I could fund the government’s $700 billion bank bailout singlehandedly if I had a nickel for every time I’ve heard someone claim that the Chinese word for “crisis” is a combination of the characters for “danger” and “opportunity.” There are doubters who suggest this idea actually holds more weight with people trying to start speeches (or blog postings), but I am going to suggest it is worth considering if you run a mid-size bank or a credit union.

After acquiring faltering heavyweight competitors, Bank of America, Wells Fargo and JPMorgan Chase will control an astounding 39% of the online-banking market in the United States, up from 25% previously, according to Javelin estimates that will be published next week in an omnibus report on online banking and bill-pay.

This powerful trio is likely to continue setting the bar for what consumers expect from a full-service online-banking operation. But it is likely that many key players will put online-banking and bill-pay innovations on hold while they focus on assimilating their acquisitions.

And that creates an opportunity for smaller banks and credit unions. Javelin survey data shows that small- to mid-size banks and credit unions lag behind the nation’s 20-biggest financial institutions when it comes to online-banking adoption and bill-pay usage.

Paradoxically, Javelin data indicates that consumers place more trust in credit unions and mid-size banks than bigger banks when it comes to security measures that protect them when they bank online. About 90% of consumers rate online security measures as “good” at credit unions, vs. 81% at small- to mid-size banks and 78% at the nation’s 20 biggest financial institutions. Therefore, those smaller financial institutions and credit unions that leverage that trust and focus on online-banking and bill-pay services during the downturn have an opportunity to close the gap and match up more competitively in the chase for affluent and younger customers.

As Javelin data shows, online-banking customers tend to be wealthier and younger, heavily use “sticky” banking services, and they are eager to play a role in safeguarding their accounts. Now, more than ever, it is time to provide customers with – and actively promote—a robust, useful online-banking platform that will help them better manage, monitor and move their money on a daily basis.