Attract New Clients and Keep Them Coming Back for More Presented by: Julie Lemberg, CCH Solution Architect Hosted by: AccountingWEB October 18, 2013

Attract New Clients Agenda Website importance to your brand Client engagement through your website Value for your firm Site Builder demo Q&A

Attract New Clients Brand: Your website is the window into your brand  It’s the face of your business: The design and layout reflect your brand image Accessibility to and usefulness of content and tools impact customer satisfaction  Your Website is a means to connect with your customers Areas of specialty, relevant content Who and how to contact Tools and resources to offer assistance Your unique brand message differentiates the best you have to offer, gives a good indication of what you’re like to work with, and shows how you make things happen. Dawn Rasmussen, president of the Portland, Oregon-based Pathfinder Writing and Career Services.Pathfinder Writing and Career Services Your unique brand message differentiates the best you have to offer, gives a good indication of what you’re like to work with, and shows how you make things happen. Dawn Rasmussen, president of the Portland, Oregon-based Pathfinder Writing and Career Services.Pathfinder Writing and Career Services

Attract New Clients Polling Question 1 When do you plan to create or update your site? Immediately Within 3 months Within 6 months Within 12 months Do not plan to update

Attract New Clients Brand: Avoid these  Heavy designs Dense, too busy Unnecessary content – detracts from user experience  Distracting designs Splash pages Frames  Unclear navigation Relevant information cannot be found e.g., Contact Info  Stale content and inactive links

Attract New Clients Brand: CPA Top Marketing Initiatives  Website: 30% of the respondents claimed a new Web site as their top initiative including: New design Mobile compatible Blogs Improved search engine optimization (SEO)  Niche-focused marketing: 30% of those surveyed noted a desire to focus on niche-focused efforts (concentrating on an industry or service to craft a strategy on attracting an “ideal” client).  Branding: 10% of those surveyed referred to a need for a branding or a rebranding – connected to the main initiative of launching a new website.  Social media: 8% of those surveyed said they valued education about and training on social media, specifically LinkedIn. Many marketing and management professionals admitted to under-utilizing this medium.

Attract New Clients Polling Question  What are your top goals for your website? [Select as many as applicable] Improved aesthetics Support existing customers Attract new customers Remain competitive Offer services (e.g., file sharing)

Attract New Clients Value: What you are telling us you need …  Content – Tax-relevant content to ensure my customers see me as a valuable and reliable source of information.  Mobile Compatible (Responsive Design) – The predominant use of mobile devices and the 24/7 nature means that my site has to be compatible  SEO (Search Engine Optimization) – I’m a CPA not a digital marketer. I need to work with someone who can help ensure might site is found by my current and potential customers.  Social Media – Websites need to be a two-way communication vehicle. Supporting social media is an important tool for keeping connected with and collaborating with my customers.  Simplicity – I’m not an entertainment business, my site needs to be clear, elegant and easy to use.

Attract New Clients Client Engagement: What the CPA Marketing experts say …  CPA firms will be more successful if they see their websites as part of an overall marketing strategy. David Cieslak CPA/CITP, CGMA, principal with Arxis Technology.  CPAs should move from static websites to customizable sites with up-to-date content, including videos and blogs… Amy Vetter, CPA/CITP, CPA Programs Leader at Intacct Corp., former key accounts manager for the Southeast at Intuit, and former president of AV Accounting Services  CPA firms would benefit from adding “useful” content such as checklists offering tax or financial planning advice… J. Carlton Collins, owner of ASA Research and writer of the JofA’s Technology Q&A column  Look for CPA firm websites to feature cleaner designs with fewer words and information presented in a more mobile-friendly format.

Attract New Clients In other words

Attract New Clients Polling Question  How many of your customers use smartphones or tablets? [Choose one] Around 10% Around 25% Around 50% Around 75% 100%

Attract New Clients

Attract New Clients Checklist – Does your website allow you to:  Connect with customers by providing: Relevant tax articles that are updated monthly. Downloadable tax forms and publications, including a convenient tax organizer. Interactive events calendar to easily track key milestone dates. Financial calculators to assist in decision making.  Collaborate with your clients in new, meaningful ways such as: Securely sharing files with clients using integrated tools. Providing an appointment calendar for clients to schedule time with you. Support Newsletters with customized content to your subscribers.  Grow your business by: Generating leads through use of contact forms. Expanding your network by linking to your social media. Supporting mobile devices (smartphones and tablets). 72% of Consumers Expect Brands to Have Mobile-Friendly Sites (AdWeek – Sept 2012) 72% of Consumers Expect Brands to Have Mobile-Friendly Sites (AdWeek – Sept 2012)

Attract New Clients For more information … Julie Lemberg Solution Architect

Attract New Clients