By Scott Cytron
This month’s Ideas in Motion focuses on Brian O’Connell, president of CPA Site Solutions, a business that creates Web site solutions for the accounting community. CPA Site Solutions offers template and custom sites, as well as e-mail, newsletters and other tools to build awareness and promote a firm.
Scott Cytron: It seems you’ve made a good business out of helping accounting firms get set up on the Internet with a Web site. What is the primary goal most firms have with their Web presence and how do you help meet this goal?
Brian O’Connell: Most firms come to us for one of two reasons. About half of the firms want a Web site to grow their client base; the other half want a Web site to better serve their clients. What they find is that the "right" Web site does both jobs very well.
The "right" Web site helps accounting firms grow in a controlled manner by giving prospective clients a place to privately "check them out."
These days, many of us want to research a product or service before buying. I recently hired an architect for a little project. I found him by searching for “Green Architects Vermont.” I looked through five sites, called the firm with the site I liked the most and ended up hiring them. |
Brian O'Connell |
That's the same process many business owners and individuals take when looking for a new accountant. Firms without a Web site or with a poorly designed site miss those opportunities to attract new clients.
Every accountant I've talked to over the last 20 years is concerned about servicing their clients well. The "right" Web site and online tools does that for them automatically.
For example, our Web sites come with a Secure Client Portal that allows clients to quickly exchange and safely store documents online, while providing instant access to years of printable tax returns. All their financial statements are easily accessed from one central place. Returns and statements are delivered instantly and there is no more waiting for the mail. Clients get their QuickBooks files adjusted and fixed quickly without having wait for an accountant to visit their office.
There are other Web site features that help firms service their clients, having, for example, hundreds of answers to FAQs posted on their site. When a client has a question, even if it's on Sunday night at 11 p.m., the client gets an answer.
SC: I find most times there is a disparity between the content firms “think” they ought to have on their site and what they really ought to have. What’s your opinion?
BO’C: In most cases, I find that firms have a pretty good idea of what they ought to have on their Web site. The challenge comes with finding the time to do the personalization needed to make their site great. For example, many firms simply post their partner’s resumes because it's quick and easy.
We encourage firms to spend a little more time and make their site more personable. People like doing business with people they like and trust. Firms that show the personalities of the partners and staff – that they have fun and demonstrate that they are good, likable people – win the most new business.
SC: Why is Search Engine Optimization so important and how has SEO changed the way Web sites are created?
BO’C: People use search engines like Google to find stuff everyday. They use search engines when looking for a new accounting firm ... and they use them to find answers to accounting or tax questions.
Search Engine Optimization gets your firm on the top of the search results. The challenge is that there are hundreds of thousands of accounting firms all competing for those few top positions, so it's not easy and you have to be smart about how you invest your time and money.
There are many things you can tweak on your site to improve your position on the search engines. Many of them require you to think about what search terms you want to target. For example, it's much easier to get a top listing when people search for "Burlington Vermont Accountant" than it is to be on the top for generic terms like "Accountant" or "CPA."
Once you know the search term you want to target, you then optimize your Web page for that term. Because search engines are such a valuable source of new clients, the best Web sites are created from the ground up with SEO in mind.
SC: Experts say SEO is a continuous process – monthly – if it is to be done properly, yet most companies do not want to pay the cost involved with monthly SEO. If they don’t want to ante up for this, what will be the result? Are there inexpensive or low-cost steps they can take to at least get a little SEO?
BO’C: You can spend a ton of money trying to optimize your Web site for search engines. Most optimization companies charge between $1,000 to $2,000 a month and require a full year contract. It's that expensive because the process is very labor intensive and requires highly skilled people.
The fact is that most accounting firms don't have to spend that much money. The trick to spending your money wisely in SEO is finding a way to be a big fish in a small pond. That means finding search terms that are not highly competitive; often, that means targeting your search terms to your local market.
Once you're competing for the top position in your local market, all you need to do is a bit more than the other firms in your area. That is easier and much less expensive.
SC: I like your template model for Web site creation and, obviously, CPA firms do too. Why do you think they like this approach compared to a more elaborate, custom-designed site?
BO’C: It comes down to time and money. Many firm owners/partners are busy. They don't want to spend hours and hours mulling over hundreds of decisions with Web designers. Many CPAs like how we get their Web site looking great, and up and running with only a few minutes of their time.
In addition, most CPA firms don't want to spend $7,000 to $20,000 on a custom designed site, especially when their custom site doesn't come with any content or online tools. Most of our clients are amazed with how many features they get with their Web site – more than 100 features for $49.50 a month, with zero setup fees and no contract. Readers should check out our list of features that come with every CPA Site Solutions Web site.
SC: How has social media changed the way you market your business?
BO’C: Social media is new for us, and although we are in the early stages of developing online tools to help firms acquire new clients by using social media, we believe it will work great for accounting firms because social media is the Internet's way of spreading "word-of-mouth" feedback. As you know in the offline world, "word-of-mouth" is one of the most effective ways firms acquire new clients.
SC: Your wife, Kathy, is a CPA. How does her accounting skills contribute to your CPA-centric services?
BO’C: Kathy contributes a lot. Besides ensuring the tax content on the sites are current and up-to-date, she gives us a very deep understanding of what it's like to own a small accounting firm. All of our new content and tools are passed by her when they are in development, and she often makes great suggestions we just didn't think about. In the end, Kathy's insight makes our services even more CPA-centric and gives us a real advantage over other Web design firms.
SC: What’s the best thing about living in Winooski, VT?
B’OC: The people. It takes a certain type of person to live way up here in Vermont. Many people choose Vermont for the active lifestyle. For the most part, Vermonters would rather hike, bike, sail or ski than keep up with the Jones’s.
Oh … and the scenery isn't too bad either!