Exciting, innovative, fresh; does that sound like accountancy websites to you? I didn’t think so. But guess what? There are firms that are starting to shake up the industry and present a new face for accounting, so I thought it was time to do a bit of a roundup of some accounting websites, review their good points and what can be improved.
Throw out your calculator and cheque stubs and lets get underway:
NOTE: All reviews are intended to be constructive.
GGFL CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS
These guys are glowing with authenticity. They have a great understanding of their target market and they display that in their home page navigation. These are big boys and they have a website to match.
What’s right
- Good quality photography of the partners. This builds trust with the visitors
- Clear user centered navigation and design
- Active and informative blog
- Mobile optimised design
What’s wrong
- No valuable advice is shared
- Cufon fonts used for headings are not clear on all monitors.
5WAYS GROUP
These guys definitely take the innovators crown. They have a well designed one-page site prominently advertising their subscription model. They have a really contemporary and approachable feel. They have a mobile app for their clients to interact with them, and are clearly chasing the young entrepreneur crowd.
What’s right
- The powerful copywriting and use of contemporary voice makes them sound approachable
- Really strong design and current styling principles
- Useful and interesting content on the blog.
- Using technology to leverage their unique business model
What’s wrong
- Not mobile optimised
- It is not clear what the overview panel on the home is communicating, as a browser, I would skip right past it.
- The blog is well written, but feels like an afterthought within the site.
POWER TYNAN ACCOUNTANTS
Power Tynan communicate a lot of professionalism and experience. Their content is good, but I feel like I want to redesign everything, as it feels they have certainly outgrown this old design.
What’s right
- Clear calls to action
- Comprehensive content (including a good blog, but it is seldom updated)
- Client portal to increase website value to both the business and the clients.
What’s wrong
- Aged Branding
- Navigation needs to be better designed and possibly recategorised
CREST ACCOUNTANTS
This is a well designed site that is only a couple of steps away from being awesome. The photos are a little weak, so if they were updated and stretched to fit the page width, This design would really become eye catching. Aside from that, they are doing a pretty good job projecting their professional image, and the content backs it up.
What’s right
- Great access to contact calls to action (phone and contact form).
- Their good design and use of consistent typography communicates the professionalism of the industry
- Quality copywriting that builds trust
What’s wrong
- Images on the home page are good in concept but need to be higher quality to be consistent with the rest of the design.
- Testimonials are more effective when they are in a case study format. “XYZ Accounting cut our tax bill by half” is always going to be more effective than a generic recommendation.
Well, there you have it! The accounting website roundup! If you are an accountant and you are interested in getting some feedback on your site, or you are just a reader with questions please feel free to comment below.