You've probably heard of the widely publicized talent war that hit all sectors of the economy after the pandemic. But long before accounting firms were scrambling for top talent, the ever-present client war was getting a tad more difficult, influenced by the digitization of most processes and its effects on consumer behavior.
Clients expect lower costs and faster but, quality services. And beyond giving them accounting solutions, they want to feel they matter from every interaction -which means you should start improving your customer service and tapping into new communication channels to align to these demands.
Throughout this blog, we’ll walk you through how to navigate this new on-demand and self-service environment. Here are some expert tips we’ve rounded up on how to get more clients for your accounting firm.
1. Identify what makes your firm unique
Identifying what makes your business unique can help you nail your niche and attract loyal clients.
The first step towards growing your customer base is determining your value proposition-what accounting service do you offer, and what makes you stand out? Identifying the unique strengths your business offers can help you bring in clients that need exactly what you offer.
From specialization, location, and industry, you’ll want to narrow your focus in the beginning stages of your business. A lot of this will stem from your marketing efforts. While you may want to offer your services to a wide range of clients, segmenting your marketing efforts can help you resonate with your prospects.
Whether you’re setting up a marketing campaign on social media or even Google Ads, you’ll need to use messaging that resonates with the prospects you’re trying to reach.
2. Determine your target customers
People like services they are not interested in just as much as melted ice cream. Luckily, you can study their interests before marketing your services to ensure they are interested. The best way to find out which services they are looking for is by conducting market research and customer satisfaction surveys.
Market research can build a rich database of statistics that explains the needs of a particular market so you can anticipate and meet those needs. It also identifies problem areas, helps you discover why clients don't return and identify opportunities to explore.
On the other hand, a customer satisfaction survey can help you study your current clients.
Ask them whether they feel like they matter to your firm and the firm enjoys serving them. Find out where they'd go if they chose to switch firms, and most importantly, ask them to rate your customer support –have they had a negative experience, and what do they believe defines effective customer support?
3. Create a quality website
Your company website is your online shop-front; it should reflect everything relevant to your firm, including your services, value, location, and contacts. Investing in a high-quality website is an excellent lead generation strategy. If you don't have the expertise to build one, you can outsource the service.
Most clients do their research before choosing to work with a specific company. Owning a website that facilitates the research is vital. Your web page represents your company to potential clients; use it to build personal credibility.
Update your outdated website with professional photos; unflattering and low-quality images may not appeal to your target audience. Also, ensure that your contact information is easy to find and up-to-date.
Additionally, ensure that your website is mobile-friendly. Approximately 90% of the internet population use smartphones to go online. Mobile phones also generate around 54.4% of website traffic globally.
The quality of your website reflects the efforts you put into offering quality services and adopting current trends in the industry.
5. Request referrals and reviews from clients
Approximately 70% of online buyers have to read one to six customer reviews before purchasing a product, service, or working with a specific company.
Referrals might be one of the most powerful ways to scale your clientele. In fact, referrals are arguably more fruitful than standard advertising methods, probably because they come from trusted friends, mentors, family, or other individuals or companies.
That’s why you’ll want to tap into your existing and loyal clientele. To generate more online reviews, you can attach links to your emails or even add your favorite review sites on hard copy forms. A great way to incentivize your clients is to give them rewards any time they refer somebody to your business or write a positive review. A few ways you can do this might be:
- Entering clients into a raffle to win a prize (AirPods, gift cards, etc) when they write a review
- Creating a rewards program for referrals (offering discounts on their taxes or upcoming projects)
- Offer to promote their business on your social media or monthly newsletter
6. Use a Chabot for small businesses
Chatbots are an invaluable tool in the current business world. They can help you balance your customer service and even answer those frequently asked questions that constantly fill your inbox. However, with so many available for large enterprises, it can be difficult to find the right one that directly addresses the needs of small business owners like you and your clientele.
Amy is specially designed to offer customer support to clients of small businesses.With templates created for industry-specific needs, you can tailor Amy to fit your business like a glove. Unlike standard chatbots, Amy is fast to deploy and works within seconds after set up; without the help of an IT expert to get it running.
After installation, Amy will answer queries from thousands of potential clients on your behalf. It operates 24/7, meaning your firm won't miss out on opportunities to interact with prospects.
Amy offers your clients a memorable and personalized experience. From self-scheduling their own appointments to getting answers to their questions right away, you can give customers the self-service they expect in today’s fast-moving world. When potential clients get what they need immediately, they’ll resonate with your business and choose your services over the competition for years to come.
Sign up for Amy to get started.