A preliminary evaluation of professional accounting services: direct marketing on the Internet

TLDR

Recent Internet advances give accounting firms a promotional platform to showcase technological competence, and over 2,000 firms already have Web sites listed in The List of CPA Firms Directory. This study aims to conduct a preliminary content analysis of accounting firms’ web pages. The authors randomly selected 346 Web sites and examined their content for client choice factors, basic company information, value‑added features, graphics, and registration with search engines, yellow pages, CPA directories, and state societies. Most firms provide basic client‑desired information, but they need to register sites with common search engines, increase interactivity through free content such as newsletters, and better leverage Internet features.

Abstract

Recent advances in the Internet have afforded professional accounting firms a form of promotion to enhance their image as technologically competent. Currently, over 2,000 accounting firms have Web sites registered with The List of CPA Firms Directory . The objective of this paper is to conduct a preliminary content analysis of the web pages of accounting firms. A total of 346 Web sites were randomly selected. The contents of the Web pages were examined and analysed for inclusion of client choice factors, basic company information, value added features, and graphics. The registration of the accounting firms’ Web sites by search engines, Web yellow pages, CPA directories, and state CPA societies was also investigated. Generally, firms did a good job of providing basic client desired information about the firm, but they must register their Web sites with search engines that are commonly available and must encourage more interactivity with existing and potential clients by providing free information such as newsletters and links to relevant Web sites. They need to develop greater expertise in using the specific features and advantages of the Internet medium.