Websites - Why and How

It is critical that your clients and prospects think of you as knowledgeable, professional, and innovative. Certain factors come immediately to mind: your educational credentials, your word-of-mouth reputation, your attention to deadlines and filing dates, the thoroughness of the annual interviews with clients.

But another factor that may come into play is your use of the latest technology tools. First faxes and now PC's have become staples in almost any office. But with the advent of the Internet another tool is available that can reflect the progressive nature of your company: your own personalized website. Today, having a web address can be as important as having a phone number. It can provide a 24-hour doorway for your clients or prospects to contact you, to learn more about your business, and to provide them with valuable information.

The Internet is here to stay. More and more people are coming to rely upon it as a way to keep up with news, to communicate with others, and to research topics of interest. With the increasing focus on the Internet, the key for us as professionals is to find an effective way to harness it. A personalized website is a fundamental cornerstone of this. But what characteristics should such a website possess?

1. Perhaps the single most important feature that a website should possess is "change". Regardless of how attractive or "spectacular" a site might appear, viewers will cease visiting unless the site has new information for them to read or experience. The site should provide a reason for the visitor to return. For example, it may contain new articles that contain up-to-date information of relevance to their tax and accounting needs.

2. The site should be clearly laid out and easy to navigate. Can a visitor find what they are looking for with just a few clicks on buttons that make intuitive sense?

3. Include a page with detailed contact information and place links to this information in prominent locations on your site. Your contact information should include phone and fax numbers, at least one email address and a map to your office. Visit www.mapquest.com, locate your office and use the URL address on the Mapquest site to create a link on your contact information page.

4. Add an "about us" section that includes information about your firm, and the services you offer. Include photographs, email addresses and biographical information for each professional on your staff.

Another factor to consider: is it less expensive to hire someone outside your office to run and update the site for you? How difficult is it to add articles to your web site? Can you change the colors to accent the change of seasons? Do you have the time to do it yourself or would it make sense to have someone else maintain it for you? Quite often, it's better to hire an outside contractor to help you maintain your site. They can often do a better job than you could, and with much less effort.
Many of the prebuilt template sites are too rigid or provide no incentive for your clients to learn more about your firm and additional services you offer. However, to our surprise we have found a web site company that seems to understand accountants and their needs. They have built a system that allows you to fill in a couple of information blanks, and choose from more than 30 different designs (appropriate for accountants) to build a unique web site right in front of your eyes. There are no forms to mail back and forth. The whole process is done in minutes on-line! Then, at any time you can edit or add information to the site just as easily via a password protected web page.

What caught our attention on the first visit to Accountant-City.com was that they have a staff writing articles on a variety of subjects and a monthly newsletter. This updated content appears on your web site as if you have written them yourself… all included in their base price of $299.00. Then to really cut down on your labor costs, they will even email the monthly newsletter directly to your clients as if it came from your desktop. No Extra Charge! (They also have provided your website with a package of useful features such as a daily tax tip, weather for your area, top news and sports headlines, stock quotes, and even the ability for you to insert useful links to other websites)

Although there are many companies that assist you with building and maintaining your website, Accountant-City is a solid value for the money. Regardless of which method you choose to create your website, a professional presence on the Internet is a very wise investment. A small investment can reap big rewards.
(For those of you who might be interested in Accountant-City, we have made a special arrangement with them to save you the $99 set-up fee. Simply visit www.accountant-city.com and choose 'New Professionals Register Here". Remember to select "Sleeter Group" from the "how did you hear of us" pull-down menu to waive your set-up fee. Or contact Accountant-City directly for answers to any questions you may have- 1-877-393-7346).