What is Teaspiller’s IRS PTIN lookup tool?

Teaspiller wanted to create a free tool for clients (and employers) to see if an accountant or tax pro was registered with the IRS.

To do a search:

1.       Go to  www.teaspiller.com.

2.       Enter a first name and last name.   Use the name you use on forms.

3.       Enter a city (optional).  Hit the “Search” button.

Here’s a real example.   

The IRS estimates there are about 100,000 tax return preparers who are not compliant with new rules -- and many tax return preparers who aren't even signing returns.

Wow!  This is great – how did you create the  tool?

People wanted to work with only registered tax return preparers – but there wasn’t a tool available to the public.  

So Teaspiller acquired publically available information from the IRS to update our directory with the current "provisionally" registered tax return preparers in the world.  Each tax return preparer is required to register with the IRS (PTIN stands for "Preparer Tax Identification Number").

We also wanted to create a tool that was really simple to use for both clients and tax preparers.

I’m listed.   Can I add / change my information on Teaspiller?

If you’re listed, you can add (or even hide information).  Here’s how to edit your information on Teaspiller:

1.        Do a search on your name to find your listing: www.teaspiller.com.   Use the "Location" field (or keep it blank) if you have a popular name by entering your business city.

2.       Find your listing in the search results, and click your name.

3.       Click “Edit Listing”.  A notification will be sent to your business email with a link to login.

If you are not accepting clients, you can disable requests by clicking "Turn-off Requests".  This will hide your information and prevent clients/employers from contacting you.

NOTE:  Some information is protected.  For example, to make a name change (e.g like the spelling of your name), you will have to contact the IRS.

Example of accountant who found and edited her webstory.

To learn more about Teaspiller, click here

A CPA wanted to better leverage his Webstory to get more word-of-mouth referrals.

Our answer:  Add your Webstory to your email signature and invoices.

Why?  

1.  Get clients.  Prospective clients will see your Webstory as you respond to their emails.   They will see current testimonials from real people (pictures of your clients are pulled from social networks) -- saving clients time from checking references and gathering other information.

2.  Retain clients.  Current clients will love that you have a third-party review system asking for continous feedback -- and clients can use the system to give you more word-of-mouth referrals through their social networks.

3.  Manage testimonials.   You can respond to reviews thanking clients for feedback.  Or even flag reviews that are illegitmate -- protecting your online reputation.

A real example

Get even more referrals  ...  Upgrade to the Teaspiller PRO for the 2-step Invoicing System.   Guaranteed to collect payment from clients and get more word-of-mouth referrals after each client engagement.

The Teaspiller team wanted to see how a little accountant’s Teaspiller Webstory performed against a big firm’s CCH Site Builder made website.

The Results:  The sole practitioner's Teaspiller Webstory beat out the big firm's website almost 7 out of 10 times!

The results raises the question about how much big accounting firm’s waste on bad marketing – and shows that even a small firm can compete against a bigger practice with the right tool (The Webstory).

Methodology

Before conducting our experiment, we asked potential clients what information they needed when shopping for an accounting firm.

We then asked a pool of potential clients to compare a single practitioner’s Teaspiller Webstory versus a big firm’s CCH Site Builder website.

NOTE:  We grabbed one of the better CCH Site Builder websites we could find (it wasn't easy) – a real firm straight from the CCH promotional materials.

Client comments about Teaspiller's Webstory

• “I picked the [Teaspiller Webstory accountant] because I was able to find more information. I was also able to read reviews from other clients that would help greatly in making a decision to go to the accountant.”
• “It seemed to have more information. It was also more striking visually.”
• “Seemed more professional, thus trusting”
• “Because there is an actual picture of her, making it personal, also she has actual client reviews. I know she is real and is good at her job because people would refer her.”
• “I know who exactly is doing my work. I feel comfortable knowing who i am giving my business to.”
• “I felt like it was easier for me to evaluate the firm with [Teaspiller]. The information seemed much more clearly displayed.”
• “It was more personal and you saw who you were working with.”
• “It's better designed and easy to find everything.”
• “Provides more information about the agent but also reviews from clients.”
• “Seemed like more specific information available immediately instead of general statements like "Business Consultants" on [CCH]”
• “It was more user friendly and seemed to have more detailed information”
• “More information concerning the accountant”
• “The information was presented in an easy way to compare”
• “I really didn’t like either one, but [Teaspiller] gave more info on the accountant”
• “Much more professional with easy to understand options, and lots of information.”
• “It was more helpful.”
• “To me it gave better details and referrals from past clients.”
• “It was really easy to see the type of work that they do to see if they fit with what I am looking for.”

Client comments about CCH's Site Builder website

In about 30% of the cases, the CCH Site was preferred.   For most, the clients wanted to work with a firm.   Teaspiller does offer a firm webstory as well (a paid product that performs even better) -- but we wanted to simply demonstrate in this study how single practioners can win business with no marketing cost.

• “Not really, it was mainly general information”
•  “I didn't find much helpful…”
•  “The design of the website, which isn't easy to access and is visually blinding.”
• “It was more professional and gave me more confidence in their ability”
•  “From the link there is no information that could be used to evaluate the accountant. Except for the fact that he is certified. Are you looking for credentials? There are none.”
• “It looked more professional and provided more information.”
• “I found more information on the website that was relevant to my situation.”
• “Better and easier to find information...”
• “It had more information readily available to the potential client”
• “There's a firm profile, they offer a newsletter and a list of client services.”
• “It provides access to the Klinc & Associates CPAs website which helps someone needing a CPA to further find information about what meets their requirements.”
• “There is alot of information on this website that is helpful. They give a list of services that they provide for their clients. Each one is described in detail what they will do for you. They also give you some information about their firm so you can get to know what kind of company they are. They also give ya contact information if you need to get a hold of them.”

Sign-up for a free Teaspiller Webstory here:  https://www.teaspiller.com/accountant-marketing/pricing/

Leave a comment?  Love to hear which firm's marketing is better ...

Small firm's Teaspiller Webstory

Big firm's CCH website

What information survey respondents wanted from a firm  (slightly different than our past survey).

Problem

There are over 4M+ accountant profiles on LinkedIn.   But most accountants don't leverage LinkedIn for marketing their practices.   Mainly because LinkedIn was built for recruiters and interacting with professional groups – not for accountants who want to get new clients.

Solution

Teaspiller’s goal was to see if you could make LinkedIn even more effective in getting clients for accountants.   But in a really simple, client friendly way.

• Import an accountant’s resume from LinkedIn into Teaspiller automatically
• Create a beautiful webstory with the accountant's LinkedIn resume

Methodology

• Surveyed 49 potential clients
• Asked clients to compare a real accountant’s LinkedIn profile with her Teaspiller’s Webstory

Results

Almost 90% of clients preferred the accountant's Webstory over LinkedIn.

Suggestions

Firms can leverage their employees' LinkedIn resumes to get clients--just by making it more visible to potential clients.  Here are some quick and easy to implement suggestions:

• Clients get reassurance seeing a LinkedIn resume -- it creates the effect of transparency.   Consider placing a link to your LinkedIn profile on your website or email signatures.
• Clients like seeing LinkedIn recommendations.   Make your LinkedIn recommendations visible to potential clients.    With pictures of existing clients, links to the client's business website, or even links back to the client's Linkedin profile,  LinkedIn recommendations are perceived by clients to be more authentic than the classic text testimonials on accountant websites.
• A beautiful online presence does get noticed by clients -- it can make a practice look even more professional.

What people said about an accountant’s Linkedin profile

• “I like the fact that I can see the resume and experience. it would make me want to see more information about this accountant.
• “It provides past experience, education and affiliations. It also shows that she was recommended.”
• “I think LinkedIn is great for networking purposes, but not so much for finding service providers like an accountant.”
• “I can understand all i need to know in one window.”
• “Everything was right out there showing the persons experience and education where as [on Teaspiller] you had to click on multiple things to learn about the person”
• “All the information was right there on the Linkedin profile but had to follow links on the Teaspiller site”
• “The accountant experience, education, and past are very helpful. I like the layout of the site because all the information I need for this accountant is on her bio page without clicking on separate links.
• “Her education, location, number of recommendations, her experience”
• “This gives me lots of relevant info right up front such as education and experience and location. Everything I would need short of an in person meeting.”
• “Past, Education and number of recommendations”
• “Experience and how many people recommend them"

What people said about a Teaspiller Webstory

• “When purchasing anything online, I rely greatly on reviews other people have written on the product. [Teaspiller] seems to be similar for services .... The reviews were much easier to read on Teaspiller, and also it had more of them.”
• “[Teaspiller] has more information (contact info, etc.) and a generally 'warmer' feeling.”
• “… more information about the criteria I give more weight to”
• “[Teaspiller] had way more useful information on the website and I liked that she was upfront about people's reviews.”
• “I get to see an in depth reviews/ratings of an accountant, a list of accomplishments, clients' evaluations/reviews, etc.”
• “I picked [Teaspiller] because it provided me with fees and payments for the accountant. Plus this site layout seems more professional than [Linkedin].
• “[Teaspiller] just seems like the person who puts up a profile there has to put more effort into it and it shows more like what people actually think about it instead if they recommend or not.”
• “[Teaspiller’s] Webstory profile provided a lot more details and portrayed Logan's skills very effectively.”
• “In terms of volume and quality, the Teaspiller site had significantly more useful information. It was also more visually appealing.”
• ”[Teaspiller] had way more information about her on the website.”
• “[Teaspiller] was much more professionally presented and lent legitimacy to the accountant's practice.”
• “Better layout, does not look like an ad.”
• “I prefer to read what people have to say.”
• “Teaspiller appeared to give more information about the person in question.”
•  “The Teaspiller website was better organized, gave more detail description, and I liked the layout more.”
•  “[Teaspiller] seemed more personal and there was more information”
•  “I liked how clearly the information was laid out, especially the graph of practice areas.”
• “The page was much easier to read and locate information. Set up more like a website than a resume.”
• “Easier access to pertinent information”
•  “[Teaspiller] appeared to be a much more reliable source. While [Linkedin] seemed unreliable.”

Sign-up for a free Teaspiller Webstory here:  https://www.teaspiller.com/accountant-marketing/pricing/

(download)

Click here to download:

study-how-teaspiller-makes-linkedin-work-even-better-for-accountants-gjdDjxDervsFCCerwIot.zip (199 KB)

The Teaspiller team asked accountants if they wanted to take the challenge of putting up their accounting firm's website against a Teaspiller Webstory with potential clients.  David Tunstall, who has a CPAsitesolutions’ website and a Teaspiller Webstory, decided to take us up on the challenge.

We asked clients to tell us which did they prefer:  an accountant’s website or his Teaspiller Webstory.

When we completed the survey and presented the results to David, his expression can only be explained in one word, “shocked”.   He explained he had certain preconceptions about what an accountant's website should look like for clients – and felt that the accounting industry had given him those biases.

David really liked seeing the comments from the potential clients in the survey too.   So we’ve included the actual comments below to help other accountants as well :

What potential clients thought about David Tunstall’s $840 / year CPAsitesolutions’ website

• “I found myself passing by what I perceived to be marketing rather quickly, in search of credibility and credentials.”
• “It was, in a way. It seemed like a reputable website but I was confused because it seems to be for multiple accountants. I didn't think a photo would be so important, but it is ... I would prefer to see a picture of who I would be working with.”
• “ I find the website boring and not particularly intuitive.”
• “No client reviews, no prices for services, no credentials or certifications listed.”
• “It was not easy to find a simple "price" of what it would cost me to use their services.”
• “… no photos, no reviews/testimonials that I could find”
• “… too busy on the main page - if I didn't know it was the website of an acountancy, it would have taken several minutes to figure out what sort of business it was. Your tagline is good once I know your business, but it doesn't help me figure out what you do.”
• “… the quality of their website is poor so they must not be the best accounting firm.”
• [Teaspiller’s] more personal, and the information you'd want first (the fees, his resume, reviews, etc.) are easy to find. The first website was a bit more professional-looking, but the second was definitely better.”
• Hard to find/relate to [David’s CPAsitesolutions’ website] even though more information provided but not what I was looking for. 

What potential clients thought about David Tunstall’s free Teaspiller Webstory

• “… offers a wealth of information which can be used to assess him: Ratings, Practice Areas. Fees, Licenses, Resumes, his educational history, and the fact that you can see how he answers to some of his clients' questions gives valuable insight on how he treats his clients”
• “… much cleaner, and it didn't seem as desperate as the first one did”
• “Photo and customer reviews were instantly accessible on the main page. Pricing and contact info were simple to decipher.”
• “Reviews, you can see who you're dealing with, lists his resume”
• “All the free resources on the website shows the accountant is dedicated. Additionally, there was plenty of information regarding values like professionalism.”
•  “The picture and layout appears quite professional.”
• “I like the availability of user reviews. It is also helpful that the account is confident about posting his photograph and is open with his education and background.”
• “The reviews are really helpful in giving me an inside look of how this person would perform their accounting duties. I get to see what others think of him, if problems occured, and how dependable he is.”
• “photo, easy layout (easy to find résumé, fees, etc.)”
• “The picture is good so that you can see who will be working for you. There is easy access to different part of the site. There a reviews on the site about the accountant.”
• “I liked the user reviews a lot, and was glad to see a photo. This website just makes me feel more like the accountant is "real" “
• “I am able to get this accountant's basic information, i.e., fees, his resume, contact info, etc. In addition, I can view reviews that this accountant has. With this information, I can get a sense of who this man is as a person, and a business man. That's important when dealing with your personal finances.”
• “I really liked the big "Contact Now" button”
• “I like the reviews and how it showed when he is available.”
• “I feel more comfortable judging based on client reviews.”
• “[Teaspiller] was more personable. I was able to see the accountant, not what an accountant is supposed to look like. With [Teaspiller’s] information, I can contact the accountant, set up a meeting and be on my way to financial success.”

Sugesstions for David (and other accountants)

David’s been playing around with a few of CPAsitesolutions other templates to see if he can solve some of the problems with his website – but it probably wouldn’t really change the survey results.

• What’s needed in a firm’s website.   A Teaspiller Webstory isn’t always a replacement for a firm website – but it definitely can help with getting clients and retaining clients.   Our suggestion to David was to link his Webstory into his website as soon as possible so client's knew about the quality of his practice.

• Leverage Teaspiller’s Webstory better.   David wasn’t even maximizing his Teaspiller Webstory to get more clients.   We suggested to David to integrate his Teaspiller Webstory into his email signature and his invoices – that’s the best way to continue to get updated feedback from his clients.   The Teaspiller Webstory integrates with social networks – so it will make sure he continues to leverage his current base to get more word-of-mouth referrals.

And at $840 a year for his CPAsitesolutions site, David’s seriously re-thinking that investment – and wants to be on the path to getting more clients (and retaining clients) by using his free Teaspiller webstory.

[UPDATE:  David did update his template on CPAsitesolutions, so we’ve included an image of the original that was used in the test below]. 

Screenshot of David's $840 / year CPAsitesolutions' website

(download)

Click here to download:

survey-david-s-site-vs-his-teaspiller-webstory-hsIiBJAyIhmdikgzexcE.zip (398 KB)

Screenshot of David's free Teaspiller Webstory

The Teaspiller team is constantly thinking about how we can revolutionize the accounting industry.   The Teaspiller Webstory for accountants isn't just a new product -- we want it to have a lasting impact on the way the accounting industry ultimately connects with clients.

The Problem 

• Most accountant websites are useless to clients.   As an industry, we've been lying to ourselves about what clients want from our accountant websites -- in an age where the internet is bringing more transparency into our backgrounds, we're behind on how we communicate our profession's quality to clients.

• Clients see accountants becoming less relevant online.    All accountants regardless of firm size -- whether you're in tax, auditing, bookkeeping or any other practice area – should have the tools that evolve with the way clients are using the internet and technology in their daily lives.   That includes accountant marketing online.

• Industry biases about client’s needs.   Most accountants don’t even know what clients really want – we’re constantly surprised by how little feedback accountants get from their clients.  Common misconceptions about clients are holding most practices from growing even faster through word-of-mouth referrals.

That’s why we’re launching a solution called the “Webstory”.  

Get Clients, Retain Clients. 

Teaspiller's Webstory is the only accounting solution that's addressing the top concern of all practices in the accounting industry -- "How do I get more clients?  How do I stop losing clients?" 

• Transparency.   A webstory gives your clients the transparency they want -- but in a way you can still control and own.   It's what clients see as the best parts of your website and the best parts of a directory – all in one place (website + directory = webstory).   You can easily share it with your clients in your emails, your invoices, or even on your website.

• Reassurance.  Teaspiller gives new clients the reassurance that you're a great accountant -- with identity verification, real client reviews that are confirmed, license verification, and other information that proves that you're a quality accountant.    Clients love it because it saves them time from checking references and hunting the internet about information about your practice -- helping you get new clients faster.  Click here to see an actual webstory.

• Client Feedback.   You can now ask your current clients for feedback safely after each engagement -- and show that you really care about your service by using an independent user review system.  Teaspiller's Webstory will collect your feedback for you -- making sure that you're getting the data you need from clients to make your practice even better.   You can manage your online reputation safely -- and make sure that the only people leaving you user reviews are actual clients.

• Accelerated "Word-of-Mouth" Referrals.   Accountant's don't have to wait for referrals anymore --- the Teaspiller Webstory helps you accelerate that even faster.   When a client pays an invoice and leaves you feedback, we ask them to promote your practice with their colleagues and friends by automatically connecting with the client’s Linkedin, Facebook, or Twitter.   Growing your practice in an active way that has never been done before – but by still relying on the old-fashioned, word-of-mouth referrals we’ve all grown our practices.

And we're giving this away for free!  Accountants can go ahead and give it a try here.

Only the beginning … 

The Teaspiller team is constantly thinking about how we can make life better for accountants.   We love accountants -- and we want your clients to love you too!

The team at Teaspiller really focuses on making our website very convenient to book an appointment with a quality accountant (or even work online with an accountant without ever walking into an office).

A recent customer mentioned that it was much easier to book an appointment on Teaspiller versus H&R Block.   We thought that was interesting!   So we decided to do a survey of potential clients to see which was easier to use, Teaspiller or H&R Block.

The results:  2 out of 3 preferred Teaspiller over H&R Block.

What customers thought of H&R Block’s online search 

·     “[H&R Block] was not easy to use because there were too many options and links to click on. It needs to be simplified!”

·     “[H&R Block is] not easy to use. Takes forever !! “

·     “[H&R Block]  was somewhat confusing to use, but it didn't take longer than 5 minutes.”

·     “[H&R Block] took about 6 minutes for me to get through everything. It would probably be easier to use if all the tax preparers had the option of scheduling appointments online (I noticed some only had the option of calling to make an appointment).”

·     "[H&R Block] was very difficult to use. I could not figure out how to do it by what I needed. I would not want to use this website. it took a long time.”

·     “[H&R Block] was a little confusing to find the "By the tax professional's areas of tax expertise" but once I found that, the rest was easy. Took about 4 minutes.’

·     “[H&R Block] was semi-easy to use, but there is a LOT of text and the site requires a lot of reading. It took about 2 minutes.”

What customers thought of Teaspiller's online search 

·     “[Teaspiller] was much easier than [H&R Block] 

·     “[Teaspiller] was much easier to use! It was simple and took me only a few seconds to find what I was looking for.” 

·     “Much easier than H&R website. I was able to navigate in no time” 

·     “Wow, This site is way better than H&R Block, I love the easy to understand user ratings and the quicker find of specialist.” 

·     “I liked [Teaspiller] a lot ... easier in terms of looking and finding an account. The home page wasn't as good as H&R Block but finding an accountant was a lot better.” 

·     “[Teaspiller] only took me ten seconds to use. very easy” 

·     “[Teaspiller] was extremely easy to use. It took me less than 2 minutes, and was extremely intuitive.”

·     “Pretty straight forward. Only took me about 1 minute to locate and schedule. I also liked the customer review features .”

·     “Easier to skim through more accountants.”

·     “[Teaspiller] went faster than [H&R Block] instead of taking you through 3 or 4 pages i was only taken through 2 [pages].”

·     “Much faster and easier to understand and use. I love the user reviews and especially the available times and schedules once you click on [an accountant].”

·     “Even though [H&R Block] is more well known, [Teaspiller] has a search bar right on the first page as well as the rating on the side , so you could choose the accountant more easily.” 

Suggestions to H&R Block 

As Henry Bloch has said, "Our clients come first.  If we stay focused on them and on preparing error-free returns, we’ll ultimately increase the number of returns we’re part of."

H&R Block needs to spend more time improving its client's experience and marketing its core asset better – the 90,000+ tax professionals.

The team at Teaspiller thinks H&R Block could do the following:

• Quality professionals, quality returns.   The tax professionals need to be marketed with beautiful profiles like this.   On "error-free returns", this can only be communicated through online user reviews on all of H&R Block’s professionals.   Teaspiller has done a lot to innovate in online user reviews for accountants.    And pretty soon you'll only be able to leave a review of an accountant on Teaspiller if you've signed in through a social network (and proven you've done work with the accountant before).   This protects the reputation of the accountant-- and also ensures real customer reviews from real people.

• Convenience.   Netflix put Blockbuster into bankruptcy because it focused on one word, “convenience”.   The Netflix red envelopes made it easier to not stress out about late fees on a movie rental.   H&R Block needs to make the assisted space even more convenient than DIY software.   For example, Teaspiller has done a lot here.   We optimized the client workflow experience into three simple steps:  Get an estimate, Share files, Pay online.    And at the end of the process, a client leaves a user review (and can even promote the accountant to their friends and colleagues on social networks).   The client doesn’t have to step into an office if they don’t want to – and gets their returns done faster than doing it on their own.

With the addtion of Will Cobb from eBay, you can bet the new CEO of H&R Block is probably already thinking about all the above -- especially since eBay built a business on quality (user reviews) and convenience (online marketplace).   Accountants should take note and prepare. 

Source:  Google Trends

The alarming online search trend is a wake-up call to the worldwide accounting community.   It also confirms the AICPA’s latest survey about how all size firms are having a hard time getting new clients (and retaining clients).

Observations

• Online searches for “accountants” have declined by 50% since 2004

•  The steady decline represents a CAGR of about -10%.

•  The problem is happening worldwide – not just in the United States.

Some good explanations

•  Do-it-yourself accounting software is stealing market share from accountant practices.

•  Accountants don’t know how (or want) to market themselves online. 

Some other explanations – mostly refuted

 We’ve spoken to the accounting community and got a lot of possible explanations.   Here are some of the explanations we’ve refuted.

•  “Clients search for specialties.”  We’ve tried multiple types of accountant searches (CPAs, PCAOB, financial planners, etc.) and almost all are seeing declines.

•   “Clients look for accountants in a particular location”.   Since this was a broad search, the location would be included in the trend (e.g. a search for “accountants in Omaha” would appear in the trends since the word “accountants” is in the search).

•  “All professional services are seeing a decline”.   Actually, the trends search for “doctors” didn’t see the same decline – while lawyers did see a similar decline (lawyers are facing pressure from DIY alternatives as well).

• “There's a problem in the way Google scales the search volume in the graph”.    While there are more pictures of cute kittens on the internet, the search volume was indexed in relation to 2004 – and there are more people using the internet now than ever before.  Read more here about how Google scaled the data.

Some possible (and controversial) solutions

Here are some ideas we heard from the accounting community to help fix the problem.

• Accountants need to make it more convenient for clients to work online with their accountants.  One of the main draws of DIY alternatives is convenience.   Accountants need tools to make their service equally as convenient online (e.g. online credit card processing, virtual office tools, or anything that reduces a trip to an accounting office).

• Organizations, like the AICPA and the Institute of Chartered Accountants, need to spend more on marketing their members to the general public.   For example, in 2010, the AICPA made over $200M+ from its members, but only spent $8M on marketing members (NOTE:  AICPA executives pocketed $21M in salaries).   To contrast, Turbotax and H&R Block combined spend about half a billion on marketing a year – and have whittled away at the image of accountants as “quality” practitioners.

• Create a real directory for all accountants to be listed and marketed effectively.   Make it so easy for clients to search for an accountant online that customers have a single destination to find and compare accountants.   Currently, potential clients who try to search for an accountant online have a herculean task– clients are using Google, Yelp, Linkedin, state board websites, and other sources to try to triangulate and find a great accountant.   The AICPA and other accounting organizations could band together to create a common marketing platform for all their members – and use revenue from members to market the directory to the general public.

The team at Teaspiller is lucky because we get to talk with online customers searching for accountants every day.   We can see that there’s a basic public awareness problem on the value of using an accountant.  But we also hear about the complaints about “quality” and “convenience” with using accountants too.  The Google search trend is an alarm about our complacency as an industry -- and should be a call to action.

Learn more how Teaspiller is innovating accounting marketing ...   Try our free tool that gets & retains clients:  http://www.teaspiller.com/accountant-marketing/

Teaspiller wanted to really figure-out what clients needed from an accountant's website when choosing a firm's service.   We conducted a survey with 158 potential clients asking them to look at various practices' websites.  The results might suprise you.

What works on an accountant site?

• Certifications / Licenses.   Much like those beautiful plaques in your office, clients wanted to get the same reassurance of an office visit or phone call -- but on your site.    Make it clear how long you’ve been practicing with credentials.

• User reviews.   Clients wanted to save some time from checking references.    User reviews is just that  – a digital version of a referral.  

NOTE:  Don’t use fake or unattributed reviews / testimonials.  Clients didn’t like it when they saw a site with user reviews that didn’t look legitimate.   Try to show real pictures of your clients next to their testimonials or provide links to a client's Linkedin profile.

What doesn’t work on an accountant site?

• Online calculators.   Clients were coming to a practice for a premium service – not to play with tax calculators on a website.

• Monthly online newsletters.   While there might be evidence that newsletters retain clients, having newsletters on a website didn't really sway a client's choice.

• Online tax & accounting guides.   Similar to calculators, clients didn't really want to read through pages of accounting tips.

Other tips to think about …

• Resumes.   Be upfront and over communicate your experience.   The more transparency on your employees, the better.   Don’t let your clients search through the 4.5M+ accountant resumes on Linkedin to find another accountant.

• Contact info.   It’s amazing how many accountant websites hide contact information or make it very difficult to find.   Don’t let your client’s click around hunting for your number.  Put contact info upfront and center.

• Practice & Industry areas.    Clearly communicate what your practice focuses on – don’t  provide a long reading list of services and industries.  Clients often didn't believe that a practice could specialize across a long list of areas.

• Price.  Smart accountant marketers have figured out how to use price effectively.   If you’re not a premium accounting practice (or just tired of getting low quality clients), figure-out how to display some sort of pricing and fee information to attract the right clients.

• Portrait picture.   This was an interesting point.   Quality portraits of your employees instantly created a personal connection and reassurance that your client isn’t going to get lost in a big firm.   The word "personalized" was used often.

Conclusion

The best accounting websites optimize their sites for getting new clients.

• Communicate quality.    Clients need reassurance that you’re a great practice.   Make sure your site exudes quality – and saves clients time from doing any due diligence on your firm.   Real testimonials, license info, and resumes are extremely helpful.

• Simplify your accountant site.   Look at your practice’s website and get rid of 50% on what's not really being clicked.  You’ll be surprised how cluttered your site is now and how much cleaner it will look after.

Potential clients will find your firm more easily in the crowd of other accountant websites -- and decide even faster to use your firm's services.

Learn how Teaspiller used this data to create a new marketing tool for accountants:  http://www.teaspiller.com/accountant-marketing/

The Solution:   Teaspiller has come up with an amazing and innovative solution =)

1.  Faster setup.   Teaspiller allows you to download your information from all your social networks into your site.  Your picture, resume, blog posts, and tweets.    Making the process even faster -- and helping clients get a better picture of your quality.

2.  More word-of-mouth referrals.   Every time a client uses the the Teaspiller platform,  we automatically ask clients for referrals from their colleagues on social networks.   An average client has about 100+ connections.   This greatly accelerates word-of-mouth referrals in way that has never been done before.

3.  Smarter social marketing.   Whenever a client leaves a great review, we'll promote it on your practice's Linkedin, Facebook, or Twitter automatically.   As a result, potential clients who are searching your social media pages will see great posts from your current clients -- helping you close even more clients.

4.  Google optimized.   Now with more social content on your site and shared on the social networks, you'll see your Teaspiller site for your practice move faster to the top of Google results.

And this is only the beginning ... No one thinks about accountant marketing the way we do -- giving you the edge to get more clients and retain current clients.