Website Trends

Finding help in a changing world

By Charles E. McCabe and Peoples Web Services

Name a firm that doesn’t have a business card or yellow-page listing. Well then, name a firm that doesn’t have a website. Ah, now you can start listing some names – maybe even your own. As the number of online consumers grows at a predicted rate of 30 to 50 percent over the next few years – and many more consumers search for information online prior to walking in the front door – the question you should be asking is not “Why do I need a site?” but “How do I get one?” to make sure they’re walking in your door.

Functions of a Basic Website
Websites do not require you to offer products for online consumption. In fact, what used to be commonly called “e-commerce” is now being called “e-business,” to better distinguish between offering products for online purchase (e-commerce) and the vast array of other tools and services a company may provide via the Internet (e-business). For example, in the tax industry, it is much more likely that your business will require a site that simply provides information to fulfill customer service needs (your location, your services, contact information) and marketing needs (who we are and why you should come to us rather than our competitor; here’s a coupon). Your target audience may be local, but that’s the beauty of the Internet. Potential customers can get to your information on the Internet from wherever they are, whenever they want. If you’re not out there, they won’t find you.

Arguments for and against having a website could go on and on. Some of you may not have a website, but realize the importance of having one. Others may already have a website, but need help finding new ways to take advantage of its power. In either case, let’s concentrate on how to use this tool to your advantage, and what you need to be thinking about in the near future as more technological capabilities are introduced into the tax industry.

Choosing and Working With a Designer
Creating a website yourself is an option, if you have the know-how. Or, you can find companies offering customized sites online (see page 39). But, don’t be fooled into thinking you’ll have a website in 30 minutes for $19.95. You’ll need to pay for hosting, access for adding or updating your site, and any additional features you want to add. There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all website.

Since it’s expensive and time-consuming to purchase and learn to use the computer hardware, software, and programming languages needed for website production, your best option may be to hire an independent website designer. The complexity of the website you envision will determine who you need to hire to create and maintain your site.

You should select a designer based on your budget, the designer’s production schedule availability, and the designer’s ability to provide special services such as regularly updating your site’s information and writing the code necessary for features like securing your site for credit card transactions. Be sure to ask for references and browse the developer’s portfolio (websites they’ve developed). Keep in mind that most of the information necessary for website development can be transferred back and forth via e-mail and test sites (called “beta sites”), so your options expand beyond local vendors. The key to successful web design, local or long-distance, is good communication.

To achieve good communication, prepare yourself as much as possible in advance by considering exactly what you want out of your website. Pre-production planning is essential to reduce the costs involved in making changes once the site is active. Use flow charts to organize your information. Continuous planning is essential during reviews and revisions to keep your site on the right track.

As enjoyable as it is to dwell on the look of your site, try to focus on the objectives you want your site to accomplish. The designer’s job is to create an image for your site based on your objectives and to make professional recommendations based on functionality, current trends, and end-user concerns. You will need to assume the role of subject-matter expert for the designer. The best client a designer has is an educated client – one who knows what information the designer will need from the start.

What Should Be On Your Website?
To build a successful website, your designer will need the following:
Domain Name Registration. Your website needs a unique address (called a domain name or “URL”) so your audience can find and access your site on the Internet. To get this unique address – which you will want to be as close to your company name, product, service, or slogan as possible – you need to register a domain name. You can do this yourself, but it can be time-consuming. If you decide to assign this task to your designer, provide some options, listed in order of preference. The designer should let you know what is and isn’t available. If your preferences aren’t available, consider using an extension other than “.com.” There are several other commonly used extensions, including “.net,” and “.org.”

Logo. Have an electronic version of your company logo ready early in the process. Traditional design uses a logo not only as the main element in the layout of the pages, but also as a link to your main (“Home”) page, consistently visible on every page. If you don’t have an electronic version of your logo but you’ve had print work done (business cards, letterhead) you can most likely get this from your printer, or a quick-copy center. If not, your designer should be able to create a digital version of your logo for a nominal cost. Not all logos look as terrific online as in print. Your designer may make some suggestions to improve the look of your logo for the website.

Text and Images. You may have seen websites with words or pictures that move or change when you move your cursor over them. The text and images that move without any prompting are sometimes called “Flash Movies,” named for the program with which they are created. When used correctly, these “movies” can enhance a particular section of your site and draw your audience’s attention to important information. Avoid overusing such features so they do not become more of a distraction than an enhancement. Also, the more complicated or fancy the movie, the more it will cost you, as designers charge for their time.

Other design features you should consider are those that help your visitors navigate your site. Visual clues that prompt the user to move the cursor and click on text or objects for more information are critical. Words or phrases that you click on to find more information are called “links.” There are several ways to draw attention to these links, including changing the font or color of certain words, underlining words or phrases, or including what is called “rollover text.” Rollover text defines words or phrases that transform to another font or color, or reveal more options when the cursor passes over them.

Now, a word about images: Although it is getting easier to take digital images and put them into a website, if they don’t look professional, your credibility will suffer. Your designer will most likely have access to an image library that may contain stock photos to enhance your site. Be sure to determine if you own the usage rights for the images. Ask your designer how you may use the images, since he or she is probably only paying for the right to use them on your website. You don’t want to violate copyright laws by using the image in an unauthorized manner.

Layout. In addition to providing an attractive look and effective visual cues on your site, the best way to make sure your visitors have a positive experience is to follow common layout techniques and have a logical progression to your pages. A flow chart will help you determine how you want a user to navigate through your site. Again, you’ll need to make your designer aware of the priorities certain topics should have on the site.

Communication Tools
Message Boards. A message board is a great website tool your customers can use to communicate with you, your staff, or each other. This is a great place to answer frequently asked questions for the benefit of all your clients. It is wise, however, to regularly review your message board to make sure it is not being used improperly. You definitely want to erase inappropriate or detrimental messages on your site. Complaints, on the other hand, may be opportunities to win back customers or respond to others who may have the same concerns.

E-Mail. Consider setting up a generic e-mail address on your website, such as info@yourbusiness.com, so you can easily identify the messages coming from your website. Customers appreciate having the option to communicate with you by e-mail as opposed to the telephone.

Chat Rooms and Web Casts. A chat room permits real-time, online discussions between users. This can be an effective marketing tool if you advertise in advance a time when you’ll be online to offer advice and answer questions. Web casts are the next step up from chat rooms, adding video and audio to the conversations. The necessary software and equipment are becoming more accessible, but are too expensive to be used frequently. Experiment first with the chat room, then with adequate success, you may be able to justify the expense of a web cast.

Marketing Tools
To encourage repeat visits to your website, provide frequently updated content. Newsletters are popular ways of disseminating information in a familiar format. After posting a newsletter on your site, you can send an e-mail to your clients alerting them to the new information becoming available. You may want to create a log-in screen that requires users to sign in. Before accessing the information, they’ll have to give you some personal information. This is a good way to compile an e-mail database. The trick is not to dissuade customers from signing up by requesting too much information. Be sure to request permission to send information to those who log in. This request can simply be included on the sign-up form. Customer polls are another way to get people to return to your website, as are tax law update alerts, and online coupons. Reciprocal links, connections between two organizations for their mutual benefit, encourage customers to spend more time exploring your site. Especially popular for tax firms are links to the IRS and state tax sites.

Search Engine Optimization
Search engine optimization is the process of listing your site on the search engines people use to search the Internet using keywords. This process has become complicated due to the number of search engines available and how they accept information. Your designer (or webmaster) can use many tools and techniques to get your site listed near the top of search engine findings. The most descriptive keywords and phrases must be determined and placed into the coding of the website that will be indexed by the search engines. Another option is to contract with a firm that specializes in search engine submissions.

Hosting
Another cost you will face is called “hosting.” Hosting is the service of keeping your site readily accessible at all times to anyone and everyone. In a perfect world, you want to put your site on a computer that will never be offline. It is unlikely you can afford to have a computer with 24/7 support solely dedicated to house your site. You may not have the backup equipment necessary to ensure that accessibility is rarely, if ever, compromised. It is usually necessary to have someone else provide you with this service. The good news is that, because of the demand for such services, competition has driven the price down and increased the number of perks, such as valuable website usage reports. Look for reliability when choosing a host. This means good accessibility, alerts if and when a server (the computer system where your site is kept electronically) is down, and reports showing any downtime. If significant downtime occurs, you may be able to get a partial refund. If this happens frequently, it’s time to choose a new host.

Legal Considerations
Your site should have a legal disclaimer to protect you from liabilities associated with providing information, products, and services over the Internet. By clicking on existing legal links on similar sites, you’ll get a good idea of how to word your own. After drafting a disclaimer, have it reviewed by a lawyer to ensure that you are protecting yourself as much as possible from legal complications.

Security of the site is most closely tied to legal issues. If you are accepting credit card payments or requesting personal information, make sure that your system is designed and maintained securely; and definitely have the disclaimers in place to ensure both customer confidence and your own protection.

Avoid trademark infringements. For example, the term “Rapid Refund” (used within a unique design) is a registered trademark of a national tax firm. Even though the term has become synonymous with Refund Anticipation Loans, using it could result in legal action against you. If in doubt, you should consult a qualified trademark and patent attorney.

Website Maintenance Issues
A website is like a car. It may run fine until suddenly a tire goes flat. A broken link is an example of a website “flat tire.” Nothing frustrates users more than when they click on a link that doesn’t take them to where it should. Keep your web designer informed of any broken links so that the problem can be fixed right away. Often the code needs to be fixed because something changed within a site that inadvertently affected the link; but sometimes broken links occur for no apparent reason. Be sure to check the site often to make sure everything is working properly. Other than a server going down, nothing turns off a visitor faster than a broken link.

If your site does go down, notify the host immediately. It’s likely you won’t know about it until you get a complaint. If your website is down, your e-mail may also be down. Responding quickly is essential, especially since you may not know how long your site has been offline. At the very least, you should ask for an estimate of how long it will be before the site is up again, so you can e-mail that information to customers. They’ll appreciate your concern for their satisfaction.

Summary and Conclusions
Technology is the greatest driver of change in the tax industry, followed closely by demographic trends, legislation, and competition. Tax professionals who are not using state-of-the-art technology will not be able to remain competitive. A website is just as essential for a tax business as are business cards! Your website should not merely be an electronic brochure; it must also be a tool to serve your clients more effectively and a distribution channel for your tax and financial services. Building a website is only the first step; your website must be regularly maintained, and continuously updated and enhanced. Bringing traffic to your website will be a never-ending challenge, requiring regular search engine optimization, reciprocal links, and the regular addition of new content and features to your site. E-file will become the only way to file almost all tax returns in the near future. Programs like Free File, which enabled 2.8 million taxpayers to prepare and file their own tax returns in its first year, will continue to grow and flourish. With the help of the IRS and local consortiums of nonprofit organizations, IRS e-services will make communicating and doing business with the IRS much faster, more efficient and more pleasant for taxpayers and tax professionals.

This article is published in the NATP Journal with permission from Peoples Income Tax, Inc., which reserves all rights. For more information, contact the authors 800.984.1040 or visit www.peoplestax.com. ©2004, Peoples Income Tax, Inc.

For further information or to discuss this topic, contact Charles E. McCabe at 1-800-984-1040.