Attract New Clients and
Keep Them Coming Back
for More
Presented by:
Julie Lemberg,
CCH Solution Architect
Hosted by:
AccountingWEB
October 18, 2013
Agenda
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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
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It’s the face of your business:
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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
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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.
Attract New Clients
Polling Question 1
When do you plan to create or update your site?
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Immediately
Within 3 months
Within 6 months
Within 12 months
Do not plan to update
Attract New Clients
Brand: Avoid these
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Heavy designs
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Distracting designs
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Splash pages
Frames
Unclear navigation
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Dense, too busy
Unnecessary content – detracts
from user experience
Relevant information cannot be
found e.g., Contact Info
Stale content and inactive links
Attract New Clients
Brand: CPA Top Marketing Initiatives
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Website: 30% of the respondents claimed a new Web site as their top
initiative including:
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New design
Mobile compatible
Blogs
Improved search engine optimization (SEO)
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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).
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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.
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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
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What are your top goals for your website? [Select as many as applicable]
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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 …
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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.
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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…
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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…
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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
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How many of your customers use smartphones or tablets? [Choose one]
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Around
Around
Around
Around
100%
10%
25%
50%
75%
Attract New Clients
www.cchwebsites.com
Attract New Clients
Checklist – Does your website allow you to:
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Connect with customers by providing:
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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:
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72% of Consumers Expect Brands to
Have Mobile-Friendly Sites
(AdWeek – Sept 2012)
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:
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Generating leads through use of contact forms.
Expanding your network by linking to your social media.
Supporting mobile devices (smartphones and tablets).
Attract New Clients
For more information …
Julie Lemberg
Solution Architect
1-877-531-5519
julie.lemberg@wolterskluwer.com
Attract New Clients
Attract New Clients