Online Marketing Strategies for Professional Services
Websites for Professional Services
Our web development and online marketing business has been built off the strength and results achieved in using the internet to market O'Mahony Donnelly Chartered Certified Accountants, through the website www.omahonydonnelly.ie, email newsletters and online networking.
- Over 50% of O'Mahony Donnelly's clients found out about the practice through the website.
- O'Mahony Donnelly's clients come from many countries of the World and from a wide variety of industries -- resulting in an interesting and buoyant client base.
- O'Mahony Donnelly has been instrumental in assisting a number of business looking to start up in Ireland from countries around the World.
- O'Mahony Donnelly offers online company formations services through it's own site www.company-formations-ireland.com, once again providing an innovative way to bring in new clients and an easy method of communicating these specific services and facilities.
Other benefits O'Mahony Donnelly has gained through its website:
- Requests for press interviews for articles and broadcasts for relevant topics -- based on being found through our website.
- Another resource for recruitment and finding suppliers.
- The website is an ideal forum for networking and building links to other professionals, throughout the World, as needed.
Most people don't expect this kind of result for a professional services provider, but our own experience is the best example. Without our website, the practice would have been dependent on personal connections, local networking and advertising in local newspapers -- all quite time consuming and expensive. The site has ranked high on search engines for searches related to accountants, tax, moving to Ireland, starting a business in Ireland and other specific phrases related to specific financial and industry matters.
Online marketing, whether a basic website or a full online marketing campaign, can help any professional service: accountants, solicitors, doctors, dentists, financial services, consultants, etc. -- as long as you keep in mind the following:
- The design of your website should reflect the branding of your organisation; whether it be contemporary or very professional and formal.
- Make sure that the web development company that you use has a proven track record in Search Engine Optimization. Check the results of other sites they have done, particularly for your industry. They don't necessarily need to be experienced in your discipline, but it could be beneficial.
- Make sure that the web development company is experienced in copy writing for best online marketing results -- or source your own experienced copywriter. Some companies will just use your copy and others will throw together something to fill up the page. Look at some of their sites and ask them if the copy was supplied or written by them.
- Use your website, or even just a basic blog, to include interesting articles on topics related to your industry and the industries that you service. These provide good information for prospects and good content for search engines to take in.
- Email newsletters are a good way to keep in touch with prospects and current clients -- and an excellent way to offer Value Added Services. You can manage your own campaigns inhouse or use an online marketing company. Either way would be more economical than a traditional postal direct mail campaign -- and much more effective. Using email also provides an easy way for the recipient to refer you to new prospects.
- Get references from your prospective web development company and check them. (Most of our clients are happy to tell people how wonderful we are -- and what great results they get from our web development and online marketing services!)
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