Is your tax and accounting firm ready for the busy season? For most of us, it’s easy to get so swept up in billable time and clients that we overlook other important tasks—like ensuring it’s easy for clients to leave online reviews or submit payments after appointments. That’s why we built this simple checklist of steps your firm should take to prep for the coming tax season.
Claim & Update Your Business Listings
Claiming your tax firm on Google and Yelp are essential for growing your practice online—especially as we roll towards the start of tax season. Clients and prospects use these online platforms to access your business information, like your location, contact info and specifics on your tax services. By claiming and updating these business listings, you make it easy for clients to pull up your address for their upcoming appointments—and get in touch with you quickly.
Another important aspect of Google and Yelp listings is that they allow users to write reviews for businesses. These client reviews help prospects decide whether your firm is the right choice for their needs—while building trust and confidence in your brand. And in the case of Google, more positive reviews for your firm earns you more authority online! Google prioritizes businesses with great online reviews in search results, which allows your firm to grow without the need for additional marketing. Your updated Google and Yelp listings will go a long way in helping clients find important info leading into their appointments—and spread the word about their great experience with your services after the season ends!
Need an easy way to ask for reviews after each appointment? Mostad Marketing Cloud includes automated email drip campaigns, which you can use to request reviews from clients across your active online directories. These campaigns take all the time and stress out of asking for feedback throughout the season, so you can stay focused on client work.
Touch up Your Website
Now that we’ve refreshed your Google and Yelp listings, it’s time to update your firm’s website. Start off by reviewing your listed business information. CPA firm websites with out-of-date info will make prospects (and clients) wonder if that they’re still current and relevant. The same goes for their imagery and service descriptions.
A fresh website (with all of your 2019 information included) will help clients feel more confident in your firm, while preparing them for their upcoming appointment. Be sure to include your current location, contact info, staff bios, fees and any other key information clients need to know before they come in. This step will play a huge part in supporting your clients and prospects throughout the season—and ensure your online presence accurately reflects your practice.
Set up Your Payment System
While tax and accounting firms provide excellent advice for business clients, many struggle with managing their pricing and collections efforts. This can be especially true for smaller firms without a clear tax preparation business plan. For practices of any size or specialty, it’s critical to get your payment system set up before tax season hits.
How will you be collecting payments this season? For most firms, cash and credit card transactions are the most common collection methods—but both present unique advantages and disadvantages. For example, credit card payments may not be preferable for your firm due to processing fees. Cash payments (via checks, debit charges, or wire transfer) are often the simplest route, with the exception of manual processing.
Establishing and communicating the payment approach that works best for your firm is essential leading into tax season. Make sure that every client understands the forms of payment you accept—as well as when they should expect the bill. You’ll also need an efficient system for collecting payments this tax season, whether that’s paper, digital or credit card invoicing. Building a convenient, well-defined payment system will help ensure a smoother season for all parties involved—and keep your firm on track for a successful 2020.
Make Tax Season Simple with Mostad
Mostad Marketing Cloud is the perfect tool to support your tax and accounting firm this upcoming tax season. Our powerful cloud-based platform includes a number of convenient tools to streamline your marketing, including monthly client update newsletters, review email templates and over 300 articles on tax-related topics. We even offer customizable website templates designed specifically for accounting and tax professionals!
If you’re ready to learn more about the Mostad Marketing Cloud, then connect with us today for a free personalized demo. This demo is a great way to explore our features, ask questions and learn more about how this convenient platform can drive better marketing results for your practice. You can also reach out with any questions you have on prepping for the coming tax season—or brainstorming tax preparation marketing ideas. We’re here to help.