Website Design for Accountants – what do you need?

Tips and advice for planning good Website Design for Accountants, depending on what you want from the web.

Every Accountancy Practice will have its own priorities/needs

Professional – You may not need any more clients, but want to have a professional accountants or auditors website design when someone Googles you (and they do).

Leads – You may want more business, but you only want a certain type of client, such as Manufacturers or Professional Services. So the website needs to attract that target market segment, maybe specifically managing Payroll or Tax Returns and advice, etc.

Time – You may want to save valuable time on repetitive phone calls by answering frequently asked questions on your website. You may want to allow people to ask questions 24/7 via a website enquiry form.

Recruitment – Attract high-quality accountancy staff who are searching for a suitable accountants practice. How do you look when these people search for accountant websites in their area?

Social – You may want a single place on the web where you have a Blog about thigs like Company Secretarial Advice or have all your Social Media integrated.

Help – You may not know what you want, but just want to discuss it. Have a chat with us, for a no obligation complimentary 30 minutes consultation to get some direction and answers. Get in touch here. We are not right for everyone, so let’s find out if we are a good fit for you.

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10 tips and 10 questions to help you get your financial advisers website design right.

1. CMS – Get a website that is built in a CMS Content Management System, which makes it easy to edit. Content is King, it will decide your success on the net, so create it, add it, curate it and make yourself stand out as an Authority on ‘matters financial’. You are the best person to produce good original content, do not leave its creation to someone else, unless they are competent in your field. Blog posts from Vendors will not cut it.
2. Blocks – Get a website that is Modular, so that you can move elements around without needing a Developer again. For example, add or move a scrolling Testimonials module on the Home page yourself or move it to your About page, or add a video to a blog item.
3. Open Source – use a platform that is open source such as WordPress and allows you to move from one web partner to another if ever needed. Avoid a one-man band, someone who offers to be everything, planner, designer, developer, digital marketer. How may financial advisers have just one person employed to do everything?
4. Financial Advisers Website Design Theme – Get a website that is theme-based, so that you can change the whole design theme without having to create a new website. Also, this makes it easier for you to move to a new web Partner. Avoid basic HTML developers who have to make every code change for you – at a price, in time delay, and money.
5. Custom Design: Plan your Branding, colours, content, and CTAs before or when talking to a Web Developer, if how you look online is important to you to build your brand. Think Grant Thornton, OSK, KPMG, Deloitte, Mazars, and so on. custom graphic design is very much recommended.
6. Navigation – Make Navigation simple, intuitive, stand out, and logically show which financial services you specialise in.
7. Blog – Show off your knowledge, experience, and useful info from the financial industry. Try Guest Blogging or answering financial advice questions in forums!
8. Social integration – Tie in all your Blogging, Social Media, and Advertising to your website content and draw people to the website at every opportunity – they might just connect with you by asking a question.
9. Maintenance – Bear in mind a website, like a car, has to be maintained and updated. It needs constant attention, security updates & patches, cleaning, plugins, software updates, apps updates, and useful add-ons.But most of all it requires useful, helpful content or advice to engage with visitors, to help promote your practice.
10. Budget for a spend in Year 1 for the design, branding, photography, CMS website, advertising, digital marketing, etc and then do a new budget for year 2 for building on that platform. The higher the spend the higher and faster the return – GUARANTEED ! (if done well)

Three Takeaways in Web Design for Financial Advisers:
1. Get a good web design agency partner, pay them to be supportive – establish an ongoing relationship in the same way a company would do with their Finance or other key suppliers. It is fractional or outsourced qualified labour that keeps itself educated and trained to be ready to support you when you need them.
2. Treat this website project like opening a new office. How much would that cost? How much attention would you give it? Build what you need rather than buy something off the shelf at a set price.
3. Most small web agencies are not good at MultiTasking. Chances are you need a 1.Domain Registrar, 2. Hosting Company, 3. Web Graphic Designer, 4. Web Developer and 5. Digital Marketer.

The good news is – a website can promote your financial advisory practice, show you with a professional look, get you found in Google search, showcase your work, show your testimonials, make appointments, take deposit payments online, answer questions, allow Client access and manage contacts through a CRM. Web is the future – will you embrace it now?

Now you know the brief! What is your next step? Answer these questions below. You may want to know the ballpark investment required, so there is a guideline below the questions. But talk to us about your own specific requirements for your web design for financial advisers.

Ten good opening questions for you before building your Financial practice website:

1. Why do you want a website for your Financial Advisory?

2. Do you need a website at all?

3. What kind of website do you need? Is it just a simple brochure site or a more informative one or a Blog?

4. Who is the Target Market for your financial advice?

5. Who will create the website for you? Why choose that web design agency as your trusted partner?

6. Who will manage it, support & maintain it and train you?

7. Do you have a Digital Marketing Strategy? How will you use this new website?

8. How much business do you expect from your web presence?

9. How will you measure success or your return on any website investment?

10. What other questions come to mind for you – every Client has specific requirements for their target market?

Answer these questions for yourself and you will be in a good position to start talking to a web design agency.

Some frequently asked questions and answers about Financial Advisers websites :

Guideline costs involved in creating a Financial Advisors website