, not try to make money in the back end of the loan

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9:03 AM MST on Sat., Dec. 15, 2007 re: "Court of Appeals allows class-action lawsuit against Provident"

Business Owner said:
Typical Maryland liberal court decision: bend the law to stop businesses from engaging in a practice the Bank Commissioner ruled was legal. While superficially pro-consumer, this decision will hurt borrowers in the long run. Maryland has higher closing costs (read: taxes on a real estate transaction) than virtually every other state. Borrowers will have to pay these costs either from the $$$ they get from the lender, or out of their own pockets. Peter Angelos does to home equity loans what he's done to the Orioles, go team!

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