Brian O'Connell, President

Are your clients satisfied with you? You want to believe they are – but sometimes clients get frustrated with their accountants because of what seems a small thing:

They can’t get in touch with you.

Especially during busy season, this becomes a real problem. A client who has a simple question becomes increasingly annoyed when their calls go unanswered. You may have your nose to the grindstone, but, despite your best efforts, your clients may start looking for another CPA if they can’t get two minutes with you on the phone.

I want to show you how to leverage CPA websites to mitigate this problem.

Using all kinds of tools that come with your site, you can provide your clients with the high level of customer service they’re expecting. Which gets you satisfied clients.

When You’re Too Busy for the Phone

When you’re chest-deep in client work, you don’t want to take the time to answer the phone. It interrupts the flow and dramatically lowers your efficiency.

In the busy season, encourage your clients to use these methods to get their questions answered – and avoid the phone.

Contact Us Forms

All websites with CPA Site Solutions come with a “Contact Us” form that clients and prospects can fill out on their own time with their question and contact information. Each submission generates an email to your inbox.

This means your clients feel the relief of submitting their question, and you can answer them when it’s convenient for you.

Clients can schedule meetings with you right on your website.

Book Appointments Online

Half the time, clients call you just to schedule an appointment. Wouldn’t it be helpful if they could schedule those themselves?

Well, they can, with our “Book Appointments Online” feature. They see your calendar (with your busy times simply marked “busy”) and they fill out a simple form that requests an appointment for one of your free blocks.

FAQs

Sometimes clients have answers to standard questions and they don’t really need personalized service. That’s where your FAQs come in, which come free with all our websites.

Here are some examples of questions your FAQs answer:

• When should I refinance my home?

• How much should I expect to pay in closing costs?

• Is interest on educational loans tax deductible?

• What kind of records do I need to keep in my business?

Videos

A video is an excellent way to get information across. With the enormous popularity of YouTube, folks are increasingly comfortable with this format.

It’s not hard to make your own video! I recommend Screenr. With this free tool, you can record yourself answering clients’ most common questions. Not only does it satisfy their need for information, but it also puts them at ease to see and hear you talking. It’s almost like a little appointment in itself.

Keep Clients Happy with Our Help

We are more than happy to help you take advantage of any or all of these methods to stay in touch with clients – and keep them satisfied with you.

If you have any questions about these features, give us a call at 1-800-896-4500 or email us at support@cpasitesolutions.com.

Remember – although it doesn’t take much to annoy your clients, it also doesn’t take much to make them happy again.

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Your clients have questions. Show them you have answers.

You might not expect to find value in a series of questions.

But listing Frequently Asked Questions on accounting websites leads to higher productivity, more satisfied clients, and expert rates.

Here’s how…

1. FAQs Make Happier Clients

When clients and prospects visit your website, they don’t always know what questions to ask. They just know they need help.

A set of FAQs not only conveys information – it also helps clients organize their thoughts. They feel more in control after reviewing the questions.

In addition, FAQs divide information up into small chunks – which is how people are used to digesting information online.

Finally, a lot of folks expect to find FAQs. It’s the first place they go – and if there are no FAQs, they’re frustrated.

When you satisfy your current clients, you strengthen the client bond. A stronger bond means you retain clients effortlessly, and keep the income flowing.

2. FAQs Mean Increased Productivity

Picture this: it’s tax season. Clients are calling daily, eager for financial advice. Because your website has very little information, it’s up to you and your staff to answer each and every call. This time of year, that’s a tall order.

Now let’s say you have one of our accounting websites. Instead of calling you for help, clients visit your FAQ section. You’re free to focus on your billable work, while clients get the assistance they need.

And more billable work means – you guessed it – more revenue for your firm.

Here are some examples of great questions to list on your website:

• When should I refinance my home?

• How much should I expect to pay in closing costs?

• Is interest on educational loans tax deductible?

• What kind of records do I need to keep in my business?

3. FAQs Allow Higher Rates

When you visit your doctor, you expect her to know about every medical condition you mention.

Pain in your joints? She should know what that could mean. Trouble sleeping? She ought to be able to help you. That mole on your shoulder that looks a little funky? You want to know whether you should worry.

Now what if she kept telling you, “Sorry, I’m not familiar with that.” Would you consider her an expert? Would you feel good about paying her a premium rate?

The same holds true for accountants. If you show your clients that you know a wide variety of information about financial matters, your clients trust your expertise.

And just try setting higher rates without that trust.

Save Time – Use Our FAQs

There’s no need to spend countless hours gathering questions and crafting answers. When you have a website with CPA Site Solutions, you get over 1,000 FAQs included at no extra cost.

The FAQs on our sites - helpfully categorized into several sections – answer your clients’ questions succinctly. They also point out why it’s necessary to contact you for further information, so they help drive business back to your firm.

If you already have a website with us, and you’re interested in adding to the FAQs with some customized questions, give us a call at 1-800-896-4500 or email us at support@cpasitesolutions.com.

Not a CPA Site Solutions client? Sign up today for our free 60-day trial – and start to swell your bottom line with FAQs.

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But how do people evaluate accounting websites? What helps a site stand apart from its competition?

Quality content. Load your site with great content and you make the grade.

New visitors read your articles, profile pages, and other information and become comfortable enough to take the plunge and hire you.

The 10-Second Test

Did you know that 95% of all buying decisions are now made online? Folks are searching for websites to help make decisions about what to buy. This goes for professional services as well as consumer products.

Once they land on a site, they take 10 seconds to decide whether to click away or read on.

If your design is professional, they feel comfortable enough to stay past those 10 seconds – and do a closer read. That’s where content comes in.

Quality Content Makes the Difference

But what content, exactly?

Here’s a list of the pages you need to convey who you are:

• Descriptions of your services

• About Us pages

• Articles

• FAQs

• Newsletters

• Blog posts

• Contact Us pages

If your site is filled with these pages, and they’re well written and knowledgeable, you put your best foot forward. You allow prospects to research your firm in the way they want to – online, in private, without needing to pick up the phone.

And, as a bonus, loads of high-quality content position you as an expert. This means you not only get the client, but you also get to charge the expert rates.

Get That Content Here

When you have a Complete Web Suite with us, you get page after page of outstanding content.

• 35 pages describing your Services - Tax services, business services, QuickBooks services, and services for individuals (you add and delete pages to fit your firm’s focus)

• About Us pages that are fully customizable and feature pictures and bios of you and your staff

• 3,000 pages of Financial Guides covering life events and business, tax, and investment strategies

• 1,000 Frequently Asked Questions about financial planning, insurance, taxes, and numerous other subjects

• Client Newsletter uploaded to your site monthly, with links to previous issues, covering taxes, investments, financial planning, and many other topics relevant to individuals and small businesses

• Fully Integrated Blog that’s easy to update with helpful accounting-related articles as well as more lighthearted pieces on your hobbies and personal interests

• Contact Us page with all your contact information, an email contact form, a map and driving directions (which can be omitted if you run a home office), and a staff directory

Someone looking for an accountant wants to research a variety of firms to find the right fit. Providing them page after page of text allows them to become familiar with your staff as professionals and more personally. This kind of information is what tips the scales in your favor and gets you the sign-up.

Free 60-Day Trial

If you want a website with loads of content that helps you acquire new clients, sign up with us today. You get a free 60-day trial, as well as all the tools and content of our Complete Web Suites.

Have new clients given you feedback on your site’s content? What other features do you think clients rely on when choosing a CPA? Share your ideas in the space below.

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