Reading this posting on AccountingWeb got me thinking about this unrelated piece at CPA Trendlines and what the future holds for the “Client Testimonial” – as used in the marketing materials of professional service firms, particularly on their websites.

I think testimonials don’t work and are open to abuse in many ways, as the comments on the AccountingWeb thread suggest. The fundamental problem is that the person reading a testimonial knows that they are only being presented with a partial view; they have no way to validate their opinion on it without access to the broader picture.

The next generation of clients, in particular, is savvy to this and they have grown-up in a world where Google lets them assemble something like the full picture from a jigsaw of pieces of information scattered all over the Internet. They are not, therefore, going to take any testimonial in your marketing at face value.

So, why not make it easy for your potential clients to see the full picture in the first place, from your site in a manner you have some control over?

The way forward is for professionals to open as much of their work, and their interactions with clients as possible. Show people as much as you can about what you do, how you do it and what the response from your clients is. Share the ideas you are working on, share the problems that you and your clients have faced and then, only then, share the praise they have given you. Share that praise in a way that is transparent and (prima facie) obviously unsolicited, real-time and real world.

The good news is that the technology to make this easy is already out there and, depending on your requirements, free.

I say the firms that have the balls to expose themselves like this will be the firms that win the next generation of clients. Oh, and if you are scared of hanging out your dirty washing, do everyone a favour and stop taking on new business until you sort yourself out.

I recently participated in a discussion on AccountingWeb where I questioned the value of including detailed technical and tax resources on accountants’ websites.  My long-held view is that such resources are a waste of money.  If I were a client, I would want to pick up the phone and get the answers I need.  I would not expect to find them for myself, “on the website”.

However, since there are many providers of technical content and many accountants including their services on their sites, I wondered if I was alone in my view – so I created an online survey and asked for responses.

With only limited public awareness of the existence of the survey, I am pleased to have received 32 responses.  I promised to publish the results and here they are (pdf format).

I believe that the results support my view including technical content on an accountancy firm’s website is not good use of the marketing budget.  Some 24% of firms had no idea if clients or prospects ever used it and less than half (47%) thought that the cost of technical content represented value for money.

Looking at all respondents, including those who did not include technical content, only 16% of firms reported receiving more than “one or two” enquiries per month from their website.  This, despite the fact that the overwhelming majority (85%) had refreshed the look and feel of their site recently (less than three years ago).

So, I stick to my view.  Accountants need a professional web presence but only something that a prospect can use to “kick the tyres” before making contact to initiate a discussion.  Existing clients will likely never visit the site, because they have no need to – and if you think tools, guides and calculators on your site will make them come you are deluding yourself.

Accountants, think for a minute – you are a supplier in your clients’ eyes.  Now, thinking about yourself, when was the last time you checked out the website of the firm’s PI insurer or stationery supplier?

Looks like users who have previously signed-up to play with Xero on a free trial will have received this email this morning.  Clearly, the marketing ploy is to prompt fence-sitters to make the switch before the start of their new financial year, which for most businesses begins 1st April.

The offer has 43 days to run, so represents a saving of about £26 for a business using Xero’s “Medium” plan.  Is this enough of an incentive?  Personally, I am not convinced but it is a clever way of getting into the inboxes of prospects without looking spammy.