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Marketing Tips for Accountants and CPAs

In all my years designing websites for CPA’s one of the most infuriating problems I have is when a new client comes to me with an existing website ready to take the next step and we find out that he doesn’t even own the domain name he’s been using for years!

Don’t be taken in by this scam. Many web hosts will offer to reserve the domain name for you, then turn around and reserve the domain in their own name in an account that you can’t access. And don’t think that dealing with a large company is any protection! My biggest competitor does this, and they actually charge people a $50 fee when they leave if they want to take the domain name with them!

When allowing a host to purchase your domain name ask them some screening questions:

  • Will the domain be registered in my name?
  • Will I be listed as the “Administrative Contact”?
  • Will the domain be reserved in a retail account in my name with a control panel that I can access?
  • Can I lock you out of that control panel if I choose to?
  • Can I continue to manage my domain through this control panel even if I decide to stop hosting through you?

If the answer to ANY of these questions is “No” politely inform the representative you are speaking with that you will reserve the domain yourself.

It is easy to register your own domain and it will guarantee that you can keep control of your address even when you change website providers. Registering a URL is easy and usually very cheap (less than $15 a year).

My company provides a service that meets all these criteria and caters specifically to accountants and CPAs. When I do a client registration I set them up with a retail account in their name on this service. They can lock me out simply by changing their password and if they ever leave our hosting service they will be able to continue to manage their domain themselves. They not only own their domain, they actually have administrative control over it.

Your domain name is your real estate on the web. Make sure you actually own it and not your web host!

TIP

When you change your Email address always make sure you log into your domain name registrars site first and make sure they have the new email. It may save you a HUGE headache when the time comes to renew.


Having a first rate Accounting Website Design is a great way to impress clients and prospects, but it will be a much more effective prospecting tool if you take the time to personalize it!

So, what is a prospect looking for?

That’s easy, right? A good accountant!

Right?

Believe it or not… that’s wrong! That’s what you’d think a prospect was looking for. Heck, that’s even what the prospect thinks he’s looking for, but that’s not really what he’s looking for.

The biggest resistance any salesman has to confront is our good old-fashioned fear of strangers. This fear is compounded by the intimacy of the relationship between you and your clients. Keep in mind the old joke, “Only God knows a man better than his accountant.” Well trust me on this one… only accountants find that funny… Well… and probably God. To the rest of us it’s VERY intimidating.

The best way to get a prospect to pick up the phone and call you is to get him to LIKE you. Your site can be an invaluable tool for giving people a chance to get to know you BEFORE they have to pick up the phone and call you!

When writing copy for your website, keep this in mind.

There’s no point in convincing me you’re a great accountant if after visiting your site I’m still too shy to pick up the phone and call you.

The most important function of your website is to give your visitor a chance to feel like they know you. Include pictures. You don’t have to be pretty. It’s about making the prospect more comfortable, and having some idea who might pick up the phone will do that.

Personally I love football. If you love football too, we’ve made a personal connection! What are your interests? Dogs? Do you like golf? climbing? Scuba Diving? Bicycling? Clubs… Business organizations… Religious organizations… Charities you are involved with. All these things open the door for a personal connection and that personal connection is key to making your prospect feel comfortable with sharing his most intimate life’s details with us.

Get personal. Show your prospect some trust on a personal level. Not only does this make it more likely that you will get an initial contact, it also improves your odds of landing a sale. It’s just the way people think. Very few people make decisions intellectually. Most of us make our decisions emotionally, and then use our intellects to rationalize those decisions after-the-fact.

A good accounting website design is enough in and of itself to bring in new clients, but you won’t regret it if you take the time to personalize your site. It will become a MUCH more effective prospecting tool!