Professionalism

This shouldn’t come as much of a surprise as one of the key qualities you would expect from an accountancy firm. 

An up-to-date website or social media page with consistent branding and tone of voice is a key way that signals credibility, as well as being able to clearly and concisely show the services accountants offer and how people can get in touch to find out more.

A web or social media page with all the bells and whistles is really effective – high quality headshots of team workers for example, or perhaps videos illustrating the services on offer. Updating your digital spaces with eye-catching multimedia content shows prospective clients that accountancy firms mean business, and are on top of their profiles as much as they will be on a client’s business needs.

Web pages with blog posts and links to interesting and relevant news or feature signals that the accountant is on the ball when it comes to changes in developments like changes to tax law, interest rates, or other events which can affect the running of a client’s business.

Accreditation

Accreditation from a professional body or institute, either as an accountant or as an employer, displayed with pride on a website and an email signature might make the difference between a potential client picking up the phone, or not.

Today’s digital landscape can leave potential clients overwhelmed with information from businesses trying to sell products and services. Firms and individuals that are members of professional institutions have a hallmark of trust which is a strong marketing tool to attract clients.

Being part of an official body like ICAEW or the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) is an important seal of approval and demonstrates that accountancy firms are credible and hold themselves to high ethical standards.

Being a chartered accountant comes with a requirement to complete continuing professional development each year, helping assure clients that an accountant is up-to-date with their knowledge, and is committed to working within a regulatory framework.

There’s also the added bonus of chartership giving them access to industry news, thought leadership, and learning resources which can ultimately help clients.

Recommendations

Social proof, the psychological and social phenomenon which refers to people's reliance on feedback and actions before coming up with their own determinations, is hugely important when buying anything these days.

These recommendations are often sought through Google reviews, review websites like Trustpilot, and even on businesses’ social media pages, and demonstrate feedback from people who have worked with or used services from any type of business.

Checking these reviews before using the services of a company can let a client know what they are getting themselves in for, and even stop them making a big mistake.

These testimonials are a great way for potential clients to get a flavour of the accountancy business they are considering hiring, but also for the accountants themselves to communicate and demonstrate the quality of their services as well as desirable benefits like their responsiveness to queries.

Accountancy businesses which feature great testimonials and reviews predominantly on their websites are operators that show they are proud and confident of the quality and value of its work, and are a great indicator of how reliable they will be for their clients.

And even any face-to-face meetings now – which are less common of course since March 2020 – will likely take place after a potential client has checked out the accountant’s website, and first impressions will have been formed. A tired, outdated web presence will be a warning sign and could undermine any good gained by an independent recommendation.

Responsiveness

If a potential client reaches out to an accountant via email of phone, how soon they get a response can be a huge factor in whether they choose to do business with them.

Returning those messages as soon as is possible shows potential clients – as well as existing ones, of course – that accountants care about them and their business affairs.

Also, whilst getting in touch in a prompt manner is important, so is making sure that communication is concise and has real, topical value.

Industry knowledge

Accountants are specialists in terms of skill, but are often sector neutral. For clients, though, industry-specific knowledge is invaluable, meaning credible accountancy firms that claim to be able to support a client’s specific needs should be able to genuinely demonstrate their experience.

A good website or social media page advertising an accountant’s services will showcase its knowledge and experience, including within particular sectors. This shows that they deeply understand their clients’ needs and challenges, and could be the difference between a potential client looking for that industry expertise deciding to take a step further along the buyer journey or instead go looking elsewhere.