Dec 2 2004
The website of Menzies Chartered Accountants (www.menzies.co.uk), one of the South-East‘s leading accountancy firms, came out top in an independent survey of the websites of the top 50 accountancy firms in the UK. Beating off competition from the UK's "Big Four" firms.

The Intendance UK Top 50 Accountants' Websites 2004 looked at content, usability/accessibility and design using fifty different criteria for carrying out the assessment. Essential to the survey was how effectively the websites met visitors' needs.

Menzies scored high on almost all criteria understanding exactly what visitors wanted from a website. The website was regarded as "straightforward and rewarding" offering "extensive" content delivered in a "clean, crisp style" that helps deliver a positive first impression for visitors.

"We see our website as an excellent way to introduce the firm, its services, staff and location of offices. Visitors can get a better feel for the firm and its work in this way, and in turn, determine whether we might be able to help them. They can then make direct contact with the relevant partner through email addresses and telephone numbers contained on the site." Says Ralph Mitchison, Partner, Menzies Chartered Accountants. "The site also operates to keep existing clients up to date with news items, publications and events. We see our website as an important way of communicating with our clients and ensuring they are kept up to date day-to-day on matters affecting their business."

The Menzies website scored high on usability and design. Praise was offered for the way information was laid out in a logical order, enabling visitors to quickly navigate the site, finding and extracting information both easily and quickly. An uncluttered page layout, "unfussy graphic design" and clear text was mentioned as assisting with navigation.

"We are delighted to have won this award since we have worked hard to ensure our website is both client-focussed and professional in appearance. We evaluate our site on a regular basis and are constantly looking at ways of making it more accessible. We have recently allowed for the font size on the web pages to be enlarged to make it easier to read for those visitors that are visually impaired. To take account of the international nature of our business we have introduced text in French, Spanish and German." Says Mitchison. "Having a good website is just as important as having the right staff and skills in place to do the job. The website is very often how potential clients gain their first impressions of the firm and this can be critical in terms of whether they use the firm or go elsewhere. A good website works on many levels but primarily as an ambassador for the business."