One of the most inexpensive marketing tools available is your business website. With minimal startup and maintenance costs you can develop a good website that will represent you well and increase your clientele. It will also work 24/7 as a virtual receptionist, getting the word out about your business while you work. And if well developed, your business website will be more than an inexpensive marketing tool, but a good point of contact and an effort to further brand your business.
But before building that all-important website you must ask yourself a few searching questions:
1. Who is your intended audience? Unless you clearly understand who your target audience is, you will be unable to build a website that both attracts them and satisfies their needs. Obviously you will want your website to appeal to both current and prospective clients. Once you clearly define who might comprise that intended audience, you can ask yourself more specific questions regarding their expectations.
2. What are your objectives? When you are able to determine what you hope to accomplish through your business website, you have a standard by which you can measure its success. Would you like it to simply share your business information like an electronic business card? While it’s good to have that type of information available, a website can accomplish so much more. Would you like to secure more clients by offering special website promotions? What about explaining your services and their value? Be sure that your list of objectives is specific and exhaustive. Once you have developed that list you can use it as a guide in building your site.
3. What should visitors expect to find on your site? Visitors will obviously expect to find an explanation of your services along with contact information. What else might they expect? You don’t want to disappoint prospective visitors by falling short of their expectations. Consider posing this question to a handful of individuals from your intended audience. Current clients could also provide you with valuable insight on what they would like to find on your site.
4. What will bring visitors back? Attracting first-time visitors is one thing, but how do you bring them back to your site continually? Again you must look at your website from a visitor’s standpoint and determine what would interest them enough to not only like your site, but bookmark it. The one thing that will bring visitors back is offering valuable content that you update continually. Consider offering a tax tips section, a client spotlight, or a regular website promotion.
5. What will they take with them? You’ve determined how you might build a site that interests repeat visitors, but what do you want them to take from your site? Obviously, you want them to value your services more. You also want them to remember you, even if they don’t retain your services initially. When they need tax help, you want them to remember your website and return to get your number so they can schedule an appointment.
Universal Accounting Center Can Help You Create a Custom Website for Your Practice
Imagine how difficult it would be to create your own website that addressed all the above questions. Now imagine that UAC can manage that process for you, enabling you to create a strong web presence without expending much energy. Universal’s Accountweb, a website development tool, is available exclusively for financial professionals. Within a number of business days you can create a personalized website for your practice, enabling potential clients to access your business even after your office closes.
To see a sample of a website developed from the Universal Accountweb platform, go to www.universalaccountingservices.com.
Whether you run a full-time practice or perform tax services on the side, you need a website that tells potential clients about your business even when you are unable to. If you haven’t yet developed a website for your business, today is the day! Order your subscription now—your website will be up and running by the following business week. And if you are a Universal Accounting student, you will receive a free six-month trial!
