At Aequilibrium, we strongly believe in Forge as the digital platform for Canadian credit unions looking to deliver remarkable member experiences. After all, we helped Central 1 build Forge. But that doesn’t mean your credit union’s Forge implementation needs to be limited by the boring out-of-the-box widgets with limited functionality. Forge has the ability to customize widgets for your specific brand needs. First, however, let’s quickly define what a widget is before we see what custom widgets can do for your credit union and, ultimately, your members.
What is a Forge widget?
‘Widgets’ are Forge’s reusable building blocks that display on the member’s device. You place them on your site’s pages to provide a specific capability, such as making a bill payment.
Forge provides many pre-built widgets that are excellent for getting started, for building new capabilities on your site and they cover all the basics (and then some).
So, certainly, you can create a fully functional, and great, public website on Forge without customization. But, you run the risk of creating a site that isn’t uniquely yours and may not do everything you’d like it to
Customized widgets create a unique member experience.
That’s where custom widgets come in. When you customize widgets, you have control over the widget so that you can align the functionality with your brand and work harder to engage your target members. Custom widgets give you the ability to lay them out and configure them, creating the specific and unique member experiences you want to offer.
For example, your credit union may be placing a high importance on the mortgage member journey and you want to provide a specific layout and deep functionality for your online mortgage calculators. The out-of-the-box Forge calculator will work but doesn’t deliver what you feel is needed to pay off that member journey. Creating your own custom widget allows you to have the calculator look/feel and functionality that you want for your members.
Do you need a partner to create custom widgets?
We know all the highways and byways of Forge. If your credit union has a deep knowledge of the Forge platform and, critically, the available resources to take on a custom widget project, then certainly there is no requirement for a partner to assist. But, like just about anything in life, having a partner who understands your needs and has the experience and dedication can make all the difference.
Did we mention that we know Forge?
Let’s mention it again, just for fun: Aequilibrium helped Central 1 build the Forge platform. Since we’ve been there from the beginning, we have deep relationships with Central 1, and certainly have the technical expertise to create the custom widget (or widgets) your credit union needs to set your brand apart from the crowd and deliver remarkable experiences for your members. Get a real Forge expert on your side.
