{
  "title": "The State of Independent Accountant Websites 2026",
  "edition": "2026-Q4",
  "period": "Q4 2026",
  "sample": false,
  "source": "corpus",
  "note": "Aggregates computed from automated scans. No individual site is identified.",
  "url": "https://clikiti.com/research/accountants/2026-q4",
  "scannedAt": "2026-10-15T12:35:47.304Z",
  "publishedAt": "2026-10-15T12:35:50.947Z",
  "modifiedAt": "2026-10-15T12:35:50.947Z",
  "license": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licenseUrl": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "attribution": "Free to use and cite under CC BY 4.0. Credit Clikiti with a link.",
  "citation": "Clikiti. (2026, October 15). The state of independent accountant websites 2026 (Q4 2026) [Report]. https://clikiti.com/research/accountants/2026-q4",
  "audience": "Web agencies and freelancers selling to small CPA firms, bookkeepers and tax preparers",
  "sampleSize": 158,
  "marginOfErrorPts": 7.8,
  "medianScore": 77,
  "meanScore": 77,
  "meanQuestionsAnswered": 3.2,
  "questionCount": 9,
  "findings": [
    "Only 13% of the 158 independent accounting, bookkeeping and tax practice websites we scanned show any price, package or fee.",
    "A typical site answers three of the nine questions clients ask before choosing (mean 3.2).",
    "The median overall score is 77 out of 100 (mean 77).",
    "The least-answered questions are \"What will it cost me?\" (13%), \"Can I book a first call without phoning?\" (15%) and \"How do I send my documents safely?\" (23%).",
    "The best-answered are \"What do you do?\" (80%) and \"Where are you, and how do I reach you?\" (46%).",
    "Bookkeeping firms have the highest median score (79), against 77 for small cpa firms, 77 for advisory and fractional cfo and 75 for tax preparers and enrolled agents.",
    "95% fail \"Loads in under 2.5 s on a phone\" (Core Web Vitals · LCP).",
    "82% fail \"AccountingService structured data\" (Schema.org · AccountingService).",
    "78% fail \"Text contrast passes 4.5:1\" (WCAG 1.4.3).",
    "Bookkeeping firms show a price more often than CPA firms.",
    "Kinds of practice differ in median score by at least 3 points."
  ],
  "questions": [
    {
      "id": "fees",
      "question": "What will it cost me?",
      "label": "A price, package or fee shown",
      "standard": "Client question 2",
      "passPct": 13,
      "bySegment": {
        "cpa": 3,
        "book": 21,
        "tax": 5,
        "cfo": 18
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "book",
      "question": "Can I book a first call without phoning?",
      "label": "Book a consultation online",
      "standard": "Client question 6",
      "passPct": 15,
      "bySegment": {
        "cpa": 10,
        "book": 9,
        "tax": 12,
        "cfo": 25
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "portal",
      "question": "How do I send my documents safely?",
      "label": "A working secure client portal",
      "standard": "Client question 5",
      "passPct": 23,
      "bySegment": {
        "cpa": 53,
        "book": 7,
        "tax": 34,
        "cfo": 7
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "reviews",
      "question": "Do other clients vouch for you?",
      "label": "Reviews marked up, shown or quoted",
      "standard": "Client question 8",
      "passPct": 31,
      "bySegment": {
        "cpa": 7,
        "book": 44,
        "tax": 22,
        "cfo": 43
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "team",
      "question": "Who will I actually work with?",
      "label": "People named with a short bio",
      "standard": "Client question 7",
      "passPct": 32,
      "bySegment": {
        "cpa": 57,
        "book": 28,
        "tax": 29,
        "cfo": 20
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "credentials",
      "question": "Is someone qualified doing my books?",
      "label": "A named CPA, EA or certified bookkeeper",
      "standard": "Client question 3",
      "passPct": 35,
      "bySegment": {
        "cpa": 80,
        "book": 19,
        "tax": 29,
        "cfo": 27
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "niches",
      "question": "Do you know businesses like mine?",
      "label": "Industries or client types named",
      "standard": "Client question 4",
      "passPct": 44,
      "bySegment": {
        "cpa": 47,
        "book": 42,
        "tax": 24,
        "cfo": 64
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "contact",
      "question": "Where are you, and how do I reach you?",
      "label": "Tappable phone plus a street address",
      "standard": "Client question 9",
      "passPct": 46,
      "bySegment": {
        "cpa": 53,
        "book": 28,
        "tax": 59,
        "cfo": 48
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "services",
      "question": "What do you do?",
      "label": "Four or more services named",
      "standard": "Client question 1",
      "passPct": 80,
      "bySegment": {
        "cpa": 90,
        "book": 86,
        "tax": 66,
        "cfo": 80
      }
    }
  ],
  "technical": [
    {
      "id": "lcp",
      "label": "Loads in under 2.5 s on a phone",
      "standard": "Core Web Vitals · LCP",
      "failPct": 95,
      "bySegment": {
        "cpa": 97,
        "book": 100,
        "tax": 93,
        "cfo": 91
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "schema",
      "label": "AccountingService structured data",
      "standard": "Schema.org · AccountingService",
      "failPct": 82,
      "bySegment": {
        "cpa": 83,
        "book": 91,
        "tax": 88,
        "cfo": 68
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "con",
      "label": "Text contrast passes 4.5:1",
      "standard": "WCAG 1.4.3",
      "failPct": 78,
      "bySegment": {
        "cpa": 73,
        "book": 72,
        "tax": 80,
        "cfo": 84
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "alt",
      "label": "Images have text descriptions",
      "standard": "WCAG 1.1.1",
      "failPct": 23,
      "bySegment": {
        "cpa": 33,
        "book": 14,
        "tax": 32,
        "cfo": 16
      }
    }
  ],
  "segments": [
    {
      "id": "cpa",
      "name": "Small CPA firms",
      "sites": 30,
      "median": 77,
      "weakPct": 0
    },
    {
      "id": "book",
      "name": "Bookkeeping firms",
      "sites": 43,
      "median": 79,
      "weakPct": 0
    },
    {
      "id": "tax",
      "name": "Tax preparers and enrolled agents",
      "sites": 41,
      "median": 75,
      "weakPct": 0
    },
    {
      "id": "cfo",
      "name": "Advisory and fractional CFO",
      "sites": 44,
      "median": 77,
      "weakPct": 2
    }
  ],
  "agencyProblems": [
    {
      "id": "lcp",
      "label": "Loads in under 2.5 s on a phone",
      "standard": "Core Web Vitals · LCP",
      "failPct": 95,
      "fix": "Resize and compress the hero image, defer scripts, aim for under 2.5 s on a phone.",
      "pitch": "Your home page takes several seconds to appear on a client's phone.",
      "effort": "Build"
    },
    {
      "id": "fees",
      "label": "A price, package or fee shown",
      "standard": "Client question 2",
      "failPct": 87,
      "question": "What will it cost me?",
      "fix": "Publish starting prices or monthly packages for the common work: a personal return, a business return, monthly bookkeeping.",
      "pitch": "The first thing a new client wants to know is what it will cost, and your site makes them call to ask.",
      "effort": "Content"
    },
    {
      "id": "book",
      "label": "Book a consultation online",
      "standard": "Client question 6",
      "failPct": 85,
      "question": "Can I book a first call without phoning?",
      "fix": "Embed an online scheduler for a first consultation, linked from the home and contact pages.",
      "pitch": "A prospect who finds you at 10 pm cannot book a first call without phoning in the morning.",
      "effort": "Build"
    },
    {
      "id": "schema",
      "label": "AccountingService structured data",
      "standard": "Schema.org · AccountingService",
      "failPct": 82,
      "fix": "Add AccountingService structured data with the practice's name, address, phone and services.",
      "pitch": "Search engines and AI assistants have to guess what your practice does and where it is.",
      "effort": "Quick fix"
    },
    {
      "id": "con",
      "label": "Text contrast passes 4.5:1",
      "standard": "WCAG 1.4.3",
      "failPct": 78,
      "fix": "Raise text contrast to at least 4.5:1 in the theme.",
      "pitch": "Parts of the site are hard to read, especially for older clients, and it is a WCAG failure.",
      "effort": "Quick fix"
    }
  ]
}