The 7 Most Important Things About Your Accounting Website

The 7 Most Important Things About Your Accounting Website

Social Media Marketing for CPAs

Most accounting firms in this day and age have a website. The problem is that most accounting websites are not created equal. Simply having a website doesn't mean the website is doing work for you. A high-quality website should act as your online business card. It should be generating new leads through SEO, and acting as a working member of your marketing team.

I recently decided to visit over two hundred accounting firm websites to identify the most common mistakes. Overall, the quality of websites in the marketplace has improved dramatically as mid-sized firms have really gotten on board and made sizeable investments over the past two years. But, there is still much room for growth. Here is what I found and encourage you to avoid making the same mistakes.

1. Use SEO to help your accounting website be found in the search results

The success of every website revolves around being found on the search engines. In other words, your website needs to be towards the top of the search engines in order to generate new business for your practice. Otherwise, it's just another website that is lost in space, which is useless.

The vast majority of accounting websites that I visited were not search engine optimized, which means they have very little value. You wouldn't pay an employee who came to work and did no work - it's the same with your website. You don't want to pay for a website that's not getting found online.

2. Accounting websites should be mobile-friendly and responsive

More internet is consumed on mobile devices than desktops. It's vital that your webiste look great on whatever device a prospect is looking at it on, be that a laptop, cellphone, or desktop computer. Responsive websites are designed to look great no matter the screen size.

3. The website design and photography need to flow

We all have far too many things to read. Photography can quick create an impression and help prospects determine if your website is worth reading further. Using a website providor who has in-house graphic designers can be the difference between a site that has well style imagery graphic and one that looks like it was just pieced together. This helps to brand your firm and make the site look more professional.

Oh, and yes, you should also place your picture on the About Us page so prospects know what you look like. This helps you break through the anonymity of the internet and show you're a real person.

4. Website navigation should be dummy proof.

Because most website visitors are impatient and very good at hitting the back button, your website navigation must be easy and intuitive. Visitors should be able to navigate to any page on the website in less than 3 clicks. As well, you can't assume that website traffic will enter your website from the home page because search engines drive traffic to specific pages within your website. In other words, poor navigation on the interior pages means you are sending prospects to a dead end page.

5. Ensure that the content is well written and in plain-English

The internet is an information-driven medium. Make it easy for your website visitors to determine if your firm is perfect for them. Avoid using accounting jargon as most small business owners have no idea what reviews, compilations and write-up services entail. Not to mention, most people aren't searching the internet using that type of language.

You also want to make your content easy to scan. Website content is very different than print content - this isn't a novel where the reader will read each and every page. On the internet, visitors tend to scan your pages rather than read them. As a result, it is important to use bulleted lists, highlighted keywords, and short paragraphs.

6. Answer your prospects questions.

Prospects using the internet to locate an accounting firm are highly goal-oriented. They visit websites because they are searching for a solution. Help them determine if your firm can address their needs.

7. Put your phone number on every page

I always laugh at accounting firm websites that make it difficult for the prospect to find your phone number- or any website in that matter. I think we've all been on a website before and are frustrated when we can't easily locate the contact info. We don't want our prospective clients to run into the same problem.

In many of the website I looked at without easy-to-find phone numbers, the phone number was either in tiny print or it was difficult to find the contact us page which is where most web designers bury your phone number. For most of us over the age of 40, it's difficult to read tiny print. Make it easy for your prospects, put your phone number on every page, make it large enough and inform them who to ask for...(e.g., Call us at XXX-phone number and ask for Jeff).



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The 7 Most Important Things About Your Accounting Website
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Hugh Duffy, BYF CEO and Co-Founder

Hugh is the consummate marketing coach for accountants. Build Your Firm has been dedicated to the accounting industry since 2003 making SEO websites, Custom websites and Niche websites.

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