How To Handle A Cpa Website And Help Your Accounting Practice Thrive Online

Getting your business online is a vital stage toward growth in a world in which commerce is becoming progressively wide ranging – even international in scope. Business is now wide open, and you could find yourself bringing in leads from around the planet. But, once you've invested in a first-rate CPA website, are you letting prospective clients get away by failing to return their contacts quickly enough?

In this article, we will examine five areas to watch out for in the new online technology, with the brave new world of social media, and with the added interest in your accounting company. If companies aren't prepared to meet the unique challenges of successfully managing an online presence - article marketing, social networking, even online advertising - then failure is a distinct possibility.

Let's take a look at how to handle your digital presence so that it brings in more clients, rather than simply creates more headaches. What if you aren't sure how to find the blog comments and respond to them?

Keep the following points in mind as you strategize how to keep your customer relationships strong, even online.

Be Sure to Answer Comments on Your Blog

Making a blog is an excellent way to attract a customer base and keep the world informed about where your business is heading. But don't just "set it and forget it." If someone gives you feedback in the form of a blog comment, you have to comment on that comment. It's polite to answer someone who's taken the time to read what you've written: addressing questions and concerns at this level not only shows professionalism but also helps to prevent escalation.

Try handing off the blog comments to just one person in your firm. That way you're sure it's not falling through the cracks. You can also set your blog to send you (or whoever is in charge) an email for each new comment - making it that much harder to ignore your responders.

Answer Emails the Same Day

This one's a big one: if you're leaving email unanswered for weeks at a time – or even worse, not answering them at all – your customers are not going to be your customers for very long. Try setting up an auto-response with your email client so that clients always get a swift reply. After that, it's best to reply as quickly as you can in person, even if it is just an "I will look into that" response in the interim. Be sure to actually follow up!

Keep Track of Your Forums

Forums are notoriously difficult to get to a popular state, so why would you leave questions unanswered and comments ignored? The more ways a customer has of reaching your company and getting a prompt, proper answer to their questions, the better. In short, if you can't devote a chunk of staff time to moderate your forum, you definitely should not create one.

Hate Twitter? Get Over It!

The age of Twitter is here. Even if you can't stand this social networking microblogging phenomenon, your clients might be deeply involved in it. Folks are now using Twitter as a way to reach companies - and, alarmingly, lodge complaints against them. (They also say nice things, too.) Assume that folks ARE reading these comments and make sure you respond to them. It's certainly important for the person who leaves the message - but it's even more crucial for anyone "watching" your conversation to see that you haven't ignored your naysayers and supporters. It doesn't matter whether the tweet is negative or positive - both kinds deserve a response. Being actively involved with your customers in this way can be the difference between success and failure in a competitive market.

It May Only Exist on Your Screen - But It Matters

The object of both types of communication is the same, after all. But let's face it: nobody pens letters today. Email has taken the place of them - and although email is used informally in our private lives, in business, it should be treated with as much care as you would a letter.

If you decide to get your firm online - and I definitely suggest you do - don't make the same mistake made by others. Getting CPA websites up to speed and then returning to business as usual is not going to work.