Last Updated October 24, 2022
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Getting Positive Reviews from Bookkeeping Clients
Gone are the days when people would go on to deal with a business without carrying out ‘background checks. Today, when every industry and business landscape is expanding on the internet, consumers pay a lot of heed to online reviews. Different statistics suggest that more than 90% of consumers go through relevant online reviews before buying or availing of any service.
If you are spearheading an online accounting firm then you should strive for as many reviews as possible. Many CPAs, bookkeeping, and tax preparation specialists are apprehensive of online reviews because of their negative nature. But here’s one essential thing to remember: no matter how much you avoid online reviews, it doesn’t change the fact that your prospective bookkeeping and accounting clients consider them really important.
Therefore, the better approach is to go all-out for positive reviews and tackle negative ones with effective reputation management (we have discussed its pointers in one of the previous blog posts). By acting upon the following two things, you will be able to gather more positive reviews about your online accounting firms.
A Follow-up Correspondence with a Satisfied Customer Can Get You a Priced
Positive Review
If you are quite sure that you have delivered the accounting and tax preparation services that the client was looking for, then don’t waste this opportunity to get a stellar review from them. You can get it through a follow-up email or a call. If possible, get an in-person review and record it. Video testimonials from legitimate business owners are the most effective reviews. It can help you in roping in those accounting clients that have been sitting on the fence for a long time.
Make it as Easy as Possible for a Client to Review your Accounting Firm
You are not going to get any reviews at all if it entails a lot of work. And by a lot of work, we mean searching the links and sections to drop a review. No matter how happy a client is with your bookkeeping, online payroll management, and tax preparation, they will not go the extra mile just to leave a review. Always give them the exact location and landing page where you want them to review your service.
How significant are client testimonials to prospective customers?
Very. This infographic claims that up to 90% of prospective customers check internet evaluations before visiting a company and that 80% of people trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.
This naturally brings us to our next topic: How can you encourage your customers to provide reviews?
Here are our top seven suggestions for obtaining online reviews:
- Ask. Many accountants and bookkeepers are simply afraid to request reviews. Never be. Your customers will be delighted to write a review for you.
- Keep it simple. In order to save them from having to locate or figure out how to accomplish this for you, be sure to provide the link to the review site in your email request.
- Take two. You might as well encourage your customers to post on two sites given the number of review sites available (including Google, Yelp, Facebook, ProAdvisor, and more). We wouldn’t advise requesting more than two. The process becomes more difficult and it comes off as spammy.
- Offer to return favors. Ask if you can provide a review for your client if you use their services. This makes your request for a review a win-win situation where everyone benefits. As there can be websites particular to their industry, make sure to ask them where they would like you to submit the review.
- Talk to customers who have given you positive reviews. Request your customers to copy and paste their reviews on review sites like Google, Yelp or ProAdvisor too, if they have already provided you with feedback unprompted.
- Follow up. Your customers are incredibly busy. They overlook it. Follow up on your initial request twice or three times, giving a week or two in between each time. People typically write evaluations after the second or third follow-up, in my experience. Once the review has been published, a thank-you note doesn’t hurt either.
- Be persistent and reliable. Set up an automatic reminder to ask a customer for a review and/or to follow up on sent requests every Saturday morning or whatever day is convenient for you. This is due to a number of factors. First of all, once a week is not too frequent. Second, following up is considerably simpler than bulk emailing your whole clientele. Finally, review websites frequently highlight service providers who receive a large number of evaluations all at once.
Good Bookkeeping Services Eventually Precipitates Into Good Reviews
While putting in the effort to gather online reviews, don’t forget that it will only become possible if you are offering impeccable accounting and bookkeeping services. When an online bookkeeping firm works alongside a digital dashboard that features services, such as cloud storage, secure file sharing, and e-signature, it is only natural to get good raving reviews about your online CPA venture.
My CPA Dashboard is an accounting firm portal that can ensure you stand apart from your competitors in terms of high-quality bookkeeping, accounting, and tax preparation services.
