Honest Buck Accounting Website
A new website for a new business focus
UI/Web
Since 2007, Honest Buck Accounting has been helping business owners focus on running their companies, instead of spending time struggling with the books, tax returns, and other frustrating financial tasks. Essentially, Honest Buck serves as a part-time CFO for its clients, leveraging years of experience and technology to provide guidance and expertise.
When Honest Buck contacted Chalkbox, the firm was in the process of pivoting to focus on a very specific niche: small to medium childcare providers. New content had already been developed for the unique needs of this market, but a new website design was needed, too.
Comprehensive, but user-friendly
The immediate challenge was the fact that Honest Buck’s services are so extensive. That’s a good thing, of course, but it also makes a concise description of what the firm offers more difficult. And a vexing issue inherent in any kind of financial content is the risk of overwhelming your audience.
Fortunately, Honest Buck already had a marketing team doing some of the heavy lifting. User profiles had been developed to help us understand who would be viewing the site, and the new content was clear and engaging. Now we just needed to create a layout and user experience (UX) strategy that allowed viewers to easily navigate it.
Research and initial concepts
Honest Buck’s unique focus meant few (if any) competitors in the area made for good comparisons. In a general sense, other accountants in this region were a bit of a mixed bag from a branding perspective; some had contemporary, well-designed sites, while others appeared outdated. A new, fresh look would help Honest Buck stand out.
After asking about important features for the firm’s audience, and what their journey entails, we felt the design should connect to the sense of relief business owners feel when working with Honest Buck. Our goal was to make the site simple, attractive, and enduring.
Working closely with Honest Buck and the marketing team, we developed wireframes and a style tile. Over several meetings, we discussed how to visually communicate who Honest Buck is and who they help, as well as how users move through the content. Then, mock-ups for key pages were created and refined before we handed the project off to the web developer.
Comfortable and accessible
The redesigned website maintains Honest Buck’s existing brand assets, while reframing the firm to better engage with its new target audience. Photos are customer-focused, showing people doing what they love and loving what they do. Warm colors soften the overall look. And a set of natural warm textures, combined with ample white space and bold typography, allows even a large amount of content to feel comfortable and accessible.
The result is a web presence that exudes competence, experience, and capability. Most important, however, it offers a window into what it’s like to work with Honest Buck. If you’re a potential client looking at this site, you don’t feel overwhelmed or confused. You feel confident, because you’ve found a partner who will allow you to focus on the things you do best—serving your clients—so you can take your business to the next level.
“We really loved working with Chalkbox! Instead of just telling us we needed new branding, they found a balance that allowed us to keep the existing Honest Buck brand look while also appealing to our ideal clients. Chalkbox was extremely professional and worked with our entire team seamlessly. The website came together beautifully—I know we’re delivering the best possible experience for our new target audience.”
Rachelle Calina, owner, Honest Buck Accounting
Has your business evolved?
Businesses change over time, and so do their branding needs. Reaching the right audience requires an identity that accurately reflects your mission, your promise, your story. Is your brand in alignment with what your business has become? We can help you understand where you are today—and where you need to be. Get in touch today to learn more.
