How effective is your accounting website? There are several variables that go into an effective website. Today, I’m going to dive into how 1st impressions impact the effectiveness of your website.
But first, why does it even matter?
“Referral business” – 82% of small business owners consider referrals their main source of new business.
On average, potential customers visit a website 6x during the purchase decision process, regardless of how they heard from you. Yes, that includes people who were referred to you. So even if you think your accounting firm is growing because of word of mouth, and it certainly is, you still need a quality website for people who are considering your services. If your website is outdated or poor quality, it could actually be working against you, turning away some of the referrals people are sending your way.
Your accounting website is evidence of your credibility and perceived value.
Did you know that with a quality website, potential clients actually expect to pay more for your services? On average, the annual revenue of a small business with a quality website is almost double that of a business without a website. Whether it’s acquiring more clients or the ability to charge higher rates, a quality website is vital to the growth of your accounting firm.
OR, on the other hand, if you don’t have a website, or if you have an undeveloped website, you’re working harder than you need to for every new client you acquire.
You may not be onboarding as many clients as you think you should, or you may be struggling with increasing your rates. Unfortunately, with a low-quality website, people will expect to pay lower fees for your services.
So, now we know why a quality website is important, but how does this tie into 1st impressions?
When someone lands on your website, they make a split decision about your business. We all make instant judgments, consciously or not. Just like we have first impressions about people we meet or judgments about people we might see in a dim parking garage.
The 1st impression is actually your website’s most vital job because if it doesn’t make a good first impression, you’ve likely lost the potential lead. And, statistics show that the first impression is one of the biggest factors in a purchase decision, so your website can easily make or break a potential new client. A website visitor’s first impression determines your perceived credibility as a business.
To be clear, when people look at your website, they’re making a judgment about your entire business, not just about your website.
The most alarming part of this is the amount of time it takes us to form a first impression.
.05 second
Crazy, right? If they’re not off-put immediately, people will give a website a little more time to check it out. And by that, I mean about 2 seconds more. During these 2 seconds, people are looking at the design elements on the page.
- Photos
- Graphics
- Fonts
- Colors
- Whitespace
This is all before the website visitor has read a single word. If their brain hasn’t registered any red flags, the visitor is likely to take another 5 seconds to determine if they’re in the right place. That’s when they begin to scan the text. That’s right, your website has about 7 seconds to explain what you do, who you help, and what initial step the person should take if they want to learn more.
To avoid making a poor first impression, avoid these accounting website mistakes:
- Photos that are squished, stretched, or blurry.
- Broken links – For first impressions, these would be broken image links. People can tell where there’s a place that a photo should be when it’s not there.
- Colors & fonts that are off-brand, unprofessional, or just plain ugly.
- Too many fonts in different weights and sizes – When it comes to fonts, remember that changes in fonts are to give the website visitor more clarity in what they should be looking at. It’s not about what we think looks pretty.
Again, there are several elements that determine a website’s effectiveness. First impressions are just the first step.
Would you like a complimentary website review? Contact us at hello@gomargott.com and provide your web address. We’ll record our review and provide you with our professional feedback.