A few weeks ago, I offered a founder something I’ve started doing for business owners in crowded industries. I call it the Founder Reputation Audit.
It’s pretty simple but typically very revealing on why their marketing isn’t making a big difference and why their company isn’t standing out amongst their competition.
I take a look at their website, LinkedIn presence, content, positioning, and overall digital footprint, then compare it against what I see from founders who have become the obvious choice in their market.
A founder of a bookkeeping firm recently took me up on it, and at first glance, I expected to find the typical marketing issues. Maybe the website needed work, the messaging wasn’t clear, or the content strategy was inconsistent.
But honestly, all of that was pretty average or maybe even above average. This is what I actually discovered and where I think they are leaving opportunity on the table.
The Company Was Credible
Right off the bat, this company looked pretty credible. They clearly showed they had multiple offices, an established team, testimonials, years of experience, decent-looking website…you get the gist.
If I landed on the site, I wouldn’t question whether they were capable of handling my bookkeeping. But that’s not actually the problem in a crowded market like this. It’s less about ability and more about something else.
Then I Asked Myself One Question
As I kept clicking through the website, I found myself asking a question I ask during almost every audit.
“If I were shopping for this service today, why would I choose them?”
Not,
“Can they do the work?”
But,
“Why them?”
And honestly, I couldn’t answer it.
The website looked like what I’d expect almost any bookkeeping firm to look like.
- Stock photos
- A list of services
- Generic messaging
- A few testimonials
Again, nothing was wrong, but nothing gave me a compelling reason to remember or choose them either.
Then I Compared Them to Someone Who Does This Really Well
I pulled up the website of the accounting firm I have personally used.
When you land on this site, you know they are approaching their digital presence in a different way.
The founder wasn’t hiding behind the business. She was the business.
Her photo is all over the site, she’s the profile picture on social media, and she doesn’t have the digital education content. She is clearly and obviously the brand.
That’s not to say that they don’t show off their team too, because they absolutely do, but it’s clear who the face and focal point is.
Within 30 seconds, you know exactly who they serve, how they think, and why they are different.
What’s interesting is that I wasn’t comparing bookkeeping services anymore, but how much I trusted the people behind each company.
That’s When the Real Opportunity Became Clear
The bookkeeping firm I was auditing didn’t need better bookkeeping. They’re honestly probably really competent and good at what they do.
Would more testimonials and an improved website help? Likely, but what I believe they really need is an out-front founder that people can actually connect with.
Because a service like bookkeeping isn’t really a service people get excited about buying. It’s a trust decision, especially when you’re handing over sensitive financial information and looking for guidance around it.
As a business owner, I feel this deeply, and I need to feel like I can trust the person responsible for my books.
The founder had decades of experience. He almost certainly had stories, opinions, lessons, and insights that would help potential customers feel that trust.
But none of that was visible. In fact, when I clicked over to LinkedIn, there was almost nothing there.
Ironically, the biggest differentiator in the business was almost invisible online.
The Recommendation I Gave
You’ve heard this a million times and probably believe it’s cliché at this point. And honestly, it probably is. But things become cliché for a reason. Because they are usually true…
People trust people faster than they trust companies.
My recommendation wasn’t to redesign the website, rewrite every service page, or even create more company content (it’s not doing a lot these days on any platform anyway).
It was to make the founder more visible. I recommended they do this by:
- Sharing the thinking behind the business.
- Teaching what they’ve learned.
- Explain why clients make common bookkeeping mistakes.
- Talk about the challenges they’ve faced.
- Give people a chance to know the person they’d eventually trust with their finances.
Because there are hundreds of bookkeeping firms, but there is only one founder with their experience, perspective, and personality.
The Bigger Pattern I’m Seeing
This wasn’t really a bookkeeping industry problem, but a pattern I’ve started noticing across almost every Founder Reputation Audit I’ve done.
The businesses already have credibility, but what they’re missing is a reason for someone to choose them.
That’s where founder visibility changes the equation.
When your expertise becomes visible, your business becomes easier to trust.
When your perspective becomes recognizable, your business becomes easier to remember.
In crowded industries, being remembered is often what gets you chosen in the first place.
