For the first time, with Google's updated search algorithm implemented in June 2013, responsive sites now see higher search rankings while non-responsive sites' rankings drop. Yahoo and Bing have followed suit. And anecdotally, you've probably noticed these improvements yourself as most popular websites now render very nicely on mobile devices.

With such a massive mobile user base, credit unions and related organizations not only need to be ready for the sheer number of users, but also the shifting psychology of how attached they are. As Lookout reports in its 2013 Mobile Market Study, “Even the very thought of being without your mobile device due to no signal, a dead battery, or losing or forgetting it evokes emotions that range from concern to outright panic.”

That's a strong connection, and we need to understand and accommodate it.

To make the shift, think about questions that could serve as the basis for your strategy: What percentage of your current site traffic comes from mobile? How has it changed in the last year? How many of your members plan to switch to a smartphone or tablet if they haven't already? How many of them are multi-screen users? What sites—financial services, retail or otherwise—do they like to visit with a smartphone?

Answers to these questions ultimately lead to one more: Isn't the adaptation of responsive design just another instance of the member-centric mission we've all lived from the beginning?

In that sense, the key to success is actually old advice: Learn more about your members, respond to what they expect and understand how their mindsets are continually changing. With this approach, you not only drive mobile strategies for the future, you stay perfectly aligned with what the credit union movement is all about.

Susan Sachatello is senior vice president of TruStage. She can be reached at [email protected].