Why CPA website solutions need to be built with members in mind

When most people think of consumer technology, they tend to come up with things like televisions, home computers, iPhones, and a host of smart appliances in a typical kitchen, but the definition is much wider than that.

According to Built In, "Consumer technology is the umbrella term for any type of technology created with the general public’s use in mind." But according to our Imarc team, that's a bit too big of a way to say it. The general public is made up of many niche segments and each segment has different wants and needs. That's why marketers are so keen on segmenting lists for campaigns!

What if the definition of consumer technology was "helpful technology made for one or more segments of the public built with their needs in mind" instead? After all, individuals with niche expertise are still the general public, even if they are more specialized.

One of those segments is certified public accountants (CPAs) and the societies that they are members of. CPA website solutions are a prime example of consumer technology built for a small sample of people where details need to be considered heavily for positive results.

What CPA societies really need

Automation–Collecting member dues is difficult and has the potential for errors. That's why automated online dues collection is something key to their success.

Ongoing innovation–Continuous website updates and enhancement releases are needed to keep CPA websites looking and performing at the optimal level.

A simple interface–Complex content management tools waste time for CPA societies, which is why the right toolbox is essential to keep things rolling.

Seamless member integration–The member database is the lifeblood of a CPA society and it's important that it is integrated in real time.

The right scale–Not all CPA societies are the same size. It's crucial to pick the right solution for the size they are at while keeping possible scalability in mind.

Use the best parts–For ease of use, CPA societies are best served when they can leverage the tools they already use to manage their memberships.

Promotional abilities–The ability to create promotional codes and membership-value-add programs helps societies thrive.

The essential needs of CPA members

And of course, building a tool means creating something with the members in mind too! CPA members need to have:

• Membership benefits and recruitment call-outs throughout the site to help them understand the breadth of their membership and take action.
• A great front-end experience
• Flexible dues payment options
• A variety of continuing education delivery options for in person, online, and self-study
• Easy access to CPE transcripts for license renewal

How CPA societies can meet member needs

Providing flexibility, tailored experiences, and ease of use help CPA societies deliver value to their member population.

Imarc's Client Services Manager, Victoria Andersen is the proverbial quarterback of the Fuse CPA client experience. She said, "Fuse is so successful because it is tailored to the unique needs of CPAs and state societies as a whole. We are able to create a productized platform that is iterative and reusable for multiple society websites, but still flexible enough to align each individual site with the societies' unique brand identities, bylaws, and state regulations."

Clients agree wholeheartedly.

"Prior to switching to Fuse, we had a custom website. Because of this, when new features were added, it would cause the code to break in another area of the site, so we constantly were running into issues and troubleshooting. This caused unpredictable problems with member renewals, event registrations, and donations," –Elizabeth Emanuelson, VP of Communications at MassCPAs

Fuse

Fuse is Imarc's proprietary solution to CPA society and member needs. Here's what Fuse is all about.

• One solution for multiple needs
• Specifically designed for CPA societies
• Easy-to-use administrator tools
• Member benefits
• Built on a foundation of website best practices
• Customizable and scalable
• Provides the ability to easily create and manage page content
• Has flexible pricing from 1,000-10,000 members

At Imarc, we love building solutions aimed at delighting end-users. In Fuse's case, that's CPA and CPA societies, but we're always interested in custom solutions to challenging business problems. Do you have a marketing issue that's been stumping you? Let's talk.