A people-first digital experience for a leading Irish accountancy firm

The challenge

Most accountancy websites are very good at explaining what a firm does.

Far fewer tell you what it feels like to work with them.

For more than 65 years, RBK has built its reputation on trusted advice, technical excellence and lasting client relationships. As Ireland’s largest independently branded accountancy firm, with offices in Dublin, Athlone, Roscommon and Castlebar, its digital presence needed to reflect the scale and expertise of the business – without losing the warmth and personality that had helped build it.

Our research highlighted a familiar problem across professional services. Websites were packed with services, credentials and technical language, but often gave prospective clients and future employees very little sense of the people they would actually be working with.

Expertise had become expected. So how do we differentiate? How do we capture what makes RBK unique?

The solution

We built the new RBK experience around one simple idea:

Where accounting expertise and insight feels personal.

That proposition shaped everything from information architecture and content strategy to UX, visual design and content creation. Instead of building another corporate website organised primarily around services, we created an experience centred on the people, relationships and outcomes that define RBK.

Three audiences sat at the heart of the strategy: prospective commercial clients, experienced professionals and graduates. Their journeys were different, but the thing they all needed was the same – confidence in the people behind the business.

And RBK was willing to put those people front and centre.

Authentic video plays a major role throughout the experience, replacing predictable corporate imagery with natural interactions between employees. A bespoke videography guide helped capture candid moments across the firm, giving visitors a genuine feel for RBK’s culture before they ever walk through the door.

Research also showed that team profiles accounted for more than 16% of website traffic. So instead of treating the team directory as supporting content, we made it a central part of the experience – with richer biographies, direct contact details, LinkedIn integration and intelligent connections between people, services, sectors and insights.

Complex service and sector content was restructured into clearer, more intuitive journeys, while a new Insights Hub brings together articles, reports, webinars and expert commentary in one searchable destination.

Behind it all is a bespoke, component-based WordPress CMS that gives the RBK team the freedom to create rich, flexible pages without relying on developer support – a platform designed to grow with the business.

Accessibility was built in from the outset, with automated and manual testing, responsive layouts, captioned video and accessible playback controls helping the platform align with WCAG standards and European Accessibility Act requirements.

What we did

  • Conducted discovery, user and analytics research
  • Restructured information architecture and user journeys
  • Designed a more human, intuitive UX and UI
  • Created a flexible, component-based WordPress platform
  • Elevated team profiles into a key part of the customer journey
  • Connected people, services, sectors and insights through smarter content relationships
  • Created an authentic video approach centred on RBK’s people and culture
  • Built a searchable Insights Hub for thought leadership
  • Simplified complex service and sector content
  • Embedded accessibility across design and development
  • Overhauled analytics and measurement to provide a clearer picture of genuine user behaviour

The numbers point to more than increased traffic. Visitors are spending considerably longer exploring RBK’s services, people, sector expertise and thought leadership – exactly the behaviours the new experience was designed to encourage.

The project also completely overhauled RBK’s analytics implementation, giving the team greater confidence in its data and a much clearer understanding of how genuine visitors discover, navigate and engage with the business. Early journey analysis shows people moving more naturally between services, sectors, team members and insights.

The biggest result is harder to capture in a dashboard.

RBK now has a digital presence that feels like RBK.

Testimonial

“More than just a website refresh, this project was an opportunity to better showcase what makes RBK different – our people and commitment to client success. These principles are at the heart of everything we do and our new website brings those qualities and stories to life.

The team at Ebow Digital were fantastic to work with throughout the project. Their communication was excellent, they understood our vision from the outset and worked collaboratively with us to create a digital experience that truly reflects the RBK brand, culture and values.

We’re delighted with the result and look forward to continuing to partner with EBOW on future projects.”

Deirdre McElroy
– Marketing Manager, RBK

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