Websites for Accounting Firms: 6 Features You Must Have 

Accounting firms, CPA firms and Bookkeeping businesses need a steady flow of prospects in order to keep momentum rolling for their firm. Sales optimized websites for accounting firms is one of the best ways to generate business clients, and it serves as the hub for all advertising, while also helping you rank in search engines.

I recommend implementing the outsourced accountant model where you provide a well rounded, all in one service for small businesses.

But why do accounting firms need a website?

In short, you’ll want to get clients through search engines, direct traffic, and lead generating advertisements.

Reasons Accountants Need a Website

1 - It helps rank in search engines
2 - It conveys your value proposition and closes sales
3 - It’s critical in paid search advertising
4 - It’s the best tool in social media advertising
5 - It’s excellent branding
6 - It’s the best marketing tool you can have
7 - You actually own it, unlike social media 

The bottom line is that your website is truly the hub for all your marketing - at least if you’re doing it right.

A great website is powered by excellent messaging and writing along with good digital advertising. And if you have a great website, you will keep your sales funnel full and create a steady stream of prospects throughout the years.

So here we go, the 6 features you need on your accounting site today.

6 Features Your Accounting Website Needs Right Now

Feature 1 - Writing and messaging that creates sales

The typical accountant's website is filled with a bunch of words and other information that does not connect to a potential customer. This is especially true on sites that were built with a template.

Why is this the case? Because most of us have a tendency to write to ourselves rather than our customer. We forget that as a business owner, we have completely different interests than our customers.

This is why the first feature that your accounting website needs to have is excellent writing that focuses on your core customer and their problems. You must clearly communicate how you work to make their lives better.

The customer is the hero in all the language, not you.

You’re the guide, like Yoda. The customer is the hero, like Luke Skywalker.

Don’t talk about accounting, because that’s not what business owners (your potential clients) care about. Don’t be like a typical bookkeeper website or CPA website and talk about all the boring nonsense that non-accountants don’t know or care about.

Instead, speak to your customers problems. Remember, a great mentor helps the hero to solve the problem they're facing right now. A pointless lecture doesn't help anyone.

Connect with the typical business owner who would be a great client for you.

Outsourced Accountant Value Props

Another thing to note here is that there's a huge difference between what a "typical accountant" and an "outsourced accountant" focuses on.

The outsourced accounting model is all about delivering a hyper-valuable, one-stop-shop service where the accountant will deliver 3 major value propositions to the business owner.

Outsourced Accountant Value Props:

1. Reduce their taxes (business owners want to keep as much of their own money as possible.
2. Save time & increase productivity as a staff alternative
3. Keep them compliant and mitigate risk

Business owners resonate with the idea of not overpaying taxes, not having to hire an accountant or messing around with multiple solutions, and then resting assured it's been done correctly.

Besides all that, an accountant can also help guide the business owner as their money coach and wealth advisor, helping them build tax efficient wealth.

The point is that when the copywriting is done right, you'll have much more success.

Feature 2 - Clear & compelling calls to action

Your website needs to show folks where this relationship is heading - towards a consultation or some sort of commitment. You can't be afraid to direct the customer. Otherwise, they might not know where to go next.

I recommend clear calls to action like:

- Schedule a tax analysis
- Book a Consultation
- Get Your Taxes Checked
- Let’s Lower Your Taxes
- Schedule a Consultation
- Call 123-456-7891

Your site needs to have the call to action buttons prominent on both mobile and desktop. Seriously, don't be afraid to show them big and bold.

But once you have those calls to action in place, be sure to track everything you're doing in Google Analytics so you know how effective you are with your marketing.

Not only should you have strong calls to action, but your Google Analytics should be set up with Google Tag Manager in order to show you when these actions are completed. 

if your website does not have a clear call to action and checkout button, you’re hopeless.

Feature 3 - Reviews & testimonials 

Your website should show off all the hard earned Google reviews that you’ve gotten.

It should also have something called schema markup on those reviews so they show stars in the search engine result pages.

Besides that, they should be real, 3rd party reviews.

Your website should also have a testimonial slider that allows you to put a photo or video along with a quote, so it really brings it to life. Don’t make your hard earned reviews look fake, get them setup properly.

And trust me, people really do read these reviews and testimonials. Before making a major decision, it helps to know that you're a trustworthy person. 3rd party reviews like the ones you receive on Facebook and Google are the best for this. Written testimonials you put on your site yourself don't always seem authentic.

Feature 4 - Forms you can download

Your website should have a system where form data is stored in a secure manner. Whenever a customer sends in an inquiry, you want to be sure you receive it and that you are able to make the most of it.

One big problem with Wordpress websites and other template websites is that leads from contact forms are not stored in a secure manner. They're not easily downloadable either.

On top of that, most websites for CPA firms and accountants have terrible email deliverability from the server which means notifications that your forms have been filled out get sent straight to your spam folder. Imagine that: hard earned leads heading for your spam folder. Nothing's more aggravating than having WordPress or some other site builder sending leads straight to the trash.

At Feedbackwrench, we work on Webflow. Our Webflow systems don’t have this problem at all.

Feature 5 - Fast load times & looks good  on all devices

Lots of Wordpress websites for accountants, Squarespace accountant sites, or other websites are plagued with slow load times & uncontrollable responsive features. You've probably been on sites like this where it's obvious that no one's ever had to use the site on mobile before. And if they have, there's no way they've succeeded!

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Your website should be snappy. It should be clean at various device sizes, and you need the ability to hide or adapt the site to optimize for the screen it’s on.

You should check it out on Google Page Speed and make sure it’s not annoying for users. Nothing's worse than paying for ads and then having customers bounce away because it takes 8 seconds to load your page. You wouldn't believe how much traffic can be lost based on a site taking a few extra seconds to load.

Feature 6 - Lead magnet, sales pages, landing pages & funnel integration 

Your website can be integral in your social media advertising. It's essential for building an email marketing list. Your website should be what you use for lead funnels.

What lead funnels looks like:

- A squeeze page with a form where people download your lead magnet

- Form that feeds into your system or CRM

- A landing page where the content is served

- A video sales letter that urges people to book on your calendar

- A form and button that people use to book with you 

Despite what the gurus say, you don’t need Click Funnels, Lead Pages, or Lead Funnels to get good quality accounting leads. Your website should have all the features baked in that are necessary for producing great results and scoring leads.