Today's Technology for Tomorrow's Firm.
Issue link: https://cpapracticeadvisor.epubxp.com/i/555302
WEBSITE BUILDERS Reviews A Content-Rich Website is Part of An Accounting Firm's Brand By Mary Girsch-Bock I n today's electronic world, a website is no longer considered a luxur y, but is now a necessity for just about ever y business, including accounting firms. But it's not enough to simply have a web presence. In order to stay competitive, a frm's website should have certain components that will work to enhance its success. Tese compo- nents may vary, but most likely will include some of the following: • A n atractive, eye-catching home page. Much like a well-designed book cover, a well-designed home page is ofen the very frst thing a potential client sees. It doesn't mater if your frm ofers top-notch professiona l ser v ices. A potent ia l client may never know that if they don't get past the home page. • A n easily located list of services provided by your frm. Te days of picking up the telephone to get information are over. Make sure you have an easily accessible list of services ofered, as well as an easy way for potential clients to contact you, such as a request information form that potential clients can fll out on directly on the website. • A client portal. Ofering a secure, confdential method for exchanging documents is a valuable tool to ofer both current and potential clients. • Good customization options. No one wants their website to look like everyone else's. W hile using standard templates can be a valuable tool for frms when creating a website, the ability to customize those templates to give your website a unique look and feel is just as important. Te web-building products that we looked at in this issue ofer a wide variety of features and options. Because of the variety of features included, it was impossible to assign a star rating to each product. W hile each product accomplishes the end result well, creating a website designed for accountants, they all arrive at that end result in diferent ways, making it impossible to rate one product against another. Te products did seem to fall into one of two camps: a template approach, where users can create their own website by choosing from a variety of templates with difering styles, and those that create custom websites and make all subsequent web changes. 2015 Reviews of Website Builders • AccountantsWorld Website Relief • BuildYourFirm Websites • CCH Site Builder • CPASites.com • CPA Site Solutions • GetNetSet for Accounting Firms • Tenenz A FSB Site Builder • Tomson Reuters Web Builder CS This is perhaps the most important aspect to consider when choosing a web building product: If your firm frequently updates content, it may be beter to be able to make changes in-house. For those that have fairly static content, hiring a frm to create and manage website content may be a beter solution. Workforce is important when considering this as well. If your frm has a small staf, it may be difficult for someone to find the time to make changes on a regular basis. One of the best ways to fnd the product that is a good ft for your frm is to visit the websites of these products. Most of them ofer a free trial ranging from 30 to 60 days – more than enough time to determine if the product and the features are a good ft for your frm. W hile web-building products have certainly been around for a while, the products we looked at in this issue ofer a level of features and functions that are unprece- dented. Take a look at the products, try a few out, and be on your way to your new website – a lot faster than you may have imagined. ● 12 August 2015 • www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com Mary Girsch-Bock Mary Girsch-Bock began her career as an accountant in the prop- erty management and healthcare industries. She is now a feelance writer specializing in business and technology issues and is the author of her frst book, several HR handbooks, training manuals, and other in-house publications. She can be reached at mary.girschbock@ cpapracticeadvisor.com .