How do your potential clients reach you? Does your firm rely on referrals or word of mouth? Do you attend tradeshows and participate in community events to meet potential clients?
While all of those are valid ways to attract new business and grow your firm, one of the best ways to reach prospects is to have a top-notch website.
In today’s world, where everything and anything can be found on the internet, even if your current clients are talking up your firm to their friends and colleagues, chances are that before those prospects shoot you an email or pick up the phone, they’ll go online to research your firm. Is your website ready for that?
Today, like most businesses, accounting firms have a functioning website. But to provide optimal benefits to your firm, your website must do more than just provide basic information to your potential clients. It should also give them a reason to engage with your firm in some manner. If your current website has many or most of the following features, great. If not, it might be time for an upgrade.
Fast load times
In this age of instant gratification, few people today have the patience to wait for anything. Right or wrong, if your site is slow to load, website visitors won’t stick around. Although it’s important to drive people to your website, it’s even more important to keep them there. And the first step is having a fast-loading page, otherwise, they’ll simply go elsewhere.
Mobile compatibility
Does your website look as good on an iPhone or tablet as it does on a desktop? If not, it’s time to reconfigure your site to get it looking just as good on mobile devices as it does on a desktop computer, since it’s likely that most prospects will be using their cellphone or other mobile device to access the site for the first time.
A clear call to action
Yes, it’s important to talk about your firm, but telling people that your firm handles tax returns does little to compel someone to contact your firm. Providing prospects with a clear call to action can help convert that prospect into a paying client. These are some calls to action you may want to include on your website, depending on your firm.
- Are you paying too much in taxes? Find out today!
- Book a free consultation today!
- Ready to lower your taxes?
- Need someone to handle your books? We can help!
Depending on your business, you can make the call of action relevant to your current business model.
Targeted messaging
Define your target audience and target your message to suit them. If your specialty is small businesses, target your message towards small business owners. Likewise, if your firm specializes in preparing tax returns, be sure that this information is plainly stated on your website. But if you specialize in business returns, be sure to include that information as well.
By targeting your messages to your core audience, you’ll be able to reach those that are in need of your services. For example, if you specialize in nonprofit accounting, make sure that the messaging on your website is geared specifically to your target audience; nonprofit organizations.
There is not a person on the planet that does not want to received free stuff. To further engage those that have landed on your homepage, offer them something free in exchange for their email address. This helps you increase your prospect list and can build a sense of loyalty in those that receive those free items. Whether it’s a calendar, tax forms, or a short e-book, make sure that your website offers both current and potential clients something for free.
A ‘Contact Us’ page
You’ve provided prospects with a good reason to contact your firm. Now, make sure that you make the contact process easy, starting with displaying your phone number and/or email address in a easily accessible location. Don’t just provide a phone number – include an email address as well, since many people prefer this line of communication when inquiring about available services. If you make it difficult for prospective clients to contact you, they’ll likely just move on to the next firm.
Client reviews and testimonials
If your clients love your firm and the work you do, make sure that potential clients know about it. Have a testimonial page where satisfied clients can review and rate their experiences with your firm. A good review can be the deciding factor in whether to engage with a business. And if you do offer testimonials, be sure to address any negative comments on the forum as well. A negative opinion on its own will likely not sway a prospect from contacting you, but failing to address the comment will.
A website is a valuable part of your firm and can contribute towards your success. Make sure it’s the best that it can be.
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Tags: Benefits, Firm Management
