How educational website content and tax resources help attract clients
Tax professionals sometimes wonder if providing helpful information for free on their websites will undermine their ability to draw in paying clients. In reality, the more that visitors can learn from your site, the more likely they will seek your assistance. This article explains why and offers tips on building a library of resources that entice current and prospective clients to return.
Establishing yourself as a tax ally
A tax professional website that offers little beyond contact information and a list of services can feel cold and uncaring. By contrast, a site rich with helpful information and resources shows your commitment to helping people achieve the best possible tax outcomes, even before you meet them. Over time, site visitors will come to see you as their go-to source for accurate, understandable information and a trusted ally in the tax world. Who better to turn to when they need assistance?
Granted, a rare visitor or two may come along who can so adeptly put the information you provide to use that they do not need your services. However, those few individuals would inevitably find a way to handle tax matters on their own, anyway. The more important possibility is that if your website plays a pivotal role in helping them achieve their goals, then they will likely recommend it to their less do-it-yourself (DIY)-inclined family and friends. So, even in those rare cases, providing free resources on your site can still bolster client recruitment.
The most effective resources and content types
Almost any website content that gives visitors the feeling of making progress toward tax success can help you grow your business. However, there are a few specific content types with an established track record of working especially well for tax professionals.
Informational guides and articles on common tax issues
Every year, tens of millions of people struggle to make sense of IRS policies on everything from tax credit eligibility to claiming dependents. Explaining tax rules and tax-saving opportunities in plain language is one of the best ways to show potential clients that you will look out for their best interests. The most effective tax service websites include a sizable library of articles on specific tax topics, with clean, simple titles to guide readers to the information they want.
These helpful guides can take many forms, from list-based articles (such as "Avoid These 7 Common Filing Errors") to longer pieces with detailed examples. Regardless of format, the articles on your site should align with the services you most frequently provide. If you primarily serve families, you could offer articles on the Child Tax Credit and higher education tax planning. If you work mainly with small businesses, you could provide guides on the employee vs. contractor question and self-employment tax. If possible, supplement articles and guides with companion video content so that site visitors can access the information in multiple formats.
Quick tax facts and tax tips
Internet users love instantly digestible content like quick tax tips, due date reminders, tax myth debunking or interesting factoids about tax history and policies. Tips on items of current interest, such as a new tax credit or IRS rule change, work especially well as social media posts. Taking things one step further, you can integrate your social media tip feed into your website, multiplying the impact of both marketing avenues.
With all short-form content, be especially careful to avoid statements that might be misunderstood as specific tax advice. Web surfers and social media users are notorious for jumping to conclusions. To counteract that tendency, use hedge words like "might" or "in most cases," and keep your explanations and observations very general.
DIY tools and IRS resources
The presence of an extensive Resources section on your website shows visitors that their needs stand at the center of everything you do. High-value offerings that can be installed with a minimum of fuss include financial calculators, tax deadline calendars and links to IRS tools like the Withholding Estimator. Whenever possible, set up links so that external resources open in a new browser tab, helping to ensure that visitors do not lose contact with your site. That way, they will have a clear reminder of who guided them to their destination.
Tax newsletter
By offering a monthly tax newsletter, you can maintain ongoing contact with both current and potential clients, all while demonstrating that you stay on top of the latest tax policy changes. In addition to featuring your newsletter on your website, offer readers the chance to subscribe and receive upcoming editions right in their inboxes. Those monthly notifications will keep your services front of mind all year long.
The sample that sells the meal
In the end, tax professionals are far more likely to lose prospective clients by offering too little information on their websites than too much. Great chefs do not fear that giving away a sample of their creations will result in fewer people paying for the meal. They know that a small taste makes people want more. Similarly, a generous serving of helpful, informative website content can be the very thing that persuades visitors to reach out and learn what you can do for them.