Well Produced Videos Help Websites for Accountants Attract Prospects

I'm going to assume for purposes of this article that you have already adopted websites for accountants as a sales instrument. This is the first step in building an online presence to market your firm, but there's a lot more to do if you actually want to employ the internet to attract prospects. We live in a time where consumers aren't looking through the Yellow pages when they need a CPA. Currently even relatively unsophisticated consumers use the internet instead. Specifically they look you up by doing a Google search for local accounting practices. Because your website is the first introduction many people will get when they start researching your business, you need to make a good first impression.

Here are some important reasons to consider using videos on your website:

1. Videos Offer a Personal Touch

Video can and should be used to give the viewer a personal look at your team. Let them see how hard you and your employees work, and to really let them feel like they're getting to know you give them a glimpse of you at play. It's easier than you think to condense important aspects of your practice into "sound bites". Talk about your mission and have your staff share what they like about their jobs. Give me a chance to get to know you. As a rule prospects are afraid of strangers, but a good video can go a long way in making you feel more familiar and helping them overcome this hesitation. They aren't just reading text on your site, they're seeing the people that are behind your company and this helps to give you credibility. You stand out from the competition because there is a face to go with your name. A customer is more likely to do business with someone they feel they can trust from the get-go, rather than someone they don't know anything about.

2. Use Videos to Demonstrate

Quick videos showing demos of how your products and services work can be a real asset on your website. Show prospective clients how easy it is to use your service or product. This makes your potential clients and customers comfortable with your offerings from the moment they come to your site.

3. You're Cutting-edge

Nobody wants an accounting firm that can't keep up with technology, and your technical know-how is reflected by your website. Prospects won't be impressed with your technical prowess if your website looks ten or fifteen years old. The reasonable assumption, which may or may not be a conscious one, is that an obsolete website is indicative of an obsolete accounting firm. By adding relevant videos to your site, you are showing visitors that you're a 21st century business competitor! First impressions can be everything online, because it's easy for a prospective client to do another search and find another company if they don't like what they see on your site the first time around. Don't be sloppy about it. You don't want to throw up just any old home-made video. Get professional help making the video. If your site has a fun and informal feel to it, then you can consider do-it-yourself videos, but I'd still suggest using a professional production service.

4. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Benefits

OK, nobody is really sure how or why having videos gives websites for accountants a boost in the search engines, but the consensus among web professionals is that they do. If you do a Google search, you’re likely to see both web and video results showing up towards the top of the page. Those videos can ultimately lead visitors back to your website. Here's an important SEO tip for using videos on your accounting website; use keyword rich descriptors. Use your keywords in your video titles, keyword tags, and descriptions. Sites like toprank.com suggest re-purposing your videos by embedding them in blog posts, and to encourage others to post your videos on their social media pages (Facebook, Twitter, etc).

The bottom line is: "content is king" when it comes to SEO. The mistake many website owners make when they are thinking about content is that they assume this relates only to written content. This just isn't the case. The more content you have on your site, the better. If you have more diverse content on your website (such as video, images and text) you'll be much better off in terms of search engine optimization. Think about distinctive ways you can mix video into your site, and get that camera rolling!

Kenny Marshall is a marketing consultant and former Officer of CPA Site Solutions, one of the nation's biggest website companies dedicated exclusively to websites for accountants.