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New Website Module: RBA Monetary Policy Archive

We recently updated our mortgage broker website's 'Education' module to be more robust and scalable, and more importantly, we created the mechanism for the inclusion of one-click course material on your website. In order to test the back-end tech required to push courses of various kinds, we created a basic RBA page as a 'demo' of what a course might look like. In creating the page we pushed around 220 RBA Monetary Statements to the website, and we built a policy archive that will update when a new monetary media release is published.

Note to Clients: The RBA archive is only enabled in the most recent version of the website framework. You're welcome to overwrite your website at any time to enable certain features... although this is easier when you haven't made significant changes. Comprehensive RBA information was previously provided to Platinum clients only, and we're in the process of migrating all former Platinum modules into the 'general' website experience.

The RBA topic wasn't ideal as a 'course', but it was a suitable resource for testing the methods we'll use on our end to manage more feature-rich education content. The reason that the RBA Policy statements weren't ideal as a course is because it isn't a course - it's just information. However, the 'Education' module - as the name implies - is more than courses - it's for content that provides users with a better understanding of 'anything'. In fact, the exact same method we're introducing on this page is employed to render 'Scamwatch' articles to your website (another resource that is now shipped by default).

We created a single page called 'RBA Monetary Policy Decision', sent all the policy statements as child pages to that primary 'course' page, and then build various features into the parent page that allowed flexibility in how our child pages are shown.

Pictured: The Education entry archive looks a little empty at this point. The 'Education' archive page only shows parent education pages. In this example, the RBA Page is highlighted. Selecting the page returns the primary 'course' entry page.

Pictured: The individual RBA page includes a few FAQs on monetary policy and an accordion that includes the most recent policy statements (highlighted). Each of the policies links to a standalone page with the statement in full.

As a standalone feature, the hundreds of monetary policy statements provide your website with an extremely valuable resource. As such, we've created an RBA archive that shows paginated statements in a format similar to your blog.

Pictured: The RBA Policy Archive lists all monetary policy statements in a paginated blog-style format. Each post links to a standalone policy page. Not all material listed in the education module will include a standalone archive - this is generally limited to third-party automated content, and each archive has to be specifically created.

To be clear, as each statement is published to the RBA website, the same monetary statement will be sent to your website (various subscription options will be made available via the 'Managed' module in Yabber).

A Note on SEO

The information detailed on this page introduce obvious benefits to your website from a user experience perspective, but search engines won't necessary share the same opinion. The SEO value of each page in this archive is assigned back to the source RBA website (via a canonical URL and appropriate in-page markup), so the content exists primarily to engage audiences that originate from sources other than Search.

Conclusion

One of the primary objectives of a marketing funnel of any kind is to qualify you, and this objective is one that comes from your demonstrated expertise and authoritativeness... and this can only be achieved with a library of content that stands out from the ocean of digital mediocrity that is seemingly a staple of the mortgage industry. It's content on the periphery - such as the RBA statements and archive - that shapes your website into something more than a bas sales-pitch and turns it into a machine capable of creating real engagement.

How often have you linked to the off-site RBA Policy Statement? Liking to the RBA is a common and required action, but it does take our user away from the resources we want them to consume, so this feature enables a more holistic and integrated experience. That said, each RBA Policy page links directly to the original RBA statement via a link at the bottom of each page in order to comply with licencing.

Note: Every page on your website is a potential organic entry point, so every page on your website needs to provide a top-of-funnel subscription/offer. A simple panel (subscription and offer) is assigned to the education page via the standard form assignments panel, and the single form shown under each RBA Policy Statement is achieve in the same way. A single video may optionally be assigned to show at the top of each policy page.

Clients should note that the new framework is required to support the feature, but there are provisions to create the library yourself.

Featured Image: Looking south east from the top of the Reserve Bank of Australia head office building during its construction, September 1962. In January 1960 the Reserve Bank of Australia commenced operations as the nation’s central bank with Dr HC Coombs as its first Governor. It was formed by the Reserve Bank Act 1959, which separated the central banking role of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia from its commercial functions. The legislation mandated that the Reserve Bank of Australia and the Commonwealth Banking Corporation should have separate head offices, and plans were developed for the Reserve Bank’s new headquarters in Martin Place Sydney, between Macquarie and Phillip Streets. Coombs appreciated the symbolic importance of this and took the opportunity to establish a distinct public profile for the Reserve Bank in order to ensure public recognition and confidence in the institution. The Reserve Bank building faces Martin Place, a space that has historically been the centre of Sydney’s banking and commercial district. The Reserve Bank building was designed in 1959 by the Commonwealth Department of Works. The working group assigned to the project undertook an extensive study tour of Europe and North America to familiarise themselves with the premises of the Bank’s international counterparts as well as contemporary trends in commercial architecture. Construction began in 1961, and by the end of 1964 the building reached its full height of 80 metres above the street. The building totals 20 floors, together with a mezzanine and three basement levels. At its summit, it is surmounted by an observation lounge in the form of a lean pavilion. Extensions to the building were made between 1974 and 1980. The Reserve Bank’s architecture aimed to embody a set of values different from those of earlier banks in Martin Place, replacing the 'solidity' style of design with the associations of transparency. The building’s fenestration and glass curtain wall avoided the load-bearing role usually played by the pillars and walls of the traditional bank, admitting daylight and uninterrupted views of the banking chamber from the street. The use of light materials for interior surfaces such as aluminium and white marble complemented this open, light aesthetic. The minimal use of ornamentation and sleek, lean architecture conveyed a sense of efficiency and modernity. The transparency of the foyer in its interface with the public domain of Martin Place was analogous with the democratic accountability of the Reserve Bank as a public institution. Source: RBA Archives. [ View Image ]

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