6 Ways To Increase Leads From Accounting Firm Websites

You probably already know that your prospects are online. But you might be surprised just how many of them rely on the Internet for researching professional services partners. A recent study by Google shows that 89% of B2B buyers use the Internet during the research process. Whether you get a call from these prospects or your competition does will depend on how well your website does its job. Here are six elements you can add to your site to increase your inquiries from potential clients.

1. Make the Visuals and Tone Consistent With Your Brand

Part of your value proposition is who you are as a firm. Your clients work with you not only because of the quality of service they receive from you, but also because of the way you deliver that service. When prospects look at your website, they should immediately get a sense of your mission and personality as a firm, which will be reflected in the types of visuals you choose and the tone of your content.

2. Dig into the Pain

Human beings are more motivated to avoid pain than to experience pleasure. Psychologists call this loss aversion. Helping your prospect to think through exactly how they’re losing out by not addressing the issues you help with motivates them to take action. Your homepage should make it clear what kinds of problems you solve and who you solve them for. Digging into specific pain points will also help you attract exactly the kinds of clients you want, because they’ll be able to identify with what you’re saying. Those outside your target likely won’t be experiencing the same issues, so they’ll move on.

3. Match Your Solution to Pain Points

If you can show how your services solve the issues that your prospects are dealing with, you make it easy for them to move forward. They don’t have to stop and figure out how a list of services will actually help them in the day-to-day of business. When prospects clearly understand how you solve their problems, they also better understand the value of what you provide, making it easier for you to command your prices.

4. Demonstrate Your Expertise

Before a prospect contacts your firm, he or she wants to know that you have the know-how and experience to handle the work. You’ll need to demonstrate that you’re on top of industry changes and that you know how to apply your knowledge practically to their particular situations. You can do this through a business blog, articles, and/or more in-depth pieces like whitepapers, ebooks, and tools like checklists and spreadsheet calculators.

5. Add Social Influence

“Everybody’s doing it” isn’t just an argument teens are influenced by. The principle of conformity says that human nature causes people to want to fit in. And it’s logical for prospects to think that if others like something, they probably will too. Marketers call this social influence, or social proof. Including testimonials from clients who appreciate the way you do business is one of the most powerful ways you can use social influence. If you have a strong number of e-newsletter subscribers, add a running count to your subscription signup form. Your goal is to show your prospects that other, similar people trust you and enjoy working with you.

6. Include Calls-to-Action

Prompt prospects to pick up the phone or send you an email with clear calls-to-action throughout your site. But don’t stop there. If you offer whitepapers, ebooks, etc., calls-to-action encouraging people to download your content will capture top-of-the-funnel buyers who have just begun their research. The key to a successful call-to-action is clarity: prospects should quickly and easily be able to see exactly what they’ll gain by clicking.

So much of good marketing is simply knowing how to utilize principles of human psychology. When you use these elements to guide prospects through your website, you’ll draw them toward taking the next step in their buying research process—the call or inquiry you want.

————

Laura MacPherson is the founder of Ideally, a firm specializing in results-focused content marketing for professional services. She has worked with CPAs and accountants for over 9 years, helping them make their marketing more effective. Connect with her on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/lauraleighmacpherson.