New findings suggest that more than half of UK professional services firms are not successfully engaging their audiences through their websites. Soba:IQ, a free tool from Soba: Private Label, has been launched to help businesses understand and correct this issue.
Developed in Glasgow, the tool examines homepage performance using five criteria: clarity, audience definition, differentiation, supporting evidence, and buyer persuasion. It produces an instant score with clear, actionable guidance.
“In 2025, we definitively proved that professional services firms in the UK are all essentially interchangeable. to the point where no one would even notice.” Said Storm Mackay, managing director of Soba: Private Label.
“Soba:IQ now puts the power in the hands of heads of marketing, chief marketing officers and senior executives to learn what’s wrong and change it themselves.”
The release builds on Soba’s 2025 research into the sector, which found that 38% of firms rely on generic wording and 55% fail to address their audience directly.
The issue is especially prominent among accountants, bookkeepers, and tax advisers, where nearly two-thirds overlook audience-focused messaging.
Featuring a user-friendly dashboard, the tool highlights performance across each area and provides practical recommendations for improvement.
Users can simply enter their website URL and financial data to receive a score out of five instantly, with no need for sign-up or payment.
A limited number of users will also be able to book a discounted consultation using the code “areyouasadist”, reflecting Soba’s challenge to firms that accept underperformance.
“It’s often said that SMEs are the backbone of the UK economy,” Storm added, “but what we’re seeing with Soba:IQ is a country made up of tepid lifestyle businesses. Firms need to know where they stand on positioning, not six months from now, not after an expensive agency engagement, but today. This tool exists so they can.”
Soba:IQ has been available since 8 April 2026 and is free for all UK professional services firms to use.