Identify what your firm is trying to achieve with its online strategy and how your website is the centre piece for everything you do online. Now that you know what you're trying to achieve online and your accounts are all set up, learn how to utilise social media in your firm. We will cover: What are you trying to achieve online? Where your website sits in this strategy? How to design your website to meet this strategy? Features of your website that can help you achieve this strategy?

1. Digital Strategy
& Your Website

2. The Big Picture
Marketing strategy
Vs
Marketing tactics

3. Why have a digital strategy?
Workplace digitisation
Cloud computing
Communications
Clients versus Prospects
New ways of working

4. Traditional Digital
Brochure
Business cards
Direct mail letters
News
Newsletter
Staff biographies
Advertising
Yellow Pages
Seminar
Pdf or Website
vCard
E mail
Website news page
Electronic newsletter
Linked In
AdWords, SEO
Yell
Webinar
What could be digital?

5. What do you want to achieve with your digital strategy?
Be known
Get found
Skills
Showcase case studies
Geography
Niche expertise
Client list

6. How Digital can help
Your website is your most important asset

7. Designing your website
First, let’s test your existing situation
1. Go to Google, Bing or Yahoo and type in “Accountant YOUR TOWN”
2. Give yourself 1 point for every reference to your business on the first 3 pages
3. Plus 1 point if it also includes your business on these websites
• Linked In (a person or the firm)
• Yell, Finda, Localist, Whitepages, Hotfrog, Yelp, TrueLocal
• Facebook
4. Deduct one point if these are listed
• Seek, Indeed, Reed, TradeMe, NoCowboys, Gumtree
Did you score >2?
If yes, you’re better than 95% of CAs

8. Worked example of Google Search
Accountant Manukau
• Paid Search
• Natural Search
• Linked In
• Yellow Pages
• Trade Media

9. How to design your website
Ignore the pictures, for now
What do the words say and how does a
machine read them?

10. Open Alchemi API
http://www.alchemyapi.com/

11. Alchami API detail

12. Features your website needs
1. Expert copywriting – the key words
2. Accurate directory listings
3. Meta Tags and Image Alt details
4. Frequently updated content on unique URLs
5. Incoming links from well-read websites (Linked In,
Newspapers, Trade media, blogs, content aggregation
services)
6. Outbound syndication and sharing (RSS, Social media,
Linked In, Business2Community)

13. Hayes Girling – multiple contact options, online payment

14. Carolyn Skilling – Prominent phone, strong brand

15. Monteck Carter – blog archive, categories & newsletter in 1

16. Brown Baldwin – Multiple channels

17. SMC – simple strap line

18. Other things your website can do for you
• Showcase your expertise
• Case studies
• Free advice guides
• Interviews with the Partners
• Interviews with clients
• Encourage newsletter subscriptions
• Self-service sign up
• Non-pdf newsletters
• Re-use news articles for newsletters
• Event sign ups
• Christmas party
• Expert seminar
• Client drinks

19. Measurement and analysis
Nearly everything digital can be measured
This should please you

20. What to measure
Build a spreadsheet of these values and record monthly
• Total monthly sessions
• Total monthly visitors (unique)
• Peak day number
• Total number of pages viewed
• Bounce Rate %
• New Visitors %
• Top referring site
• Other referring sites
• Keywords – most popular. 2nd, 3rd etc
• Top Performing content
• List page(s) and numbers of page views
• Number of contact form submissions
• Number of newsletter subscribers

21. Things to do TODAY
Do a search for your business – by name, by geography, by specialism
Note the results as a baseline for future comparison
Check your free listings are accurate
Do an Alchemy API assessment
Review your Google Analytics [install if you haven’t got them]
Start recording Analytics every month – go back 6 months to start
Tell the decision makers how well [or badly] you are doing.
Be firm, be clear on the need for change.

22. CCH iFirm offers for you
www.cchifirm.com
Inspired to get your website up and running?
Talk to CCH about their no up-front fee website options
Already using CCH Web Manager?
Talk to CCH about their Responsive design upgrade options

23. Creative Agency Secrets Offer for You
http://creativeagencysecrets.com/accountant-resources/
• Get these Slides
• Spreadsheet for Google Analytics template
http://creativeagencysecrets.com/marketing-accountants/
• Phone consultation $350 + GST for 1 hour
• Get questions answered, a brief for your web
designer & top 3 priorities for your website
• Full refund guarantee if not satisfied

24. Connect with me
@rebeccacaroe
rebecca@creativeagencysecrets.com
Linked In
+64 22 647 3993