What makes a great accountancy website?
Every good accountant should have a great website, but what sets apart a good one from a bad one? Websites have been hailed the ‘ultimate shop window’, so it’s important to get it right in this digital age. Prospects who are interested in your services are likely to first check your website, even if your practice was recommended by another happy client. It’s where clients will go to make their initial judgement as to whether you look suitable and if you can offer what they want. They will quickly look elsewhere if your website looks unprofessional, basic or lacks the necessary information.
Whether you’re looking to critically analyse your current website, or have plans to build a new one, find out what makes a great accountancy website (or any website!). Yes, web design can be overwhelming, and yes, a snazzy new site can easily become an expensive project. However, practices of all sizes can follow these 5 tips with ease:
1) Simplistic Design
Seems obvious, but the importance of simplicity is sometimes overlooked by those with an untrained eye. You don’t need a qualification in graphic design to know that an overloaded page containing too much information is not reader-friendly. White space is key and is something which most quality websites have in common. A mistake many business owners make when making their first website is to assume empty space on a page to be a waste. However, white space has low visual complexity so don’t be afraid of it. It also makes your call-to-action buttons more impactful. Another big no-no is to avoid annoying pop-ups!
2) Make it mobile friendly
Desktop is no longer the most likely device that prospects will view your website on. A study from February 2018 showed only 9% of UK internet users regularly access the web via desktop. Make User Experience a priority by making it mobile and tablet friendly. If it’s not easy to scroll through your site during the train-journey home on a prospects’ mobile, it’ll take seconds for them to exit and go elsewhere. Google Analytics provides a breakdown of which device your website visitors use – make the most of this freely accessible information!
3) Get your content spot on
Get this step right, and you can save yourself time later down the line. Think carefully about your contact details, description of your services and always have an About Us section. See our recent SEO blog to find out why these are so crucial to the success of your site. FAQs and blog pages are useful additions and denote trust from readers if done well. Avoid jargon and keep language plain and simple. Reference case studies are also a good way of providing evidence of your high-quality services.
4) Tweak content regularly
Things change in the office on a weekly basis, and so should your website. There’s nothing more annoying than finding out of date information on a website! Details such as upcoming events dates and holiday opening hours should be kept accurate. Content mentioned above should be updated regularly so that returners to your site are not reading the same case study as five years ago. Adding blogs can be a great way of refreshing content and keeping clients updated with useful information – you’re reading this blog, aren’t you?
5) Get creative – show your human-side
In design terms, visual hierarchy denotes video as the most pleasing, and in this digital age, prospects expect information to be relayed in visually exciting ways. Creation needn’t be expensive as it once was, and a well-made video is re-usable and memorable. Accountancy practices are often owned and run by individuals, so let your personality shine through! At the very least, be sure to include professional photos of your staff on your website – faces are unique and powerful and are more likely to lead to conversation.
Even if you are a practice is driven by referrals, there has never been a more important time to get your website up to scratch or start afresh. Website design in one thing, but driving traffic towards that website in quite another. See our 4-step guide to local SEO for your accountancy practice website to get started.