Essential Tips for Designing the Best CPA Websites

BusinessMarketing & Advertising

  • Author Brian Oconnell
  • Published April 16, 2012
  • Word count 850

Putting together a website for your accounting company can be a daunting responsibility. Fortunately, there are some basic design methods that will allow you to easily navigate through the website design process. Site design principles are trusted standards that will allow you to develop an aesthetically pleasing website. Close attention to detail will help your website become a known resource for resolving accounting questions because of its easy navigation and informative elements. As you know, promoting your accounting business through a website is essential to competing in your industry.

Separate your website from the hundreds of other competitor's CPA practice websites by providing users with valuable information in a simple format that is easy to use. Make the experience so good that they share your website with friends. Because of the mass number of accountants online, the process of finding a trusted accountant is often difficult. You can set yourself apart from your competitors with a well thought out website that allows for interaction between you and your prospective clients. People should be able to tell at a quick glance that you are a friendly, professional accountant. You can accomplish this through your overall website design. Visit other CPA websites and look for things that need improvement. Learn from the mistakes your competitors are making on their websites to improve your own.

If your website is filled with boring text and confusing charts, users will leave your site almost immediately. You can stand out from your competitors by creating a website with a friendly, professional design. Design your website to be easy to navigate. Integrate useful content and resources into your web pages so that your users will find it helpful. Users love to pass on useful websites to their friends and colleagues so in the end you will benefit from a well thought out design for your accounting business.

You might think that you can just sit down at a computer and start designing your accounting website. However, before you begin you will need to find a company to host your website. All hosting companies offer different features to help you run your website, so do some thorough research before choosing one. As an accounting business, you won't need a lot of features. However, you will want a reliable host with enough speed to keep your website working smoothly.

The next step in creating your website will be to design your website. If you choose to hire someone, just make sure that they are reliable and are willing to work closely with you throughout the entire process. If someone does it for you, make sure they are clear on exactly what you want on the website and how you want it to look. Stay conscious of the page load time throughout the design process. Slow load times will send your users to the competition. CPA websites should be simple and straightforward.

Your website needs to make you easily accessible to the public. Make sure that your contact information is easy to find and up-to-date. Nothing is more frustrating than searching for a way to contact a business. It also never hurts to make your website interactive. A guest book or comments section is a simple, yet effective way to make your website interactive. It will allow users to contact you instantly with concerns or questions. If you decide to include interactive elements on your website, make sure you are prepared to handle them in a timely manner. People will expect a quick reply. No one wants to feel like their accountant doesn't care about them or need them as a client.

Building a beautiful website is really just the first step in making an impression online. In order to have anyone find your accounting website, you will need to promote it. The Internet is a big neighborhood. In order to stand out online, a strategic approach to marketing it will be necessary. One simple way to drive traffic to your website is to get your CPA websites onto Internet directories such as Google and Yahoo. Some services will try to tell you that they will get your accounting firm onto all 500 search engines. The truth is, there are an average of 30 to 40 search engines on the Internet. A solid foundation will allow you to promote your CPA websites with ease. Select ways to market your website that will yield favorable results.

Finally, you must carefully choose how you promote your website. Some services disseminate spam-like messages as a lead generation tactic. However, it's a rare person who likes to receive spam-y advertisements in their email account. Unsolicited promotions will only turn off prospects. Giving website users exclusive accounting resources is a smart approach. Your clients simply wish to address their accounting concerns in the most effective possible way. It's imperative to set up a website that makes it a straight forward process for website users to get in touch. Ultimately, your Internet presence is yet another way for you to assist people. Make sure that you promptly reply to all queries since it's a good way to get prospects.

Brian O'Connell is the CEO and founder of CPA Site Solutions, one of the country's leading edge companies dedicated exclusively to designing contemporary CPA websites. His firm currently provides websites for more than 5000 CPA and accounting firms.

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