Hjortness CPAs, SC transformed their online presence by moving from a restrictive, template-driven website to a fully custom WordPress platform. This case study explores how authentic branding, original content, and local SEO foundations helped the firm take ownership of their digital identity and better serve clients in the Fox Valley area.
The Challenge
Like many accounting firms, Hjortness was using a proprietary website builder tailored for the industry. While convenient, this system presented several long-term growth issues:
- Duplicate Content Trap: The old system automatically posted newsletters that were identical to those on hundreds of other CPA websites. This created a “duplicate content” issue that offered zero SEO benefit and failed to showcase the firm’s unique expertise.
- Design Rigidity: The “templated” nature of the proprietary builder made it impossible to create a design that truly reflected their specific branding and local identity.
- Lack of Ownership: Being tied to a proprietary CMS meant they didn’t truly own their digital assets, making it difficult to scale or integrate custom functionality.
The WebCitz Solution
We provided a “Digital Liberation” strategy, moving them to a platform that prioritizes authenticity and technical flexibility:
- Custom WordPress Redesign: We moved the firm into a custom-built WordPress site. We bypassed generic industry templates to create a highly personalized design that incorporates high-quality photography of their actual staff, instantly building trust and familiarity for local clients.
- Content Authenticity Shift: We successfully advised the client to move away from automated, generic newsletters. By focusing on original content rather than the “syndicated” filler used by competitors, we ensured their site was more valuable to both search engines and clients.
- Secure Third-Party Integrations: Accounting requires high-security file handling. We seamlessly integrated their existing third-party secure portal tools into the new WordPress interface, ensuring clients could easily and safely share sensitive financial documents.
- Managed Hosting & Stewardship: Since the launch, we have hosted the site on our secure infrastructure and provided ongoing maintenance, ensuring the firm’s digital office is as reliable and professional as their physical one.
- SEO Baseline Optimization: By moving to WordPress, we were able to implement proper on-page SEO structures that were previously unavailable in their closed-source system, helping them rank more effectively for local Fox Valley accounting searches.
The Result
By transitioning to a custom WordPress site, Hjortness CPAs, SC now possesses a digital presence that they fully own and control. Our work turned a “cookie-cutter” website into a professional flagship that accurately represents their team and their local commitment to Menasha and Neenah. The firm no longer relies on generic syndicated content to fill space; instead, they have a fast, secure, and authentic platform that serves as a high-functioning tool for their clients.
