Web design matters. As far as your web presence is concerned your website is your single most vital asset. We frequently spend lots of time talking about content, and content definitely continues to be "king", but today let's change our focus. There are certain fundamental components of web design that sometimes get ignored to clear the schedule for content issues. If websites for accountants are shoddily designed visitors may never actually see all their terrific content. Elements like aesthetics and organization are hugely important. Let's take a look at three website fundamentals that need to be implemented into successful CPA websites.

Overkill is Bad: Pictures and animations have their place, but you don't want to use them just for the sake of using them. If images tell a relevant story, or if they show your connection to the local community or illustrate your relationship to accounting or taxation then you may want to consider putting a few static images or a slowly rotating slide show on your home page. Any way that you can connect with your viewers and potential clients is a plus.

This "less is more" sensibility is pretty much a universal rule in design. The same rules apply to your copy. If it doesn't need to be on the page, and doesn't add value to your overall point, it doesn't need to be there. Don't clutter your home page, especially, with text. It will overwhelm visitors to your site and will be a turn-off, potentially causing them to click away. Keep your paragraphs short and to the point. Compile information into bulleted and numbered lists for easy assimilation. Give viewers an introduction to your practice and distinguish yourself from other accountants, but don't clutter your pages with content. Your text should be presented in short, digestible blocks. If your website looks like a technical manual very few people are going to read it.

Keep It Organized: You'll want to take a good look at your website's navigation to ensure that you have a user-friendly website. Personally I'm a big fan of horizontal drop down menus, but vertical menus with dropdown sub pages are great, too. Horizontal menus are a little harder to use because the width of the browser limits the number of first tier menu items you can have, but people are already accustomed to them and find them easy to use. The "top level" or "fist tier" navigation items should be your main topics. "Sub pages" are organized as drop downs or roll-outs to these major topics. For example you might have a top tier menu item called "Services" and when the visitor rolls over it with his mouse it might have specific services listed like "tax preparation", "compilations", and "Business Planning". You can even create a third tier if necessary. Three tiers is about the limit. If you make visitors drive down any further they'll likely get lost and frustrated with your navigation menu.

The name of the game is to keep clients on your site. Keeping the site easy to navigate is essential to this end. Your website can even help you cross-sell your services. By keeping everything neatly organized and easy to find you increase the probability of a client finding a service he or she might need, perhaps even something that will help you generate some billable hours off-season.

Make Yourself Easy to Find: Don't make it difficult for a prospective client or customer to get in touch with you once they decide they need an accounting firm. The bottom of a web page is called a footer. Grace the footer of every page on your site with your firm name, address, phone number, and email address.

Another suggestion is to have a contact form on all your service pages and your Contact page. You've seen forms many times. They allow prospects to fill out blanks fields right on your website and that information is emailed straight to you.

The final story is that great websites for accountants ought to be warm places for prospects that don't overpower them instigating them to to click away. By keeping the fundamentals in mind you'll help make certain your website visitors have a pleasant online experience!