Are you designing a website for a CPA firm?

Here are some crucial features you should consider integrating to make your website competitive with other website developers or CPA firms:

1. Secure client portal: Incorporate a secure client portal for logins and payments. This can help streamline communication and make it easier for clients to access their information and make payments.
2. Secure hosting: Ensure that your website is hosted on a secure server. This will help protect your website from cyber attacks and keep your clients’ information safe. Tiempo LLC hosts their clients on DigitalOcean servers due to their high up time, low cost, and fast speed and reliability. If you would like to host on DigitalOcean yourself, click here
   
3. Elegant and sophisticated design: Use design to quickly establish credibility and professionalism. This can be tricky online, since you can’t rely on typical factors like a polished office space or an in-person first impression to set the tone. Instead, you’ll want to evoke the same feelings by translating your firm’s unique character into the fonts, colors, textures, and images that make up your website. For a more traditional firm, this could mean a combination of refined serif fonts, trustworthy shades of blue, and straightforward visuals. If your firm prefers to push the boundaries, however, you may lean into modern shapes, brighter accent colors, and other elements that communicate your particular approach.
4. Prominent and intuitive navigation items: Make it easy to locate information with a prominent navigation system that visitors can’t miss. The easiest way to do this is by incorporating a top navigation bar with clear labels and user-friendly dropdown menus. Most accounting firms include menu options for Industries, Services, Our Team, About Us, News, and Contact.
5. Clear verticals and services: Clearly define the services you offer and the industries you serve. This will help visitors quickly understand whether your firm is a good fit for their needs.
6. Relevant news and blog posts: Keep your website up-to-date with relevant news and blog posts. This will help establish your firm as a thought leader in the industry and keep visitors coming back for more. Many CPA firms publish Tax related information on their website and this would be a way to keep your clients engaged with your firm.
7. Quick contact process: Make it easy for visitors to get in touch with your firm. This can be done by including a contact form on your website, prominently displaying your phone number and email address, or even incorporating a live chat feature.
8. Mobile responsiveness: Ensure that your website is mobile-friendly and responsive. This means that your website should be easily accessible and readable on mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets.
9. Search engine optimization (SEO): Optimize your website for search engines so that it appears higher in search results. This can be done by using relevant keywords, meta descriptions, and alt tags.
10. Social media integration: Integrate your social media accounts into your website. Your different clients may interact with your online presence in multiple ways. You should have options to allow them to connect with your firm in various ways. This can be done by including social media icons that link to your profiles, or by incorporating social media feeds into your website.
11. Client testimonials: Include testimonials from satisfied clients on your website. This will help establish trust and credibility with potential clients.
12. Interactive tools: Incorporate interactive tools such as calculators, quizzes, and surveys to engage visitors and provide value.
13. Video content: Use video content to showcase your firm’s personality and expertise. This can include client testimonials, interviews with team members, and educational content.
14. Case studies: Highlight your firm’s successes by including case studies on your website. This will help demonstrate your expertise and show potential clients how you can help them.
15. Event calendar: Include an event calendar on your website to promote upcoming events and webinars. This will help keep visitors informed and engaged.
16. Resource library: Create a resource library on your website where visitors can access ALL the relevant tax documentation they may need. Even non-clients can depend on your website to download documents such as a W2, 1099-MISC, 1040, etc. This will help establish your firm as a thought leader in the industry. It goes without saying that your firm should be mindful about keeping this information up to date.
17. Live chat support: Incorporate a live chat feature on your website to provide real-time support to visitors. This can help increase conversions and improve customer satisfaction. If a live chat feature is out of scope of your firm, at minimum make it easy to communicate with your team.
18. Multilingual support: Consider offering multilingual support on your website to cater to a wider audience.
19. Accessibility features: Ensure that your website is accessible to all visitors, including those with disabilities. This can be done by incorporating features such as alt tags, closed captions, and keyboard navigation.
20. Personalization: Use personalization to create a tailored experience for each visitor. This can include personalized content recommendations, targeted messaging, and customized landing pages.
21. Analytics: Use analytics tools to track website traffic, user behavior, and other key metrics. This will help you optimize your website and improve its performance over time.

By incorporating these features into your website, you can help establish credibility and professionalism, make it easy for visitors to find information, and keep your website up-to-date with relevant news and blog posts. If you would like help building a new website for your CPA firm or need help migrating or upgrading your existing one, contact us at Tiempo!