If a dog ages 7 human years in one year, Internet marketing seems to bound forward about 20 years each year. This seems particularly true if it is not your business to constantly stay ahead of the latest Internet marketing developments. The CPAs and accountants we know work hard for their clients and stay up-to-date on all of the latest technology that pertains to their field—so we wanted to provide some timely Internet marketing tips for CPAs and accountants:
Be SEO Savvy
Do you have a website nobody ever visits? There could be several factors behind this, but often the website has not been “search engine optimized” (SEO). When our SEO experts construct a website, every single aspect (text, menus, site structure, graphic elements etc.) have been designed so that if a potential client types in “accountants in [your town name here]”, your website comes in as close to the top of a Google or Bing search results list as possible. This is because 90% of people search for accountants this way. Also, the vast majority of potential clients never scan past the first page of search results, so it is critical that your website be on this first page. Without intensive, expert SEO efforts, your website is practically invisible. This is why SEO is one of our top Internet marketing tips for CPAs and accountants.
Go Local
Focusing on your local client base (and potential client base) is critical, and also closely tied to staying SEO savvy. When potential clients go online to search for an accountant, they are going to type “accountants in [town name]” or “[town name] CPAs”. In order to show up in the search results, you will need to have your business name and description closely linked to your locality in all registries, major online business directories, in your website text, etc. It seems obvious, but many businesses struggle with this. It isn’t enough to have your name in the phone book or the local coupon mailer that comes out every few months—fewer and fewer people rely on those means of finding reputable accountants and CPAs. More often than not, they go to Google+ Local, ask their friends and family on social media or check out Yelp.
Get Mobile
Also, more potential clients are looking for accountants and CPAs on the go now that they have web enabled mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. If your old website hasn’t been mobile optimized, it might be nearly illegible or too hard to use for mobile customers. And statistics show that mobile customers will very quickly surf elsewhere if they come across a website that doesn’t work well on their device—even if it’s a business they already know and like. You must keep your website up-to-date constantly and get it mobile optimized so that local customers looking for you will find you before they find your competitors.
Reputation Management
While we’re on the subjects of local and mobile Internet marketing efforts, we need to talk a little bit about Yelp and other online review sites like Google+ Local, which are two of the main sources mobile customers look to when they are trying to find a reputable accountant or CPA. 85% of potential customers read local business reviews online—and follow them. If you are not active on Yelp, it’s possible that a troll or a past disgruntled customer who was having a bad day when they met you, is damaging your reputation without you even knowing about it. You must dedicate time and resources to claiming and managing any and all of your online directory listings so that these people are not in charge of your online reputation and you can counter any negative reviews with positive actions.
Stay current, stay interesting, stay engaged…
Another of our Internet marketing tips for accountants and CPAs is to try new things to keep your customers engaged. Does your website have secure ways for your clients to communicate with you and check their accounts online, even from their mobile devices? Why not get a YouTube channel and post a periodic video blog sharing financial advice with a call-to-action for your business at the end? What efforts are you making to stay engaged with your clients?
Hire an Expert
We realize that is a lot of advice to digest—and following our Internet marketing tips for accountants and CPAs may be difficult without the right expertise, time and resources. That is why we are here to help! Internet marketing, website design (mobile, traditional and responsive), SEO, reputation management and integrated marketing services are our areas of expertise. Contact Affordable Web Design today to learn how we can help you run with these Internet marketing tips and get more leads, sales and clients today!