Website Design for Accountants: The Essential Checklist to Stop Losing Clients
By
Sean
- Last Updated: January 2, 2025
Introduction
Right, let’s have an honest chat about your website.
I’m betting you haven’t looked at it properly in months. Maybe years. And I’m also betting that when you do finally take a look, you’ll wince a bit. Because here’s the thing – most accounting websites are absolutely dreadful.
Don’t take it personally. It’s not your fault. You’re brilliant at what you do. You can spot a dodgy expense claim from a mile away, navigate HMRC’s latest rule changes without breaking a sweat, and probably save your clients thousands in tax every year. But your website? That’s a different story.
1. The Uncomfortable Truth About Your Website
Let me paint you a picture. Someone’s business is growing. They need an accountant. So they do what everyone does – they google “accountants near me” or “accountants in Birmingham” or wherever you are.
Your website comes up. Great! But then what happens?
They land on your homepage and… well, it’s not great, is it? The photo of your building from 2015 when you moved in. The generic stock photo of a woman in a suit pointing at a pie chart. The paragraph that starts with “We provide innovative financial solutions for forward-thinking businesses.”
What does that even mean?
Three seconds later, they’re back on Google looking at your competitor’s website. And if that one’s even slightly better, guess who’s getting the phone call?
That’s how you lose clients before you even know they exist.
Why Most Accounting Websites Are Rubbish
Here’s what’s happening. You set up your website years ago, or maybe you paid someone to do it. You ticked the box. “Website? Done.” And then you forgot about it.
But the internet didn’t stop evolving. Your potential clients’ expectations didn’t freeze in time. They’ve been spoiled by Amazon’s one-click ordering, Netflix’s seamless streaming, and apps that just work.
Then they land on your website and it’s like stepping back into 2010. The contact form doesn’t work properly on their phone. The text is tiny. They can’t figure out what you actually do or how much you charge.
It’s not their fault they leave. It’s yours.
The Real Cost of a Terrible Website
Let’s talk numbers, because I know you like numbers.
Say your website gets 100 visitors a month. That’s not unrealistic for a decent-sized accounting practice. But if your website is putting people off, maybe only 2 of those visitors actually contact you.
Now imagine your website was actually good. Imagine 10 of those visitors got in touch instead. That’s 8 extra enquiries every month. Even if only half of those turn into clients, that’s 4 new clients a month. 48 new clients a year.
What’s the average value of a client to your practice? £2,000 a year? £3,000? More?
Do the maths. A website that converts properly could be worth £100,000+ in extra revenue annually. Suddenly that website redesign doesn’t look so expensive, does it?
The Speed Problem (It's Worse Than You Think)
Here’s something that’ll shock you. If your website takes more than 3 seconds to load, you lose nearly half your visitors immediately. They don’t even see your content. They just give up and go elsewhere.
But that’s not the worst part. The worst part is that Google knows this. So they don’t show slow websites in search results. Which means fewer people find you in the first place.
It’s a vicious cycle. Your slow website means fewer visitors, which means fewer enquiries, which means less business. All because you haven’t optimised your images or sorted out your hosting.
The Mobile Mess
Quick question: when did you last check your website on your phone? Actually properly check it, not just glance at it.
I’m guessing it’s a bit of a mess. Text that’s too small. Buttons you can’t press. Forms that don’t work. A phone number that doesn’t dial when you tap it.
Here’s the problem: more than 60% of people searching for accountants do it on their phone. If your website doesn’t work on mobile, you’re invisible to the majority of your potential clients.
That’s not a minor inconvenience. That’s business suicide.
What Your Visitors Actually Want
Your website visitors aren’t browsing for fun. They’ve got a problem, and they’re trying to figure out if you can solve it.
They want to know:
- What exactly do you do?
- How much does it cost?
- Are you any good at it?
- How do I contact you?
That’s it. They don’t want to read about your “client-centric approach to holistic financial management.” They want to know if you can sort out their VAT return without it taking six months.
But most accounting websites don’t answer these basic questions. They’re full of jargon and corporate speak that means nothing to normal people.
The Trust Problem
Think about what you’re asking people to do. You’re asking them to trust you with their money. Their business. Their livelihood.
That’s a big ask. And your website needs to earn that trust.
But how do you earn trust with a website that looks like it was thrown together in an afternoon? With stock photos of people who clearly aren’t your staff? With testimonials that say “Great service!” and nothing else?
You don’t. You lose it before you even had it.
Getting Found (Or Not)
Here’s another uncomfortable truth: if someone googles “accountants near me” in your area, do you actually appear in the results?
I mean really appear. Not on page 47 of Google. In the top few results where people actually look.
If not, why not? Your competitors aren’t necessarily better accountants than you. They’ve just got better websites. Websites that Google trusts. Websites that people actually want to visit.
The Local Advantage
Here’s something most accountants miss: most of your clients are local. They’re in your town, your city, your region. That’s a massive advantage if you use it properly.
But “using it properly” doesn’t mean mentioning your location once in tiny text at the bottom of your page. It means creating content that shows you understand local businesses. It means optimising for local search terms. It means making it obvious that you’re part of the community.
When someone in your area searches for an accountant, you should be impossible to ignore.
Making Contact Easy
You’d be amazed how many accounting websites make it hard to get in touch. The contact form is buried on a separate page. The phone number is hidden in the footer. The email address is nowhere to be found.
Your contact details should be visible on every page. Your phone number should be clickable on mobile. Your contact form should be simple and actually work.
Don’t make people hunt for ways to give you money. Make it obvious and easy.
The Review Reality
People read reviews. They trust them more than they trust your marketing copy. So why are yours hidden away, or worse, non-existent?
Good reviews should be front and centre on your website. Not the generic “excellent service” ones, but the specific ones that mention real results. The ones that say “saved us £3,000 in corporation tax” or “sorted out our VAT mess in two weeks.”
If you don’t have reviews like that, you need to start asking for them. And if you can’t get reviews like that, you might have bigger problems than your website.
The Urgent Reality
While you’re reading this, potential clients are googling for accountants in your area. They’re looking at websites. They’re making decisions about who to contact.
If your website isn’t up to scratch, they’re not contacting you. They’re contacting your competitors. And once they become someone else’s client, winning them back becomes much harder.
What Happens Next
You’ve got a choice to make. You can carry on as you are, hoping your website isn’t too much of a disaster. Or you can do something about it.
The “something” doesn’t have to be massive. It doesn’t have to cost a fortune. But it does need to happen.
Because every day you wait is another day of potential clients slipping through your fingers. Another day of your competitors getting stronger while you stay the same.
The Bottom Line
Your website should be working for you, not against you. It should be bringing in enquiries, not putting people off. It should be building trust, not destroying it.
If it’s not doing those things, it’s time for a change. Because in today’s world, your website isn’t just part of your marketing – it IS your marketing.
And right now, your marketing might be telling people to go somewhere else.
Don’t let that happen anymore.
So What Can You Actually Do About It?
Look, I’ve spent the last few thousand words telling you everything that’s wrong with your website. You’re probably feeling a bit overwhelmed right now. Maybe even a bit defensive.
But here’s the thing – you don’t have to fix everything at once. You don’t need to rebuild your entire website tomorrow. You just need to start somewhere.
So let’s do that. Let’s give your website a proper health check. Fifteen minutes. That’s all it’ll take to see exactly where you stand and what you can fix today.
The 15-Minute Website Reality Check
Speed Check (2 minutes)
What to do:
- Go to GTmetrix.com or PageSpeed Insights
- Enter your website URL
- Run the test
What good looks like:
- Load time under 3 seconds
- PageSpeed score above 70
Quick wins if you fail:
- Compress large images (use TinyPNG.com)
- Contact your web host about speed issues
- Remove any plugins/widgets you don’t actually need
Mobile Test (1 minute)
What to do:
- Open your website on your phone
- Try to navigate through it
- Attempt to fill out your contact form
What good looks like:
- Text is readable without zooming
- Buttons are easy to tap
- Phone number is clickable
- Contact form works properly
Quick wins if you fail:
- Make your phone number clickable: <a href=”tel:+441234567890″>01234 567890</a>
- Ensure your contact form is mobile-friendly
- Check that your address links to Google Maps
Homepage Clarity Test (3 minutes)
What to do:
- Show your homepage to someone who doesn’t know your business
- Give them 5 seconds to look at it
- Ask them: “What do we do? Who do we help?”
What good looks like:
- They can answer both questions correctly
- Your main service is obvious within 5 seconds
- It’s clear you’re local to your area
Quick wins if you fail:
- Add a clear headline: “Tax Returns & Business Accounts for [Your Town] Businesses”
- Remove jargon and corporate speak
- Add your location prominently
Contact Audit (2 minutes)
What to do:
- Check every page of your website
- Note where your contact details appear
- Try calling your own number from the website
What good looks like:
- Phone number visible on every page
- Contact form is easy to find
- Address includes your postcode
- Opening hours are clearly stated
Quick wins if you fail:
- Add contact details to your website header
- Create a prominent “Contact Us” button
- Include a Google Maps embed on your contact page
Local Search Test (2 minutes)
What to do:
- Google “[your service] near me” or “[your service] in [your town]”
- See where you appear in results
- Check if you have a Google My Business listing
What good looks like:
- You appear in the top 10 results
- You have a Google My Business profile
- Your website mentions your location multiple times
Quick wins if you fail:
- Claim/optimise your Google My Business listing
- Add your town/city to your website title tags
- Create a page about serving your local area
Review Reality Check (2 minutes)
What to do:
- Look for reviews/testimonials on your website
- Check if they’re specific and credible
- Count how many you have displayed
What good looks like:
- At least 5 specific testimonials visible
- Reviews mention real results/benefits
- Recent reviews (within the last year)
Quick wins if you fail:
- Ask your best clients for testimonials
- Display existing reviews prominently on your homepage
- Include specific results: “Saved us £3,000 in corporation tax”
Service Clarity Check (2 minutes)
What to do:
- Read your services page as if you’re a potential client
- Look for jargon, unclear descriptions, or vague promises
- Check if pricing guidance is mentioned anywhere
What good looks like:
- Services described in plain English
- Clear who each service is for
- Some indication of pricing or value
Quick wins if you fail:
- Rewrite service descriptions in simple language
- Add “Starting from £X” or “Typical cost: £X-£Y”
- Include who each service is perfect for
Technical Basics (1 minute)
What to do:
- Check if your website has “https://” in the URL
- Look for a privacy policy page
- Ensure your copyright date is current
What good looks like:
- SSL certificate installed (https://)
- Privacy policy exists and is up to date
- Copyright shows current year
Quick wins if you fail:
- Contact your web host about SSL certificates
- Update your copyright date
- Add a basic privacy policy (templates available online)
Your Score
Count your ticks:
- 25-30 ticks: Your website is in good shape! Focus on content and ongoing improvements.
- 15-24 ticks: Decent foundation, but several areas need attention.
- 10-14 ticks: Your website needs significant work. Prioritise the mobile and speed issues first.
- Under 10 ticks: Houston, we have a problem. Time for professional help.
Your Next Steps
If you scored well (20+ ticks):
- Focus on creating helpful content for your clients
- Work on getting more reviews
- Consider advanced SEO improvements
If you scored poorly (under 15 ticks):
- Fix the technical issues first (speed, mobile, SSL)
- Rewrite your homepage for clarity
- Get your local SEO basics sorted
If you’re overwhelmed:
- Start with just ONE item from this checklist
- Focus on the quick wins first
- Consider getting professional help for the technical stuff
The Reality Check
This checklist covers the basics, but it’s not everything. A truly effective website needs:
- Ongoing content strategy
- Advanced SEO optimisation
- Conversion rate optimisation
- Regular performance monitoring
- Professional design that builds trust
Think of this as your starting point, not your finish line.
Remember: every day you delay is another day of potential clients choosing your competitors. But every small improvement you make today is a step toward a website that actually works for your business.
Conclusion
The truth is: This checklist is just the beginning. It’ll help you spot the obvious problems and grab some quick wins. But if you want a website that doesn’t just work but actually brings in clients? That’s a bigger job.
Some problems need professional solutions. And sometimes, it’s better to focus on what you’re brilliant at – being an accountant – while letting someone else handle the website stuff.
But start here. See where you stand. Because every small improvement you make today is a step toward a website that actually works for your business.
Ready to turn your website into a lead-generating machine?
Book your free website audit with Xcellency and discover the specific changes that could add £100k+ to your annual revenue.
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