8 Signs You Should Invest In A New Accounting Website
Guest blog post written by: Rebekah Read Creative
First and foremost, congratulations on this step in your business! I know it can be a big step, but it will be so worth it! Having a website that does more than just say what you do, but also shines your personality and highlights your service or product in an effective way, is so beyond worth it!
To kick things off here’s a little more about me: I lived in Honduras for a year and a half after college where I was a foster mama to a sweet baby named Judah and helped in orphanages. After returning to the U.S. I realized I wasn't feeling fulfilled in corporate America, so I started my own business combining my passion for design and serving others. My goal as a website designer is to help you share your passion with authentic, effective copy and design that tells your story beautifully. With all of these steps, if you need an example, please check out my (rebekahreadcreative.com) or Edrina’s website (accountingbyedrina.com)!
1. It’s distracting
Many accountant websites I come across are very distracting with flash animation, automatic songs going in the background, or a landing site instead of immediately going to the quick-loading site. The accountant brain wants to share ALL THE THINGS on their homepage and it becomes overwhelming for the user. Find a web designer who can help you figure out your MAIN call-to-action and then make that clear on every page.
2. It’s not mobile friendly
This one is huge - “In 2009 only 0.7% of web traffic worldwide was generated through mobile phones...In 2017 mobile accounts for 50.3% of all web traffic generated worldwide” and that number only continues to grow. If your website doesn’t look good on a cellphone, you will be overlooked by many potential customers.
3. It loads slowly
This is frequently overlooked! Check how fast your site loads on https://developers.google.com/speed/pagespeed/insights/ or www.uptrends.com/tools/website-speed-test. Make sure you are at least in the yellow range for each. A few hacks if your website is loading slowly and you don’t want to design a new website: properly size your images, make sure your images are in JPEG 2000 or JPEG XR form instead of PNG or JPEG, and use the least amount of CSS (coding) as you can. All of these steps will help you have higher user engagement, more pageviews, and improved conversion.
4. It can’t be found on search engines
The strategies you used in the past for search engine optimization (“SEO”) are not the same ones you should be using now. If your site is not being found in Google searches, it may be time for an overhaul. Your web designer will make sure to implement keywords throughout the site, make sure your H1 headings are accurately labeled, and help you with SEO-friendly page titles.
5. Your site is old
Did you know that most companies do some type of website redesign every 2 to 3 years?! This keeps things fresh and interesting, and also helps you to stay relevant to your prospective clients. If you are unsure if your site appears old send it to an honest 18-30 year old; they will let you know!
6. Your services aren’t correct
This should be an obvious one, but take a look at your website. Today, businesses are changing yearly to accommodate the needs of their clients. If you have your old services, it is DEFINITELY time to update your site and may be time for a redesign.
7. You don’t have your social media accounts featured
I am talking about more than just the button. If you use one social media platform as your main source of marketing, a live stream of the updates should be featured in your footer.
8. It is not user-friendly
It is so important that the user of your site goes through a JOURNEY. When I am mapping out someone’s site, I decide where I want them to go from the home page. Usually it is the Services page and from there to maybe the Product page or Contact page. You want this journey to be seamless and also easy to navigate, full of on-brand buttons that stand out.
If you need any help deciding if your site is ready for an overhaul, I offer a FREE homepage analysis of things you can improve to make your site more current. This will help you decide if they are easy changes you can make or something requiring upgrading! You can email me at bekah@rebekahreadcreative with the headline “website analysis” and your website in the body and I will get it back to you within a week!
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