Would you like to refresh your accounting firm’s website design? Our web design team at CPA Site Solutions have just completed three new designs and added them to the more than 220 other ready-to-go website designs available for your accounting firm’s website. Click on any of the images to bring up a full view of the website designs.
Want this design for your firm's website design? Ask for style 294.
There’s no extra charge to switch your accounting firm’s website to one of these, or any of our website designs. Get a complete redesign in just minutes and at zero cost by calling us with the web site design of your choice and we’ll make that change for you.
Want this design for your firm's website design? Ask for style 295.
Would you rather have a design customized? Want a website design adjusted to reflect your business or brand? Just let us know, and we’ll put you in touch with one of our professional designers to build you a unique and custom website design with CPA Site Solutions
.
Want this design for your firm's website design? Ask for style 293.
We’re always working on new designs for you. Look for another batch of ready-to-go website designs for your accounting firm in the coming weeks. In the meantime, leave us a comment below about these website designs or anything else. We love to hear from you.
In some of our previous posts at CPA Site Solutions we talked about updates we have done such as being able to log directly into the Secure File Exchange and how default permissions can now be modified. We now have another long awaited feature added to the Site Manager; the ability to move pages by just dragging and dropping them.
New Site Map.
As many long time users are aware it has not always been so easy to move a page within the Site Manager. Moving the page involved repeatedly clicking on an arrow until the page reached where you wanted it.
The era of clicking the arrow to move a page is gone! You can now just drag and drop any page to where you want it to go and your done.
Now when you login to the Site Manager and view the Site Map the familiar large arrow will no longer appear. Instead you see the pages of your site along with a great picture that explains how to use it (See Picture at Top). Let me give you a visual of just how easy it is to move a page on your website.
Save Changes
I am going to move the Firm Profile page in this picture. All I have to do is click and hold the mouse button down to drag the page where I want it to go.
In the example here I have moved the Firm Profile to right below Tax Center. When I do this a box shows making sure I like where I have placed my page. If I don’t I can move it again, if I do I click on Save Changes.
I can move pages around within moments which saves a lot of time compared to clicking to move up one and then clicking again. This feature makes me want to allow the programming guys Kyle and Bob out of their containment area for a whole day at least as a big thank you!
The other Site Map capabilities are only a step away. Here is a breakdown:
Right-Click on any individual page to bring up the settings or delete.
Click the page name to bring up the page.
Click the + button to expand the sub-pages.
Crossed-out titles means a page isn’t linked in the navbar.
Greyed -out titles means a page isn’t visible in the navbar.
This and other updates we have made recently is our way of making sure that your accounting firm consistently leverages all the tools the Internet has to offer. Have an experience of your own with the Site Map or anything else? Send us a comment we would love to hear from you.
There is a whole world of amazing software out there, which, in combination with your CPA Site Solutions website package, can help you be even more productive, efficient, and profitable (not to mention entertained). We are proud to have compiled a list of recommended software which we think will complement your Accounting Firm’s website perfectly. Enjoy!
Do you ever find the internet a confusing, frustrating place where websites and applications don’t function the way you want them to, and unexplained popups and warning messages plague your browsing experience?
If you answered yes, check the upper lefthand corner of your browser window. Is there a lower case “e” logo there? Yes? Take a deep breath. Help is on the way: download Firefox
Internet Explorer used to be the accepted king of the browser jungle. Firefox offers faster browsing, a cleaner interface, better security, and an ever-growing list of incredibly useful add-on tools (enough to warrant another full blog post – check back soon). Firefox has 47.9% of the market share, versus the 39.4% split between all three commonly used versions of Internet Explorer.
CPA Site Solutions invites you to join the Firefox revolution, and start using the Internet as it was intended, today!
Are you a PC user who has found yourself staring wistfully over the shoulder of a Mac user as they select files and applications on the fly from that neat little piece of eye-candy at the bottom of their screen? You know, the one with all the icons that swell up like little balloons when they drag their mouse over, just taunting you from behind the window of their trendy coffee shop?
Are you feeling like a sucker every time you go Start –> My computer –> C: drive –> Users –> Downloads –> etc.? Don’t go trading in your PC yet – you can have the same thing without compromising your loyalty, or your wallet.
RocketDock can assemble all your most commonly accessed programs and directories all in one easy to access place. Between the drag-and-drop organization, and the ability to minimize open windows right to the dock, you’re going to love what this program does for your Accounting Firm’s productivity. Download RocketDock.
You’ve probably tried it all. Norton, McAfee, maybe even AVG. Assuming this is true, you’ve probably found yourself wondering, “I’m paying for this???” as your computer becomes more and more bogged down with endless checks, utilities running in the background, and “do you want to allow this?” messages. At some point, you probably start to think you’d be better off with the viruses.
In steps Comodo, a free internet security suite offering both Firewall and AntiVirus. Other than being free, the advantage of using Comodo is that it just does its job quietly and unobtrusively, without slowing your PC to a crawl.
Also nice is the one-stop-shopping aspect – usually firewall and antivirus are separate programs, leading to some ultra-frustrating conflicts. You’ll get none of that with Comodo, and even beginners should have no trouble keeping their computers running clean with this free download. Download Comodo.
Malware is malicious software designed either to degrade the performance of your computer, or to gather information from your computer for marketing, or even less reputable purposes. It is primarily transmitted through disreputable internet sites that prompt you to download something, though some don’t even necessarily need to do that, and some don’t even seem that disreputable.
Despite the fact that you honestly never ever browse the internet for anything not work-related, and you use internet security, and the latest-and-greatest firewall, there’s still a pretty good chance you’ve got some malware floating around on your hard drive. Don’t be embarrassed. It happens.
Make sure you’ve got Malwarebytes, a free download that will rid your computer of all this unwanted, undeserved evil. A $25.00 upgrade gets you real-time protection and scheduled scans and updates. Malwarebytes boasts some of the fastest scans, most complete malware indexes, and smallest amount of resource usage among its peers. Download Malware Bytes.
Ever come across a website you really thought the other partners in your Accounting Firm should see? What did you do? Did you bookmark it, and tie a string around your finger to remind you to bring it up in the next meeting? Did you copy the address, paste it in an email, and cc everyone?
You and the other members of your Accounting Firm can share an account, where you can bookmark that article on the new tax code with one click, and it is automatically added to everyone’s bookmarks. That’s what Delicious offers – shared bookmarking. Like your browser, you can organize bookmarks into categories, and have it appear as a toolbar. A great time saver! Start using Delicious.
Sure, Windows comes stock with a utility that lets you zip files. But this baby zips them up to 30% smaller, and gives you a greater number of choices. You can also break up large files into pieces, and recompile them – a great feature if you rely heavily on email for sending files. Want to save on space in your Secure File Exchange? Zip up your large files with 7Zip, and see how much more efficiently you use your storage. Download 7Zip.
You have too many passwords, don’t you? We all do these days. But you know better than to use one password for everything, right??? So how
KeePass protects your Accounting Firm's passwords
do you keep your Accounting Firm and Website secure without having to tattoo “email – Fluffy2007″ to your upper arm?
KeePass allows you to maintain a secure database of all your passwords, secured by just one password. That’s right, just one password you’ll ever have to remember again. Oh, and did we mention it’s free? Download KeePass.
At CPA Site Solutions, we are all about optimizing your website experience. We recommend all these programs based on usage and experience, and feel that they will enhance your Accounting Firm’s productivity.
If you have any questions about any of the applications recommended in this post, please email us at support@cpasitesolutions.com or call us at 1.800.896.4500.
Among other things our new update of the Portal allows for a direct login to the Secure File Exchange without going through the portal. This can be a great time saving feature for those who are new or use the Secure File Exchange on a regular basis.
You can now have a client go directly to the Secure File Exchange if that is all they are using or if they want a faster way to get there. Here is a quick breakdown on how to add this feature:
Add a new page titled Secure File Exchange. Adding this page to your accounting firm’s website displays a basic login area. When a client logs in here they are taken to the Secure File Exchange without having to go through the Portal.
Secure File Exchange Direct Login
Direct clients to this new page. Instead of having a client go through the Portal direct them to this login page. This can be done on as a link from one of the main home, contact, or resources page.
Alternatively you can direct clients via any email contact you have with them. By placing the link within the email the client can click on this and be taken to the Secure File Exchange login page.
Log-out redirects back to your accounting firm’s website. If the client is logged in using this method, when they log out they will be taken back to the firm’s website rather than back to the portal. This can help prevent some confusion in terms of having to log-out of both the Secure File Exchange and the Portal to be completely logged out.
This new feature can help with any accounting firm’s clients who just use the Secure File Exchange and nothing else. It can also help with those inside or outside the firm who want a quick way to access the Secure File Exchange. It is just one of the many features we continue to add to any accounting firm’s website hosted by CPA Site Solutions.
Have a comment on using the direct login to Secure File Exchange? Send us a comment we would love to hear from you.
CPA Site Solutions has been working with Jennings Seminars for a number of years. We are happy to offer a 10% discount for some of their expert streaming seminars which give you the added benefit of CPE Credits.
Jennings Seminars was started by Bob Jennings CPA, CFP, CITP, a national and World renowned speaker. Jennings has published articles in such magazines as The Journal of Accountancy and The Practical Accountant along with authoring several accounting and technology seminar manuals.
For the balance of 2009 — September through December — we are proud to be able to offer a discount on selected Jennings streaming seminars.
The first streaming seminar being offered from Jennings Seminars at a 10% discount in September is entitled S Corporations. To receive your 10% discount, you will need to enter the code:
septcpasite
during the checkout process.
The S Corporations seminar is an intermediate level course which means attendees should have at least 2-4 years of tax preparation experience. The course objective is that, “Upon the completion of this course, the student should be able to knowledgeably prepare tax returns for S Corporations.” Successful completion of the course will result in 4 credit hours of CPE.
If you are interested in this September 4th course on S Corporations from Jennings Seminars don’t delay, seating is limited. Sign up today using code septcpasite at checkout.
If you’re interested in what other courses are offered check out Jennings Calendar of Streaming Seminars. They also offer live seminars throughout the country.
If you are not able to make this event? Each month we will post about what streaming seminars are available at a 10% discount.
Have any comments or questions? Send us a comment, we would love to hear from you.
We are happy to introduce three new members to our team here at CPA Site Solutions! These new faces will help us toward not only implementing new services and functionality but also more overall support.
It wasn’t too long ago that we posted about how we have expanded our hours of operation to offer more support coverage. The experience of these new members means that we have even more talent to help assist our ever growing customer base.
David Zacharis
The three new members are David Zacharis, Jeff Gauthier, and Rikk Taft. While each person has a profile page, here’s a short summary of their roles here as we strive to provide the highest level of support to our valued customers.
David comes to us with experience managing a tech support call center and starting his own record label. David brings this experience to help with overall client support and website design.
Jeff Gauthier
Jeff comes to us with a wealth of marketing experience with various companies in Vermont. Jeff is eager to help edit various online content such as the website, blog, and future video endeavors.
Rikk Taft
Rikk brings life experience, enthusiasm, and wit to our team. He will be helping with overall client support and website design.
When you have a question regarding your accounting firm’s website know that each one of these new members is here to offer their expertise. Their experiences and ongoing development provide a foundation to leverage your accounting firm’s website.
We remain deeply committed to continual improvement as we continue to grow. These new additions to our team add wit, enthusiasm,experience, and depth of our organization.
We want to ensure that you stay ahead of the curve and that your firm’s accounting website takes advantage of everything the Internet has to offer.
Have a comment regarding our newest members or any aspect of our service? Leave us feedback, we would love to hear from you.
We talked previously about Making Money from the Financial Calculators on your accounting firm’s website. Christina Hansen pointed out in her comment to the post, “I would like to have them register, but not charge them. That way I have a lead to followup on. I don’t want to have to monitor the access rights though.”
Of course you wouldn’t have to charge users for the Financial Calculators. As Christina pointed out, not charging for the calculators can be a great way to entice site visitors to register as a lead to follow up on.
The good news for Christina and the rest of our customers is that they will not longer have to monitor access rights on a case by case basis! We have added a new feature that makes that allows any firm admin can set their own default new user access rights.
The approval process is a necessary filter to the process that allows for the client self-registration without the possibility of just anyone using your firm’s portal.
This process has been much improved and simplified. Firm admins now have via the ability to modify the new user default access rights. (Link is to help file that shows exactly how to set this new feature up.)
This means that if you want every new user to have access to the Financial Calculators and the Tax Organizer but not the Secure File Exchange, you can do that. If you want them to have access only to the Financial Calculators and nothing else, you can do that also.
You will need to login as an admin user to modify the access rights. This process allows you to modify the access rights of not only client users but internal firm users as well.
The additional new feature of being able to modify both default Client and Firm User Access Rights can save you time. You won’t need to monitor the client registration process as much as previously.
Now when a new user is approved you can leave the account alone. If you know of a user that should have more rights, you can easily modify specific access rights within their individual account.
This is just one of many other new features that we will be covering in upcoming blog posts. And, if you have any questions about any aspect of our services, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Finally, watch this blog for news and updates as we continue to refine our services, and keep commenting! We love to hear from our readers and respond to every comment.
You may already be aware of many of the advantages our CPA Site Solutions Workteam Collaboration Suite can offer you such as using filters. However, there is a large section of extra tools you can add to your email and calendar that most people don’t know even exists. Your Workteam Collaboration Suite can utilize CPA Site Solutions Mail Labs, a collection of free features that can improve your email experience.
Use These buttons to activate you Lab tools.
You can find the labs under the Settings option in your online inbox. Next to each tool, you will see two buttons, one labeled “enable” and one “disable”. Just mark the radial button next to “enable” to turn on that particular application.
You can see that there are a lot of widgets to choose from in the labs section, so read on and prepare to be the accounting James Bond to our website design Q as we highlight some of the clever and useful features that you can take advantage of.
UNDO SEND
A Lab feature that prevents sending incomplete messages.
Here’s a scenario I think everyone wants to avoid; you are typing up at email to send to all your clients. After hitting send, you look back at your well-written email with pride and realize only then that you left the “L” out of the “Certified Public Accountant” title under your name. You frantically try to stop the sending, but it’s too late and your embarrassing typo is now on its way to every client you have.
That’s where the Undo Send tool comes in. Thanks to Murphy’s Law, no matter how hard we proofread an email, we often find an error or remember something missing just after we hit send. Or sometimes we just accidentally hit the send button too soon and end up sending an unfinished message prematurely.
Undo Send delays the actually sending of the message for five seconds. This offers you a link to “Undo”, stop the sending countdown, reopen the message and rectify your errors. It makes a great insurance to have and saves you from having to type up an embarrassing email to you clients explaining your last email.
VACATION TIME!
A Lab feature that makes managing your autoresponder easier.
The big fear for people when leaving for vacation used to be wondering if they left the oven on. Now, it’s wondering if they forgot to turn on a vacation autoresponder for their website’s email. Your Workteam Collaboration Suite already has the ability to activate an autoresponder, but it’s easy to forget to do so, especially if you have a lot of tasks to finish before you leave.
The Vacation Time tool adds the ability to set a start and end time for your responder so you can set it up in advance and not have to remember it right before you go. It will also shut off on the date specified, so you won’t accidentally leave your auto responder activate for days after you return. Never worry about confusing or frustrating your clients with a missing or outdated response message again!
FORGOTTEN ATTACHMENT DETECTOR
A Lab feature that notices when you forget to add an attachment.
I’m sure we’ve all done this at some point. A client has requested you send him or her something, so you write up an email, let them know you attached a file for them to view, and send it. The only problem being that you forgot to attach the document. Save your client the hassle of having to ask you again and save yourself from the embarrassment of an amateurish mistake by using a tool to prevent this situation.
The Forgotten Attachment Detector scans your email after you click “send” and before it sends out. If it finds that you mention attaching a file, but didn’t include an attachment, it will prompt you with a message box notifying you as such and asks if you still want to send. Much like “Undo Send”, this detector will help save you from sending out incomplete, unprofessional emails to your clients.
I will be back with more Workteam Collaboration Suite Lab tools soon, but if you have any comments or questions about them in the meantime, let us know; we would love to hear from you.
There are a number of great resources that we provide for any accountants website hosted with CPA Site Solutions. Recently we have created a way for anyone to monetize one of the greatest of those resources the Financial Calculators.
Now you can have the Financial Calculators freely available or only available to those who register and subscribe to them. The default is to have them freely available so if you want this option then you don’t have to do anything different.
Only those given access will see the Financial Calculators. This means that you can now ask for a payment for clients to subscribe to these Financial Calculators in order to view them. When a client does pay then all you have to do is grant them access rights.
Once these rights are given then the Financial Calculators will show up in the clients portal area. They can click on and use all 58 of the Financial Calculators available.
Financial Calculators Icon
These calculators include Tax, Payroll, Business and Planning Calculators and more. Each of these alone offer a lot of value for your firm’s clients while altogether they are something that any client will want to have access to.
Any client will have access to these calculators anytime of the day that they have access to a browser. That is until they stop their subscription with your firm.
When that happens click off the access rights and the Financial Calculators icon will no longer appear in their portal area. They will no longer have access and so won’t be able to use them until they subscribe again.
The options for what to charge are open to interpretation. There are many different markets across the country and each will have a different price setting for which is reasonable to charge for this type of subscription.
Of course you can keep the Financial Calculators on your accounting firm’s website freely available to anyone who visits. If your accounting firm has any sort of restrictions on what content can be displayed to your clients then you will want this option.
That is because you won’t be able to edit the portal Financial Calculators and decide which pages will show. The portal Financial Calculators show all of the calculators with no option to edit.
There are other advantages to this option as visitors have another resource and reason to visit your firm’s website and potentially become a client. Either way you decide to set up the Financial Calculators you now have more options available to your firm.
We have recently redesigned the site making it even easier to use. All a user does is click on a state from the map. From there they are able to narrow to a specific area with the state chosen.
All of the accountants in that area show with their contact information. The coverage couldn’t be better as, “Accountant-Finder reaches over 80% of the US Internet users by advertising on Google, AOL, Ask Jeeves, Earthlink, Netscape Netcenter, AT&T Worldnet and CompuServe.”
This is the type and amount of coverage that can be leveraged for your accounting firm by being on Accountant Finder.
The Accountant Finder website is fully established with a very strong presence on the Internet. By having your accounting firm listed it is like having another website but one that is already automatically used by 80% of Internet users.
By having your accounting firm listed on Accountant Finder you can exponentially increase the traffic to your website. This kind of leverage is something that is freely available and can increase the amount of potential new clients to your firm.
In our redesign process we have recognized that there are some firms not yet listed. We have since written a program that will go through our database and add any that are not already listed. So if you find your accounting firm is not listed it will be shortly.
We are happy be able to offer yet another resource freely available to any website hosted by CPA Site Solutions.
Have a story of your own about Accountant Finder? Send us a comment we would love to hear from you.
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