The new responsive Web design went live this month. The decision to leverage responsive Web design was driven by the need to deliver a consistent experience for users across channels.

“In a way, it’s about trust,” said Miles Begin, direct of product development and design at Serve. “Serve users access their Account’s features throughout their day and across many different channels.

“Responsive allows us to deliver those features consistently whether users are coming through tablet, desktop or mobile,” he said. “We’re building a familiarity of service with our users that they can depend on.”

Banking alternatives
Mobile is already a significant percentage of Serve’s usage and that number is expected to grow in the future as mobile adoption continues, per Mr. Begin.

Another factor driving the importance of mobile to Serve is that its positioning as a banking alternative means it is reaching users whose primary way of accessing the Internet is via mobile devices.

“Mobile and tablet’s share of Web traffic has been on a steady rise over the last couple of years and continues to trend up,” Mr. Begin said. “And the U.S. is slower on the mobile uptake than the rest of the world, which we take as an indication of what we’ll be seeing here over the next few years.

“As Serve moves strategically towards a banking alternative, we have an opportunity to increasingly be serving a population – even within the U.S. – that uses mobile as a primary access point to Web services,” he said.

“This means that delivering a best-in-class experience through our mobile channels is a must for our service.”

Relevant information
The redesigned Serve platform features a new dashboard experience that enables users to tend to the most important transactions first.

The transactions framework has also been redesigned to provide more relevant information.

The Serve Web site, mobile apps and card are positioned to help users move and manage their money. With customers wanting access to the service while they are at home, on their commute and even when they are out with friends, American Express is looking to ensure that users have a consistent experience no matter which device or channel they are using.

“In just the last few weeks we have seen significant improvements across the board in user engagement in the responsive channel; from the numbers of users accessing the service to time spent online,” Mr. Begin said.

“We expected improvements, but the metrics have exceeded our expectations to date.”

Final Take
Chantal Tode is associate editor on Mobile Commerce Daily, New York