Grow Your Accounting Business Online With WordPress

The digital business age has not only transformed the way business is done around the world, it has also created a growing number of challenges and opportunities for accounting businesses.

Challenges Professional Accountants Face Online

Accounting businesses must work harder than ever to remain competitive. Not only do you have to participate in the communities and industries your business serves, you must also develop a strong digital presence. This includes having a dynamic web presence and figuring out better ways to market your business services online.

In addition to investing dollars advertising offline on local newspapers, ads in industry publications and magazines, radio and television spots, etc., businesses in the accounting industry are also finding that increasingly larger amounts of their budget will need to be allocated towards the development and maintenance of a website that attracts new leads, engages users, outperforms the competition in search engines and social media, and helps to create a wider reach online.

This means that your site not only has to look great, your web pages have to be fast-loading, and your site layout has to be easy to navigate, but even more importantly, your site’s needs may change in time and sections may need to be updated often. This requires the implementation of a well-developed website and content management strategy.

One other challenge that CPAs face online (as do most businesses for that matter), is that they have an average of thirty seconds or less to provide visitors what they need or they will go away.

“Websites have evolved into central information hubs where service information is still present but enhanced with web portals, hyperlinks to state and federal sites, and a variety of free tools.”

Michael Alter, http://www.accountingweb.com/technology/accounting-software/tips-for-improving-your-website

Opportunities For CPAs

As well as facing many business and technology changes, there are also plenty of online opportunities available to accounting firms that can evolve to meet the demands of the digital economy and can think strategically about improving their online marketing skills.

In this article, you will learn about new opportunities to attract new clientele and create significant improvements in your business presence online.

As well as providing practical tips and information on ways to improve your web presence, we also recommend that you consider using the WordPress Content Management System (CMS) to power your accounting or financial services business website.

To learn more about the benefits and advantages of using WordPress, see these articles:

• Learn Why A Poorly Built Web Site Can Cost You Potential Clients
• WordPress In Business – The Beginner’s Guide To Growing Your Successful Business With A WordPress Site

Useful Tips For Improving Your Website

This section looks at ways to improve your website and get better results online. We will look at what pages you need, what type of content works best for accounting websites, your layout and navigation, etc.

If you need assistance or help planning your accounting website, check out the detailed step-by-step guide we have written here: A Basic Guide To Website Planning For Non-Technical Business Owners

Improve Your Web Pages

Professional websites need some essential web pages. Let’s discuss these.

Description Of Services

You need a page that explains your products and services.

Your page should include services such as:

• Business accounting – business planning, company formation, general accounting, payroll, preparing financial statements, book keeping, budgeting, forecasting, financing, strategic planning, consulting services, etc.
• Taxation – preparing, planning, reviewing, auditing, advising, problem resolution
• Investment strategies
• Corporate finance
• Wealth creation
• Superannuation/retirement plan (401k) advice
• Audit risk assessment and assurance
• Quickbooks – setup, training, tune up, and support
• Specialist services – mergers, acquisitions, information technology, secretarial, rentals, trusts, fiduciary accounting, succession planning, selling businesses, asset transfers, etc.
• Lending and leasing

List all of the services you provide, not just the ones you specialize in. Provide your visitors with information that will educate them about what these services do and direct them to your contact or appointment booking page.

Who We Are

The ‘About Us’ page needs to describe your business and explain to visitors what your business stands for, its unique approach, community contributions, etc.

It’s important to also include any awards, recognitions, accreditations, certifications, associations, publications, etc., that could be used to promote your company and set it above other competitors.

(List all of your industry awards recognitions, certifications, accreditations, publications, associations, etc. in the About page. Screenshot source: deloitte.com)

Meet The Team

Are you searching for cost-effective ideas to sell more products or services online or get prospective clients to stay longer on your site? Then something you can do, is make it easier for your visitors to get to know, like and trust your organization better.

You want your business to be relatable. One great way to do that is to have a page that introduces your employees. It should include a photo and a mini bio. Since most visitors will not tend to be well-versed in accounting terms your bio descriptions should tell who they are and what their specialties are. You may also want to explain what those specialties mean. It should even include social buttons so your visitors can follow individual team members on their social pages.

On this page, don’t be afraid to humanize your team members with personal stories, hobbies, etc., but make sure to outline your team member’s qualifications, why they are an invaluable asset to your team, and more importantly, how they can help add value to your clients’ business.

(Add a page that introduces your staff members to prospective new clients. Image sourced from: deepsky.com)

To learn more about how to add an easy-to-maintain simple team directory in your web site, refer to this step-by-step tutorial: Adding A Staff Directory In WordPress: Plugin Tutorial

Job Opportunities Page

This is a listing of career opportunities within your firm. It could include training, benefits, professional development, etc. It should include information such as the job outlook and additional career opportunities in the accounting industry.

Include also a positions available section in your page. If there are no positions currently available, consider inviting people to return periodically to the page, join your newsletter, follow your social pages, etc.

Testimonials

Case studies and reviews from clients are a great way to show prospective clients businesses minimize tax, increase profitability, or grow strategically. Adding a page with reviews from clients and case studies also provides potential clients with social proof.

(Add a page to your site with client reviews and case studies. Screenshot source: pcg-services.com)

We have written a detailed article about using testimonials and reviews get better results online here: How To Turn More Visitors Into Prospects With More Effective Customer Testimonials

Contact Page

A contact page is crucial.

Your contact page should provide the following information:

• Name Of Your Organization
• Address
• Telephone
• Fax number
• Email address
• Map and directions
• Website address
• Contact form
• Name of person to contact
• Links to social media networks
• Online chat (optional feature)

If your business services multiple locations you want to make that clear when displaying the address and contact info.

Consider also including links to an FAQ page, useful pages, special offers, support area, newsletter opt-in form, blog, etc.

Blog

A blog can be a very powerful marketing tool. Most blogging platforms typically include a content management system that allows you to promote your business by publishing timely content such as announcements, updates, useful articles and tutorials, opinions and discussions, how-to videos, media presentations, etc.

If you already have an existing accounting or financial services site, then consider adding a WordPress-powered blog to promote your organization.

If you don’t have a website yet, or your existing site is hard to add new content to or not giving you the results you want, then WordPress can serve as both your website and your blog.

You may not be aware of this, but an expertly configured WordPress site can become an automated traffic system that can help begin delivering web traffic to your web site, simply by adding regular content to your site.

(WordPress can automate your traffic generation)

For more details, go here: Website Traffic Blueprint – Discover How To Create A Web Traffic Generation Machine With WordPress

Legal Information Pages

It’s vitally important for accounting and financial services organizations to make sure they have a compliant website, not just for building trust and credibility with visitors, but also to ensure that no laws and regulations are being contravened in whichever area or location you service.

Adding some or all of the following legal pages to your accounting site will help keep you out of legal hot water with most regulatory authorities, third-party service providers (e.g. Facebook), and other potential sources of legal threats and inconveniences:

• Contact Us
• Privacy Policy
• Terms And Conditions Of Use
• Website Disclaimer
• Affiliate Agreement
• Anti-Spam Policy
• Compensation Disclosure
• DMCA Notice
• Earnings Disclaimer
• External Linking Policy
• Financial Disclaimers
• Refund Policy
• Video/Audio Terms
• and others

We have written a detailed article on adding legal pages to your site here: What You Need To Know About Adding Legal Pages To Your Site

Improving The Content On Your Site

In today’s globally competitive economy, content marketing has become one of the key differentiators for businesses selling similar products or services.

Providing great content with useful advice and tips will get your visitors to share your web pages with others and come back for more. This is the most effective way to inform and teach your visitors and prospective clients about your business.

For example, topics for an accounting business could include the following:

• How balance sheets work
• Overlooked tax deductions
• Duties and legal responsibilities of company directors
• Presenting accounts for non-profit activities
• Business cashflow planning tips
• Business insurance
• Risk protection
• Tips on structuring your self-managed retirement fund
• Things to look for when … (e.g. purchasing vs leasing, setting up payroll systems, etc.)

You can also create a series of informative articles that will help your your prospective clients understand your accounting or financial services, such as forensic accounting, small business accounting, tax planning for small business, reducing debt, understanding accounting concepts, etc.

Remember to use specific keywords and terminology in your articles that your prospective clients will be searching for.

We recommend subscribing to our Content Marketing Email Training Series. You will receive a comprehensive series of training emails with actionable information that will show you how to drive more traffic to your website, save money creating useful content for your visitors and grow your business online using content. It’s not only a great course with loads of useful information, it’s also completely FREE!

Ways To Improve User Experience

Improving user experience (known as UX) will help you keep visitors coming back and engaging with your site. This section will show you ways you can improve your visitor engagement and UX.

Using RSS Feeds

RSS feeds can help to improve visitor engagement and user experience in a number of different ways.

If you provide content that adds value to others, other businesses will want to syndicate your content.

Some of the benefits of syndicating your content to other businesses using RSS feeds, include:

• All of your content updates are kept in one place
• Doesn’t rely on email
• Can be shared online
• Feeds allow for subscribing
• An RSS feed provides a way for links to point back to your site
• RSS feeds can be submitted to RSS directories
• RSS provides various ways for readers to receive your content (e.g. read your content on their mobile device using a feed reader)
• RSS is built into WordPress

There are also benefits when it comes to adding syndicated content to your website from other websites, such as the fact that you don’t have to write, manage or update the content.

You can find RSS feeds with useful content for your website by visiting sites of finance-related government departments and respected industry bodies.

Here are some exaples of feeds you may want to consider adding to your accounting website:

• Taxation Policy Center: http://www.taxpolicycenter.org/press/rss.cfm
• Australian Taxation Office: https://www.ato.gov.au/RSS-news-feeds.aspx
• Canada Revenue Agency: http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/rssfeeds/
• UK HM Revenue and Customs: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/rss/rss.htm
• South Africa Revenue Service: http://www.sars.gov.za/Pages/RSS-Feeds.aspx

(RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds can help to improve your accounting website’s user experience.)

Adding Online Checklists

Adding checklists and forms to your site is a great way to increase visitor engagement and add value to your audience. They can provide visitors with useful instructions and resources to complete tasks. Checklists and forms are also great business planning tools.

You can provide a range of forms and checklists covering subjects such as:

• How To Set Up A Company
• Rental Property Checklist
• Fundraising Activity Checklist
• Disclosure Checklists
• Partnership Tax Checklist
• Trust Tax Checklist
• Income Tax Variation Forms

Add Online Tools

Providing useful tools, gadgets and applications for businesses (or links to these tools) on your website is a great way to increase visitor engagement and add value to your users. Calculators, such as loan and tax calculators, are useful tools for accounting websites. Other tools could include time cards, and retirement and interest calculators.

In the next section, we will be discussing a several online tools you can use in your site using WordPress plugins and themes that can help to improve your search engine optimization, increase user engagement and drive more visitors to your business.

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This is the end of part 1 of this guide on ways to build your accounting web presence.

To continue reading, click here:

• Grow Your Accounting Website – WordPress Plugins That Can Help To Improve SEO, Improve User Engagement And Increase Web Traffic Generation

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