Nationwide Financial(R) Enhances Service Web Site for Investment Professionals

Nationwide Financial(R) Enhances Service Web Site for Investment Professionals

New design offers a more effective way to manage and build business

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Feb. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Nationwide Financial (NYSE:NFS) has enhanced its Sales & Service Center Web site for investment professionals, adapting the site to improve navigation, expand functionality and increase speed.

The Web site, accessed at http://www.nationwidefinancial.com/ , is now customized to support the unique needs of investment professionals who sell a variety of products and serve a variety of clients.

"Our improved Web site serves as a dynamic tool for investment professionals," said Gordon Hecker, vice president and chief marketing officer of Nationwide Financial. "Our monthly Web metrics tell us that investment professionals use the site extensively for client management. Making the site more intuitive and user friendly will free up their time so they can better build and manage their business."

Through focus groups and intensive user acceptance testing, Nationwide developed an improved information architecture and design for the Web site. "By incorporating direct input from investment professionals, we were able to better organize the site and include the information that is most useful to them," said Hecker. "In the end, we improved the site and also learned how we could further improve our services to make their jobs easier. This enhanced Web site is another example of how we show Nationwide's On Your Side(SM) attitude."

The site now offers the investment professional a more consistent and valuable online experience. Primary among the changes was simplifying the navigation through a main menu bar located at the top of the home page. Through the use of "hubs," content and capabilities are organized around a specific client or product.

Nationwide also addressed a key concern among users: site performance. The site will now display specific screens and download PDFs much more quickly.

After the launch, many of the investment professionals who do business with Nationwide Financial will receive regular updates highlighting key content and capabilities of the new site. The company is also creating demo CDs that help explain its value through a series of real-life case studies.

Ultimately Hecker believes the new design opens opportunities for investment professionals to cross-sell products. "The bottom line is the Web site gives investment professionals a quicker, easier way to do business with Nationwide Financial."

About Nationwide Financial(R)

Nationwide Financial Services, Inc. (NYSE:NFS), a publicly traded company based in Columbus, Ohio, provides a variety of financial services that help consumers invest and protect their long-term assets, and offers retirement plans and services through both public- and private-sector employers.

It's part of the Nationwide group of companies, which offers diversified insurance and financial services. The group is led by Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, which is ranked No. 118 on the Fortune 500 based on 2003 revenue(1). For more information, visit www.nationwide.com .

Nationwide and the Nationwide Framemark are federally registered service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. On Your Side is a service mark of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company.

(1) Fortune Magazine, April 2004

Contacts:
Christine Jonas at (614) 249-8377
jonasc1@nationwide.com

Jeff Botti at (614) 249-6339
bottij@nationwide.com


Source: Nationwide Financial Services, Inc.

CONTACT: Christine Jonas, +1-614-249-8377, or jonasc1@nationwide.com ,
or Jeff Botti, +1-614-249-6339, or bottij@nationwide.com , both of Nationwide
Financial Services, Inc.

Web site: http://www.nationwidefinancial.com/
http://www.nationwide.com/

Company News On-Call: http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/607050.html


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