The 5 Things I Hate About YOUR Accounting Firm Website
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Your accounting firm’s website is often the first impression a prospect has of your practice. Unfortunately, many firm websites send the wrong message—making your firm look outdated, generic, or untrustworthy. Here are five common problems that drive visitors (and potential clients) away from the "typical" accounting website:
1. About Us Page Has No Pictures and No Bio
After visiting your website and seeing if a fit exists, I go to your About Us page to learn more about the owner, supporting team, their credentials and professional experience. Unfortunately, many templated websites fail to provide a real About Us page and allow the owner to hide behind some stock "Our Values" page rather than enable me to learn what the owner looks like, their experience and interests away from the office. Given the trust that most people have in accountants, which is high, I count not care less about your Mission statement and Our Values. I want to know who owns the firm, experience base (e.g., what colleges attended, Big Four or Regional CPA experience, corporate background, etc.), and if I had an adult beverage with the owner, would it be fun or painful.
2. Generic, Duplicate Content
Too many accounting websites rely on canned articles provided by website vendors. The problem? Hundreds of firms are publishing the exact same content. Search engines see it as duplicate content, which weakens your SEO and prevents you from ranking. More importantly, it tells prospects nothing unique about you.
3. Hard-to-Find Contact Information
You’d be surprised how many accounting websites make it difficult to get in touch—buried phone numbers, no clickable email, or missing “Schedule a Consultation” buttons. If someone has to dig for your contact details, they’ll give up and call a competitor.
4. Outdated Design and Poor Navigation
If your website looks like it hasn’t been updated since 2012 or has a dated copyright in the footer (bottom of website), prospects may assume your practice runs the same way. Even worse, if your site isn’t mobile-friendly, you’re losing clients who browse on their phones. A modern, responsive design signals professionalism and competence.
5. No Clear Call-to-Action
Too many sites read like online brochures—lots of information, but no direction. Every page should guide visitors toward the next step: schedule a call, download a resource, or sign up for your newsletter. Without CTAs, visitors leave without engaging.
Final Thoughts
Your accounting website should build trust, highlight expertise, and convert visitors into clients. If it’s full of stock photos, duplicate content, and poor design choices, you’re leaving money on the table. Fortunately, these issues are fixable. With the right strategy—authentic content, strong calls-to-action, and a clean modern design—you can turn your website from a liability into your best marketing asset.
