Thanks in large part to the Internet, people have better access to the most powerful tool of all - information. Better informed and educated, the average person actively selects accounting and other professional services as they would other products - and bases their loyalty on the quality of the service they receive.

To generate new clients and business from these Internet-savvy consumers, accountants and other professionals need to be prepared with effective Internet-based communications that provide consumers with the information they need and seek. Contrary to recently generated stereotypes, people do not surf the Web; they search it. They are not looking for entertainment; they are looking for information. When they find what they want, increasingly they use the Internet to buy.

Good Site, Bad Site
Web sites work just like billboards in cyberspace, and marketing a business or professional services on the Internet works the same way as advertising in newspaper, on television or radio, right? Wrong.

Traditional broadcast and print media rely on exposure to many people who see or hear the information with no action on their part. On the Internet the opposite is true. A Web user has to look for you. When that potential client finds your site, they must be able to find the information (or at least a link to it), or they are gone with a mouse-click. Studies have shown that the average person will stay at a site only two seconds before making a decision whether to stay and learn more or go elsewhere.

Accounting professionals can use the principles of online communications to their advantage by looking at their firm and Web site from the audience perspective. More succinctly: Put yourself in the client's shoes.

What is working on Web sites is branding and integrated marketing - meshing of the content and services of a Web site with other communications materials, such as marketing and advertising as well as other online information sources.

Some of these techniques may be obvious. Business cards and stationery should include the Web site address positioned just as high and visibly as the voice telephone number. Any print advertising, whether flyers, magazine or newspapers ads should feature the Web address as well.

Take these simple forms of exposure a step further: Print and broadcast material can actually integrate with an accounting Web site by offering visitor's to the site some sort of free benefit. One example is short questionnaire filled out and submitted online, that could help a potential client determine what services they require. Bonus: A good questionnaire would also capture a name, telephone number, address and demographic information about the sender.

Online cross marketing is also very effective and usually free, though it can take a small amount of research. The idea is to find as many other sites that will post a link to an accounting site, usually as a resource to site users. For ideas, go to your favorite search engine, such as AltaVista (www.altavista.com), and type in the name of your city and "CPA" or "accountant" as search words.

But beware: If you create a strong online brand image that does not match reality, then the effectiveness is, at best, diluted. Worse, if your advertising and marketing efforts point to a Web site that does not really match your potential customer's expectations, you have probably lost a client.

One dentist who frequently advertises in consumer media features a Web site address in his print ads. Fair enough, and usually a good example of cross-marketing between conventional and cyber communication techniques. Unfortunately, the Web address he advertises is for a site that markets software aimed at others in his profession. The site contains nothing about his practice, approach to treatment, insurance affiliations or anything else a consumer and potential patient would want to see. Not only are consumers uninterested in this product, this businessman has actually created a barrier between himself and potential new business.

This unfortunate example is in sharp contrast to a site like American Airlines', which is clearly designed to perform one paramount function: fill airplane seats. The whole site is structured to let users plan itineraries and purchase tickets.

Make it Useful
Everyone knows that accountants provide highly specialized knowledge and services. But not only are today's consumers more educated and informed, they want a more collaborative relationship with those they hire.

Comparing the Web sites of two legal practices recently illustrated this point clearly. One site wrapped itself in the language of the profession and, though it very thoroughly listed its attorney practice areas, required a fair understanding of the legal system and the practice of law to understand.

The second site is developed with the audience in mind. Instead of listing legal services and processes that only other attorney's would understand, this site (for a practice that specializes in divorce and family law), offers articles about divorce, how a state-specific divorce case works, links to resources, books and other helping organizations, driving directions to reach the firm, and more.

When In Doubt, Stick to the Basics
The Web site's address is the first-strike opportunity to convey key messages about you and the services you offer. It should be short and easy to remember, and most importantly, convey a key message about your firm. Take, for example, the site for a well-known line of dolls and accessories. Small children and adult collectors know to type www.barbie.com into their browsers, not www.mattel.com.

Some other basics for a Web site include:

• Ensure the homepage arrives on the screen within 30 seconds.
• Prominently display the name and logo of the business.
• Present all the hyperlinks for the site within the first screen (do not require scrolling to find them).
• Communicate the key message to your customers.

Remember: A bad Web site is worse than no site at all. In the case of the dentist mentioned earlier, my reaction when I visited the site was annoyance, and I will look elsewhere for that particular service.

A well-designed Web site builds and enhances your client base and their satisfaction with your services. A bad one? Lost customers and unrealized revenue.