Website
for CPAs & Financial Partners
Rebecca Ajibola -
Website for CPAs and Financial Partners
In these uncertain times, people are looking for answers to their financial questions. Whether you specialize in
financial planning, wealth management, tax preparation, or forensic accounting, a well designed Web site, coupled
with an online marketing strategy, will help you attract clients.
A Web site serves as a central repository to highlight your practice areas, share your success stories, and provide
online resources that both help your clients and improve your efficiency. In addition, a Web site provides a
vehicle for valuable referrals.
Consider these benefits of a Web presence.
Benefit #1: A Web site helps you attract new clients
If you want to attract new clients, they need to know you exist. Effective use of a Web site dramatically reduces
the time and effort required to generate new leads. Rather than traditional marketing efforts that are often time
consuming and expensive, the Web provides an unlimited market for your services. While your Web site is up and
running all day every day, search engines are driving highly-qualified leads to your site automatically, letting
you focus on running your business.
But a Web site is not just for attracting clients, it's also for keeping existing clients. Every financial planning
firm requires a Web site - whether you feel you have enough clients or not. Today, clients are increasingly
Web-savvy and are demanding that resources be online, instantly at their fingertips.
Benefit #2: A Web site lets you highlight practice areas and share success stories
A Web site reinforces your professional image, and quickly communicates important information to visitors,
including:
* Your services
* Profiles of your employees
* Customer case studies and testimonials
* Interactive financial tools
* Directions
* Contact information
The image you convey is important to potential clients. Make sure your Web site reflects your firm's personality
and work style. Your Web site content should focus on how you can solve-and have solved-clients' problems.
One of the most important Internet success factors is whether or not you are drawing visitors to your Web site.
Search engine optimization is often a determining success factor. To optimize your search engine capabilities, make
sure your content is compelling and addresses the searcher's needs. Be careful to incorporate your chosen key words
and phrases into the copy on your main pages, and ensure that search engines recognize those key words.
Benefit #3: A Web site provides valuable resources to clients and enhances your efficiency
Your time is best spent working on billable projects rather than administrative tasks. Many Web site templates
include a number of tools designed to automate and streamline your practice. A Web site simplifies file sharing of
bulky bookkeeping files, enables you to offer professional e-mail addresses, and provides valuable resources,
tools, and links to clients and prospects.
These online resources reduce the time you spend answering redundant questions, or responding to requests for
copies of tax returns or forms that interrupt your concentration and productivity. They also make it easier for
clients to get what they need, when they need it. The end result is higher customer satisfaction and retention.
Through online templates, you can also take advantage of advanced website promotion techniques, such as customized
tax newsletters, IRS guides, and financial calculators. Additional time-saving online features include contact
management, form generation and completion, and the ability to create and send coupons and business cards
online.
With online contact management tools, you can gather contact information from your Web site, then market to and
communicate with your clients using the data you have collected. Rather than tying up the phone lines, you can
collect data needed to respond to requests for appointments, referrals or promotional information right through
your Web site. Contact management tools also allow you to set up mailing lists to keep in touch with clients and
prospects via e-mail or newsletter.
A "Contact" page is vital for converting visitors into clients and does the work of collecting prospect information
for you. You can include a form for prospects to complete that includes their personal information. Always remember
to include a map with directions to your business.
A Web site can help you promote your practice by having an online business card available to be e-mailed. This
feature can often be used with online brochures, office announcements, or other promotional materials. In addition,
Web site templates provide the ability to offer new client discounts, or highlight a specific service with a
customized coupon. It's a quick, cost effective way to promote your practice, get an edge on the competition, or
introduce a new specialty.
What do you reckon?
Did you find that useful? We hope so. We look forward to hearing your thoughts. Please
post your comments here.
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