A chartered accountant's website sits inside a set of professional-conduct rules. The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India has rules on solicitation and on how members promote their practice, and it has issued guidance on what a firm's website may contain. That guidance can change, so the current position is something to confirm with ICAI before you publish, rather than something to assume.
This article is general information, not professional advice. It describes how a factual, useful CA firm website is usually organised.
Keep the content factual
The safest approach is to describe what the firm is and does. Include the firm's name and registration details, the partners' qualifications and membership numbers as ICAI's current guidance allows, the services offered in plain terms and the office details.
Describe each service in a sentence or two. A visitor who knows what a service covers is better placed to decide whether to contact you.
What to avoid
Certain kinds of content are commonly seen as promotion and are best left out:
- Claims that the firm is the best, the cheapest or the fastest.
- Promises about tax savings, refunds or the outcome of a filing.
- Comparisons with other firms.
- Offers that use deadlines to create pressure.
- Client testimonials that could identify a client, unless the rules allow them and the client has agreed.
Deadline content needs upkeep
Many CA firms publish reminders about tax and compliance deadlines. Those pages are useful, but they go out of date quickly and can mislead a visitor who relies on an old date. Keep each reminder dated, check it against the current rules, and remove it once it has passed.
Partners and team
Show who is responsible for the work, with their qualifications, membership numbers and areas of practice. Keep the descriptions short and accurate. Don't describe a person's experience in a way you can't verify from their records.
Confirm before you publish
Check the current ICAI guidance on websites and on advertising for members, and keep a record of when you checked. If you're unsure whether a line is allowed, leave it out and ask ICAI or a senior colleague. A cautious site is easier to maintain than one you have to edit after a complaint.
Quick checklist
- Show the firm's registration details, and each partner's membership number as the guidance allows.
- Describe each service in a sentence or two.
- Remove claims that the firm is the best, the cheapest or the fastest.
- Date every deadline reminder, and remove it once the deadline has passed.
- Leave out client testimonials unless the rules allow them and the client agrees.
- Confirm the current ICAI guidance, and note the date you checked.
What to do next
The CA and accounting firm websites page shows how services, the team and the contact section are usually arranged. The layout behind this is covered on the business websites page, which suits any CA firm building its first site. Confirm the guidance first, then build the services section from what the firm actually offers.