New York, NY (PRWEB) June 27, 2006 -- Getting a mortgage is not one size fits all. Would you know this from visiting top lender sites? Not always, according to new research by Change Sciences Group, the research firm that ranks web sites based on how people experience them.

The best lender sites do two things: 1) provide a first impression that speaks directly to common needs that people have and 2) make it possible for people to use the site to find a loan tailored to their unique situation.

To jump to the report details visit:

http://changesciences.com/cgi-bin/reports.html

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

- All but 16% of the sites either fail to provide a persuasive first impression to refinancers or fail to support refinancers at all, a 10% improvement from six months ago.

- Only two sites provide a completely friction free first impression to those looking for a standard mortgage loan, no change from six months ago.

- Only 22% of sites are working to communicate to and meet the needs of those who have less-than perfect credit, leaving significant business on the table.

- Of those that are working to meet the needs of the credit challenged, all leave at least one key question unanswered or fail to persuade about the value of their offering.

- 45% of sites can make it easier to navigate to the mortgage area of the site.

FINDING THE RIGHT LOAN

- 48% of sites present users with a way to determine which mortgage loan will work best for them, up from 33% of sites six months ago.

- Of those that do help the prospect choose a loan, only three are able to do it without causing any usability or content friction, up from only one six months ago.

- All but 20% of sites attempt to help people determine if refinancing is something that will help them, no change from six months ago.

- 80% of refinancing savings calculators can be made easier to use, no change from six months ago.

"On the web, you've got a split second to capture someone's attention. From there you've got to provide an experience that leaves people better off than when they started. On mortgage sites this means helping people make sense of the many choices in a way that is more usable, more informative and less time consuming than the competition," said Steve Ellis, a Change Sciences partner.

The top three sites overall are:

1. Wells Fargo

2. E-LOAN

3. GMAC Mortgage

Other sites surveyed include: Countrywide, Wachovia, E*Trade, ABN AMRO Mortgage, Chase, First Horizon, CitiMortgage, Quicken Loans, H&R Block, Bank of America, Regions, National City Mortgage, US Bank, Charles Schwab, HSBC, HomeBanc, National City, NetBank, IndyMac Bank, Washington Mutual, Marshall & Ilsley, Zions Bank, Ditech, PNC, Ohio Savings, World Savings, Capital One, Key Bank, Compass Bank, Bank of New York, SunTrust, Huntington, Fifth Third Bank, New Century Mortgage, M&T Bank, Comerica, Sovereign Bank, Amsouth, TD Banknorth, BB&T, Ameriquest, and North Fork.

Other areas covered by the report include how lenders can position themselves as trusted advisors during the mortgage process, and best practices for online mortgage applications.

For a detailed research overview and the complete ranking of all 45 sites visit:

http://changesciences.com/cgi-bin/reports.html

If you would like more information about this topic or would like to talk with Steve Ellis, please Call Kathy Berona at 888-864-1160.

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.

Contact:

Kathy Berona

Change Sciences Group, Inc.

888-864-1160

www.changesciences.com

Source: prweb