The Value of a Strong Online Presence for Accounting Firms
Twenty years ago, no one thought twice if your business didn’t have a website.
Today, if you don’t have a website or social media, it’s difficult for people to realize your business exists.
Website traffic and social media engagement are often the best ways to reach new leads. And once people find your business online, an intuitive and functional website is the best way to retain leads, build client relationships, and even attract new team members.
It can be intimidating to have to create a website, but it’s essential to your business’s long-term success. If you don’t have an online presence or your website gives a negative first impression, potential clients will almost always go with another accounting firm. They may gravitate toward a firm that uses its online presence to build trust in their team in an intuitive and engaging manner.
Take heart, though. With a bit of preparation, you could be that firm, the one with the magnetic online presence.
The benefits of a solid online presence
Whether searching for work or personal purposes, everyone uses Google to find businesses and services. Websites and social media accounts are helpful tools for engaging with existing clients and advertising your business.
For many companies, the impact of a good online presence is truly make or break in terms of success. When developed correctly, an online presence can help firms get a leg up on the competition, grow, and thrive.
A strong first impression
The average website page visit lasts less than a minute. In fact, they may navigate away within as little as ten seconds. People have short attention spans, so a professional, intuitive, and interesting website is critical. Social media pages are an additional resource for your firm to build brand recognition and drive potential clients to your website.
Capture leads
How easy is it for people to contact your business? If they have to navigate through several pages, if your business’s contact information is hard to find, or if your call to action is buried at the bottom of one page, people aren’t going to know how to get in touch with you.
On the other hand, social media accounts and a good website help capture more leads in less time because it takes less effort for people to reach out with questions.
Build client relationships
Websites that connect clients to online payment processors or integrate with online client portals are a fantastic way for accounting firms to build a more positive client experience by making online payments fast and easy. Online access to payment options and account information creates added convenience, which is vital to the client experience.
Showcase your expertise
Social media posts, even if they discuss a small concept or statistic, build trust over time and demonstrate that you’re knowledgeable in your field.
Blog posts on your website also serve as an excellent opportunity to build thought leadership for your business. What’s more, over time, regularly publishing a blog helps your website rank higher in search results, making you more findable.
Help your firm compete
Similarly, an easily-findable website helps your accounting firm compete. Even if your accounting firm is reluctant to build a better website or social media presence, firms with a robust online presence will get more leads. The better your online presence, the easier it is for leads to pick your business out from the crowd of accounting firms.
Attract new talent
Most professionals do their research before they apply for a job. They’ll visit your social media and website. Potential team members will be more likely to apply if they identify with your firm’s culture and brand, which you communicate through an online presence. By optimizing your website and social media platforms, you are much more likely to attract new talent.
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How to boost your online presence
It’s one thing to build a website and a LinkedIn company page. It’s another to boost your online presence by using these tools correctly. There are several strategies your firm can use to build more awareness and audience trust for your brand so that you are always top of mind for their accounting needs.
Add an accounting blog to your website
Website blogs accomplish a number of things for your firm. They act as a way to communicate your brand and your business’s culture. Blogs are also an opportunity to establish thought leadership, and demonstrate your expertise. An accounting blog is also one of the best ways to drive more traffic to your firm in the first place via search engine queries.
Build a social media presence
The average person spends hours on social media every day. It’s a huge—and often free—way to engage with potential clients and expand your firm’s reach. If you have a blog, you can use it as a source for easy content by breaking up articles into smaller chunks of information.
Many businesses also use social media as a way to feature their team members and cheer their successes, which builds familiarity with your firm and serves as a vehicle for employee recognition.
Host webinars
Webinars help put a face to a name for your business. It is an opportunity to engage with your community and answer frequently asked questions about accounting. This allows people to feel that not only is your firm qualified, but also that you have their best interest at heart.
Make your website mobile-friendly and optimized for SEO
Mobile-friendly and SEO-optimized websites aren’t just nice to have. Almost 60% of all internet traffic occurs via mobile phones or tablets, and most users won’t go beyond the first five results of a Google search. A mobile- and SEO-optimized website is critical to building awareness for your accounting business.
Make it easy to have a robust online presence
The idea of building an online presence for your accounting firm can be overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. Mango Websites are designed by accountants, for accountants. It is built with your business’s needs in mind, so you can focus on helping clients.
With Mango Websites, accounting firms can level up their client experience and marketing efforts through an attractive, mobile-friendly website. In addition to content pages, client portals, and an accessibility widget, Mango Websites also make it easy to refresh and maintain your firm’s site in the long term through quarterly content updates and security updates.
An optimized online presence has the power to take your accounting business to the next level. See the possibilities for yourself, and schedule a demo today.
Unlock your accounting firm’s potential.
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