If you’re reading this, chances are that you’re a virtual bookkeeper working from home but let’s imagine for a minute that you have a physical location.
You’re going to want people to come in, sit down, have a chat with you, and sign on to become a client.
If people feel comfortable in your office, can relate your services to the solution to their problem, and begin to establish that K-L-T (know, like, and trust) factor when visiting you, they’re more likely to want to work with you.
If not, they’ll leave and probably even ghost you afterward and ignore your follow-up emails. We don’t want that.
That’s where professional design comes into play.
If you have an office with hopes of attracting high-paying clients but the building is damaged, outdated, and cheaply furnished, it will make your ideal clients feel less comfortable.
This uncomfortable experience will make them less likely to value your services and will probably lead to them doing business with another bookkeeper instead. – One with a much nicer office.
Your website works the exact same way!
The Importance of Website Design for Your Bookkeeping Business
- If the design is bad, potential clients will likely click away from it and decide to partner with someone else. The cycle will probably repeat until you eventually go out of business. – Sad but true.
- If the design is okay, you might have a chance. I’m sure you’ll do okay and attract clients, but they probably won’t be your dream clients. And to be honest, most bookkeeping websites I’ve seen are at this level. Attracting clients that are outside of their preferred niche, price range, or personality type because of a DIY design without a proper strategy.
- If the design is REALLY good, and super appropriate for what you’re trying to achieve and exactly who you are trying to reach then you increase your chances of success drastically.
Professionally designed virtual bookkeeping websites are becoming rarer to see because many new bookkeepers build their websites without proper research, planning, and strategy.
As simple as it can be to build a website thanks to DIY website building tools, courses, and resources online, building a website that works isn’t easy.
Here are 5 common design mistakes on bookkeeping websites I see way too often.
Here are 5 common mistakes to avoid when designing your bookkeeping website:
Too many words.
Less is more.
Focus on communicating the value of your services clearly in as few words as possible. Your website is a marketing tool with the purpose of attracting your ideal clients and getting them to take the next step to work with you.
Every sentence you write should have that objective – to convert website visitors into leads. Try not to get sidetracked and include unnecessary information.
Too many tabs or menu items in the navigation menu.
Home, Services, About, Contact, and a Blog.
These are the standard essential menu items every bookkeeping website should have. More than that can quickly overwhelm and confuse potential clients.
If you have additional links, it’s recommended to add them to the footer menu of your website at the bottom of your page. Think of this as your “junk drawer” where all secondary pages go.
Not enough CTA (call-to-action) buttons.
Donald Miller, one of my favorite business coaches and authors compares CTA buttons to cash registers in a grocery store. It’s a way for potential clients to “check out” and start working with you.
If your website visitors have to waste time searching for a way to do business with you, they will most likely take their business elsewhere.
Having a CTA on every primary page/section (especially on the main section of the homepage) is essential to give potential clients a clear path to begin working with you.
Images lack human faces.
Show your face.
For some reason, many solopreneurs and small business owners avoid including pictures of themselves on their websites and choose to use generic stock photos instead.
While stock photos can definitely enhance the look of a site when used in moderation, a professional headshot of yourself or your team is essential to establishing and nurturing the know, like, and trust factor.
People prefer to do business with people they know, like, and trust, not faceless companies hiding behind stock photos of calculators.
Talking about features instead of benefits.
Your potential clients likely don’t care about the nitty-gritty bookkeeping details. They care about themselves.
And, if they don’t have an accounting background, they probably don’t fully understand terms such as reconciliation, categorization, chart of account setups, accounts receivable/accounts payable, etc.
So, instead of listing bullet points of services that only other bookkeepers and accountants understand, break your services down into clear and simple terms and benefits that busy business owners can easily understand.
Have questions about launching a bookkeeping website that works? Post them in my Facebook community. I’m always happy to help!
