We use heat mapping to track where visitors go when visiting our tax and accounting professionals’ websites. Other than Track My Refund, the bio page is the most clicked on secondary page after the home page. There is no set standard of what should be included on your bio page.So how do you write an accounting bio for your website? We have found that our most successful CPAs, EAs and tax professionals include some or all of the following:
1) It is really not about you.
Your professional bio is talking to your visitor. What is it in your background that communicates how you can solve their problem or make their lives better? By verbalizing your passion for helping your clients, you are making subtle points about how you can help your reader.
2) Position yourself professionally with an updated headshot.
Sometimes this is one of the hardest obstacles to overcome. But studies tell us that your photo signals to the viewer traits your personality, trustworthiness and even if you are competent. We use a third-party tool called Photofeeler to help choose the best image for our clients.
3) Speak your client’s language, not yours.
While going on and on about tax law citations and obscure designations makes sense to you, many clients don’t understand accounting terminology. You want to use language that covers the problems your clients are facing so they can relate. A good accountant biography is written in third person, and focuses on the language your audience is using.
4) List who you work with.
Nothing is faster in engaging with a client when they can connect personally with a particular client or type of client you work with. If you specialize in police officers, talk about it. If you work with prominent businesses in your area, talk it up. As a certified public accountant you work with many different people, so provide examples customers can relate to.
5) Include links to social media.
We live in a transparent world, and social media is where your clients spend their time. You want to easily be able to connect with them and use these social media tools to engage prospects.
6) Make it personal.
Include what you do in your free time and personal information about how you live your life. This makes you more approachable and trustworthy. Realize you are asking them to follow your advice and will be asking probing questions about their finances. You want them to feel comfortable with you. You love dogs. You travel or climb mountains. These are all attributes that start connecting with people and open the window into who you are.
7) Establish your credibility.
Why are you qualified to work with business owners or taxpayers? Why should your visitor trust you? Add detail in your bio of specific engagements you worked on and the positive outcomes. Provide examples in your bio of company accomplishments and a brief description backed by expertise.
8) What about your value?
Use words like “help,” “solve,” “resolve” and “grow.” By telling your reader your value, it will be much easier to go from the get–to-know-you phase to the engagement phase.
9) Write a short accountant bio.
In today's world of short attention spans, you want readers to be able to get to know you in a timely manner. Your bio should be able to communicate all of the above in a few paragraphs.
10) Finish with a call to action (CTA).
For example: if you want to talk about how to update your bio and choose the right photo for your market, feel free to pick up the phone and call us at 1-800-442-2477. We would love to hear from you.Sample bios: Michael G. Wastvedt CPA, Managing Partner
Jesse Lipscomb, Investment Advisor
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