Marketing for accountants: do you have website FOMO?

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s one of the easiest ways to show you are still open for business, websites have to be more than just shop windows and are used by the brightest and best financial marketers to improve customer service, provide useful information, upsell other services and, of course, generate new business.

Live chat is one tool that is changing how accountancy firms deliver greater ROI from their websites. Offering a direct line of communication to visitors, it provides an easy and immediate way for people to ask questions and get answers in real time, and on their terms. These people may not have the time to call or email; they could even be multi-tasking, making dinner or working from home. Live chat provides an informal and effective way of moving a client’s journey along, without too much effort from them.

Some 29% of accountancy firms do not consider their website to be important, yet strengthening existing client relationships is reported as the highest priority for firms in 2021. This is a total contradiction. Firms that do not recognise the correlation between a strong online presence and a strong client relationship will get left behind. It’s that simple.

Live chat can improve that picture dramatically by boosting website engagement by up to six times, handling enquiries and bringing accountancy brands’ values to life. Highly trackable, it also provides the valuable data that can be used to improve and prove a website’s effectiveness and performance overall.

With input from Moneypenny’s live chat team and Joe Dearbonne, director of demand generation at SnapEngage, here are the 10 best ways to use live chat to increase the return on investment from your marketing efforts, and get rid of the dreaded website FOMO:

1. Turn static into dynamic
Web visitors have short attention spans. If they cannot find what they want in 10-20 seconds they will leave and look elsewhere. A live chat pop up quickly gives them what they want – without needing to overhaul your website. Plus it is more effective than a static enquiry form.

2. Increased lead conversion
The average chat response time is 11 seconds, compared to two to three hours for an email. Chat is immediate, driving much higher lead conversion rates. 38% of our accountancy live chats result in new business.

3. More happy clients
Live chat increases satisfaction due to its instant and expert responses given. At 83%, live chat boasts one of the highest customer satisfaction rates, according to Forbes.

4. Doing more
A live chat agent can manage up to three live chats at once, compared to a receptionist handling one phone call at a time. Effective use of live chat can also keep volume away from your phone lines.

5. Choice means convenience
Clients want to talk on their terms. That could be web chat, social media or SMS and WhatsApp. Having a multichannel chat option is key.

6. Repeat visitors mean increased revenue
Overall, 63% of people who use live chat on a site are likely to come back. The more engaged conversations you have, the higher the chances of gaining a long-term loyal client.

7. Integrated user experience
A chat platform should fit well with most websites, CRMs and help desks. This allows you to keep all client data unified to give you a whole client view, while lowering your overall cost.

8. 24/7 lead generation
Some 37% of our live chats now occur outside the standard working day, which means people are looking for information and answers outside traditional office hours. Using a mix of humans and bots can transform your business. Pairing chatbots with live chat fills gaps in coverage, whether that be for backup, as the frontline, or weekend support.

9. Increased cross-sell and upsell
Engagement goes through the roof when you acknowledge the visitor with context. For example, a proactive chat suggesting products based on the product they are looking at – 'if you like this, you might also like this'.

10. Supercharged content
One of the most powerful features of live chat is the ability to customise welcome messages depending on the visitor’s location on your site. Just imagine providing a customised proactive message on a blog article or service page that drives conversions.

If accountancy firms have FOMO when it comes to website engagement and client care, it is time to act. Live chat is cost-effective, proven and easy to use, and could see firms dramatically improve the relationship with their client base and increase the new business pipeline.