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The Best Accounting Blogs of 2010

CPA websites

Brian O'Connell, President

Over this holiday, I’ve been treating myself to exploring the world of accounting blogs.

I like what I see.

I’m delighted that a lot of accountants have taken the plunge into regular blogging.

They’ve decided they want to reap the benefits of regular blogging: connect with clients on a more personal level, establish themselves as experts in their field, and boost their visibility in the search engines.

I’ve found that a few CPA and accounting blogs really stand out above the others. Here’s my list of best accounting blogs for 2010.

My Best of 2010 List

AxiomCPA – Joey Brannon, CPA, P.C., does a nice job of mixing accounting content and general interest videos and comments in this easy-to-read blog.

Brumley’s Blog – Scott Brumley, CPA, offers accounting tips as well as comments on technology.

Deduct Me Blog – Kara Haas, CPA, P.C., writes this engaging blog and makes great use of catchy headlines to grab her readers’ attention.

Don’t Mess with Taxes – Journalist Kay Bell writes this informative blog providing tax and personal finance tips.

Empower Your Business – This blog focuses on accounting for businesses. Written by Nick Roberts of New Zealand.

The Fraud Files Blog – Tracy Coenen keeps this niche blog on fraud, scams, scandals, and court cases.

Golden Practices Blog – Michelle Golden provides this popular and high-profile blog, and she also publishes a fairly comprehensive list of accounting-related blogs.

The Leadership Notebook – Although this blog by leadership coach Mary Werner is for accountants themselves rather than their clients, I’m impressed by Ms. Werner’s signature in each post, which adds a personal touch, and her use of graphics and epigraphs.

It’s Taxing – Written by Bond Beebe accountants and advisors, this blog is clean, easy to read, and informative.

Phil Hogan’s blog – This chartered accountant’s blog is set up with several teaser posts on the home page that entice you to click and read more.

The Potts Report – Potts and Company, CPAs, make excellent use of images in their posts, and their headlines are short but also descriptive.

Small Business Blog – CPA firm Cherry, Bekaert & Holland provide this substantive blog on accounting for small businesses.

Social CPAs – Here’s another blog for accountants, and it addresses the important topic of “social media insights for the accounting profession.” Written by Barry MacQuarrie, CPA.

Taste of Taxes – The design of this blog is clean and the headlines are easy to read. Written by MaloneBailey LLP.

Try Your Hand at Blogging!

To get started with blogging, sign up for one of our complete Web suites.

Each of our CPA website includes an integrated blog, which can get you up and running in the blogosphere quickly and easily. Or, if you want to design the blog yourself, choose one of WordPress blog packages. Call us at 1-800-896-4500 with questions, or email support@cpasitesolutions.com.

Enjoy my list of the Best Accounting Blogs of 2010. And if you think I missed one, let me know in a comment.

Here’s to blogging for your accounting firm in 2011!

How to Advertise on the Search Engines in 5 Steps

websites for CPAs

Brian O'Connell, President

I’m in the business of helping accountants market their services – and I do this by building and selling websites for CPAs.

Part of my job is advising clients on how to get their website noticed. One excellent way to do this is through a pay-per-click (PPC) campaign on Google or Bing.

When you set up a PPC campaign, your ads show up at the very top of the search engine results pages, or along the right-hand side. This is prime real estate in the world of online search.

websites for CPAs

Paid results or PPC ads are those that appear in the topmost shaded area and the right-hand side.

Why would you want to advertise online? Simple: that’s where your potential clients are.

In fact, over 80% of buying decisions are now made online. (Good-bye Yellow Pages.)

Another advantage to PPC ads is that they reach the people who are actively looking for your service, right now. When you place an ad in the newspaper, you’re paying premium prices because the ad reaches everyone who picks up the paper, regardless of whether they need an accountant. It’s actually a waste of your money.

Yet another reason to employ a PPC campaign is that it’s highly cost-effective because you only pay when people click on your ad.

If you want your website to get noticed, consider setting up a Google Adwords or Microsoft adCenter account. (Microsoft owns Bing, which has merged with Yahoo.)

Here are the 5 steps to follow…

1.  Know Your Keywords

The best keywords will be those that reflect your core services, such as “payroll,” “IRS problems,” or “bookkeeping.”

Some of the top search terms (i.e., keywords or keyword phrases) for accountants are:

  • your city and/or state (“Baltimore,” “Syracuse, New York”)
  • “accounting”
  • “CPA”
  • “tax preparation”
  • “payroll”
  • “QuickBooks services”

For more information, check out our recent blog post on how to find the best keywords.

2. Set Up Accounts in Bing and Google

Visit the Microsoft adCenter to set up a PPC campaign for Bing ads.

For a Google AdWords account, head over to Google AdWords.

3. Write Your Ads

Take some time to look at the online ads of your competitors, using your keywords as search terms. Which ones seem most effective? Base your ad copy on the ones you find most successful.

Headline. The headline of your Google AdWords ad can be 25 characters long. Include a keyword or keyword phrase in the headline if possible – for example, “Newport RI CPA” could begin your headline if you’re in the Newport area.

Copy. Your online ad can be 35 characters long per line, with two lines available. Again, try to fit in some keywords here.

4. Create Campaigns and Ad Groups

In Google AdWords, your account will be organized with campaigns, which are at the level of the services you offer or your location, and then, within campaigns, you’ll set up ad groups, which are even more specific than campaigns.

For example, one of your campaigns could be “business consulting,” and then ad groups within that campaign could be “new business formation,” “payroll,” and “bookkeeping.” Then you could establish a separate campaign under “tax preparation,” with ad groups for “1040 tax prep,” “back taxes owed,” and “bankruptcy.”

5. Set a Budget and Monitor Performance

Once your ads are up and running, you need to keep track of how they’re doing so you can adjust your budgets accordingly.

A realistic maximum budget for a CPA firm is around $500/month. You can set your bids to max out at this figure, and for most accounts, they won’t hit the limit.

Some keywords are more expensive than others, so monitoring your ads’ performance is important in keeping costs down.

Getting Started

If you have the time, you can set up your own PPC accounts, write your ads, track performance, and tweak the copy, bids, and keywords.

Or, if you’re ready to show up on the first page of search results and reach only those clients who are looking for accountants, you can opt for our Platinum service.

With our Platinum service level, our certified Google Adwords professionals set up your AdWords account, help you identify the ideal keywords, write your ad, and monitor your bids to make sure your ads are performing at their best.

Our Platinum service is $99.50/month – just $1.00 more per day than our Gold level.

To learn more about whether a PPC campaign is right for you, talk to one of our PPC specialists. Call 1-800-896-4500 or email support@cpasitesolutions.com.

Attracting More New Clients with a Facebook Page

accounting websites

Kathy O'Connell, CPA

We always explain to our clients how critical their accounting websites are to their marketing efforts. And it’s true. You need a website to promote your service online.

But times are changing – and now, a website is not enough. To get your name out there and attract new clients, you have to make use of social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Happily, it’s not hard to take your website and make it social, thus strengthening both your social presence and your website.

How?

With a Facebook Page.

What Is a Facebook Page?

A Facebook Page is meant to broadcast information about your business or brand in an official manner with people who choose to connect with you.

A Facebook Page is not the same as a Facebook profile, which many of us use to keep up with friends and family. In fact, businesses are prohibited from opening profiles.

This means that your Facebook Page cannot “friend” anyone. You must simply wait for folks to “Like” you. Once they do, they become a “fan,” and they’re listed on your site as such.

Here’s a great example of a Facebook Page, courtesy of client David A. Goldfarb:

accounting websites

The Facebook Page for accountant David A. Goldfarb.

Why Every Accountant Should Have a Facebook Page

There are many reasons why you should have a Facebook Page. Here are the top 3:

1. When you publish a status update on your wall, it appears in all your fans’ news feeds. Considering about half of Facebook users check their news feeds daily – many several times a day – your latest message has a very good chance of reaching your fans on a regular basis. What other form of marketing can promise this?

2. When someone clicks the “Like” button to become your fan, it appears in all their friends’ news feeds. This is a big one – it’s social proof made easy. When the friends of your new fan see that someone has “Liked” a local accountant, it functions like a referral. These personal endorsements are a huge source of business for service-based professionals.

3. Facebook is becoming as important as Google in getting your website noticed. Facebook Pages are now the third highest source of traffic to a website, behind searches through Google and Bing and folks going directly to your site by typing in your URL. With its importance so high, you can’t afford to ignore it.

One note: You will need a personal Facebook profile before you can create the Facebook Page for your business.

Tip: Our Websites Make It Easy

I know you may be overwhelmed at the prospect of managing yet another page online. But it only takes a few minutes to set up your Facebook Page – and once it’s up, our CPA websites make it easy to update.

Client Michael Sciortino uses this time-saving method, and anyone can do it: In your Facebook Page status update, simply post a link to your website content – the latest newsletter, one of the dozens of financial guides, or the service pages on your site.

Remember, your website comes with 3,000 pages of high-quality content. Take full advantage of that content when updating your Facebook Page.

accounting websites

A status update on Michael Sciortino's Facebook Page that points his fans back to the "Applying for a Loan" financial guide that came free with his site.

Ask Us for a “Like” Button

Like I said, it takes just a few minutes to make your Facebook Page, and updating your status can be equally stress-free if you use our stock content.

accounting websitesBut there is one more piece you need to make the Page work for you: a “Like” button.

The “Like” button is what used to be the “Become a Fan” button. The benefit to this newest iteration is that a wider variety of web content can be “Liked” – from your Facebook Page itself, to your website’s home page, to the other content on your website, like pictures, particular articles, or blog posts.

It’s easy for us to add a “Like” button to your home page or to any page on your site. If you’re a Gold or Platinum client, just ask us. Silver clients, give us a call and we’ll explain what to do (it’s not hard at all). (1-800-896-4500, or support@cpasitesolutions.com)

“Socialize” Your Website!

When you create a Facebook Page for your CPA firm and add the “Like” button to your website, you connect two powerful marketing tools – and, in the process, you make each even stronger.

Your Facebook Page drives traffic back to your site, and the “Like” button on your website gives visitors an easy way to connect with you on Facebook and spread your message to their Facebook community.

Get started with your Facebook Page today. Give us a call at 1-800-896-4500 or email support@cpasitesolutions.com with any questions.

Interested in one of our accounting websites? Sign up for a website and get a free 60-day trial.

The Number One Way to Protect Against Cybercrime

CPA website

Brian O'Connell, President

We all spend hours each day surfing the Web. We use the Web for business, for social activities, and for entertainment. It’s become a way of life.

Because so many of us are online so much of the time, we’re often lulled into a false sense of security. The truth is, there are cybercriminals out there – hackers who want to gain access to our hard drives, steal our personal information, and use our computers to perpetrate their crimes.

Needless to say, tax season is not the time to suddenly find yourself a victim of identity theft, or even to face the annoyance of having your computer run slowly or unreliably because of a virus.

The good news is, there are simple measures you can take to keep yourself safe.

Probably the easiest among these is choosing the right browser.

Use Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or IE8

CPA websites CPA websites CPA websites

I recommend using one of the three major browsers: Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Internet Explorer 8.

All three protect against phishing, malware, and pop-ups. Here are brief definitions of each threat:

Phishing - Phishing sites are counterfeit bank or credit card sites designed to look identical to the real ones. Their aim is to trick you into giving up your personal information, like your credit card or Social Security numbers.

Malware - Malware is short for “malicious software,” and it encompasses a variety of software or program codes – viruses, worms, trojan horses, spyware, and so on – that access your computer without your consent. Malware can be a minor annoyance – or, depending on what you stumble on, it can be downright criminal in function.

Pop-ups – Pop-up ads are advertisements that open a new window, usually a small one, and demand immediate attention. They’re generally more annoying than dangerous, but if you accidentally click on one, you could be redirected to a harmful site.

IE6 or IE7 Are Not Secure – Time to Upgrade

At this point, Internet Explorer 6 is nine years old and simply does not provide the security you need in today’s online environment. In fact, Microsoft, who owns Internet Explorer, is attempting to eradicate IE6. Internet Explorer 7 is not much better.

If you want to keep yourself safe as you surf the Web, upgrade to Internet Explorer 8, or use Chrome or Firefox. All three give you a warning screen when you’re about to click over to a suspicious site, and they scan all downloads for viruses, among many other safety features.

Upgrade Here for Free

It costs nothing and takes only a few minutes to switch browsers…

Download Google Chrome

Download Mozilla Firefox

Download Internet Explorer 8

Here’s a handy page explaining how to move your bookmarks from one browser to another.

Stay Safe This Tax Season

We’re heading into tax season, the busiest time of the year for accountants.

Why should hackers be allowed to disrupt your productivity and potentially steal your identity? Don’t take any chances. Upgrade your browser today and protect yourself against cybercrime.

And while you’re at it, sign up for a CPA website and take advantage of all its time-saving features – a secure Client Portal, a monthly Client Newsletter, a Dedicated Webmaster, Search Engine Optimization, and 100+ additional features.

You get the first 60 days free!

Understanding Google – And Why It Matters for Every CPA Firm

CPA websites

Brian O'Connell, President

Do you ever feel like you’re the only one who doesn’t understand the whole “search engine” thing?

Well, unfortunately, you can’t afford to ignore it.

That being said, it’s not rocket science. Thousands of firms effectively market their CPA websites online, drawing in all the new clients they need – and you can, too.

In this post I’ll explain why Google is so important, and how you can keep up with the latest techniques in marketing your business online.

This one is worth paying attention to, because…

If you stay in the dark about Google, you could be missing up to two-thirds of your potential clients.

It’s All About the Search Results

The Yellow Pages are out – and online search is in. When people need a product or service, the first place they turn is Google. In fact, about 134 million people use Google to find what they need these days.  (Some use Yahoo, Bing, Ask.com, or even AOL – but Google is by far the biggest search engine, capturing about 65% of the market.)

Now, here’s the really important part:

Of the millions who use Google, 63% check only the first page of results.

Clearly, if you’re not on the first page, you’re missing a lot of potential business.

There are two ways to get on the first page. One is through optimizing your site to list high in the organic search results, and the other is through pay-per-click (PPC) ads.

Organic Search Results

The organic results are the listings that appear in the center of the search engine results pages, or SERPs.

Here are the organic results for a search on “best accountant Indianapolis”:

CPA websites

Organic results are the ones that show up in the center of search results page.

Experts generally say that organic results are better than paid ones because they’re considered unbiased.

So, how do you get listed on the first page of organic search results? You have to do some fine-tuning of your code and content, which is called on-page search engine optimization. To take the first step, see this blog post about how to determine the best keywords. Or ask us to do it for you and sign up for our Local SEO package.

Tip: If you register with Google Places, your website will very likely come up at the top of the organic results. This is an excellent reason to sign up for our Local SEO service, which includes an automatic listing in Google Places, as well as on-page SEO, and more. Call us at 1-800-896-4500 or email support@cpasitesolutions.com for details on our Local SEO package.

Paid Listings or PPC Ads

The paid Google listings are the results that show up either at the top of the page or on the right-hand side, as shown here:

CPA websites

Paid results or PPC ads are those that appear in the topmost shaded area and the right-hand side.

Undertaking a PPC campaign is helpful for any business, but it’s most important for those who practice in a competitive, densely populated area, like Los Angeles, Chicago, or New York City.

If you’re interested in having a Google Adwords campaign for your accounting firm, take a look at our Platinum package. When you sign up for this package, we set up and monitor the ads for you. But YOU set the budget, so you never spend more than you’re comfortable with.

Google Doesn’t Have to Be Scary

Although Google’s reach is very far for the service professional marketing their business on the Web, with a little knowledge, you can turn their influence to your advantage.

Remember that two-thirds of folks looking for your services are looking on the first page only – and tackle that head-on by striving to list high in the organic results or signing up for a Google Adwords campaign.

If you have any questions about on-page SEO, our Local SEO package, or our Platinum package, call us at 1-800-896-4500, or email support@cpasitesolutions.com.

And, if you need a website, give us a try! You get the first 60 days free.

How to Boost Conversions with Live Chat

CPA website

Brian O'Connell, President

Your CPA website exists to bring in more clients – to convert prospects into paying customers.

Websites from CPA Site Solutions come loaded with thousands of pages of Ready-to-Go content, so that when a visitor comes to your site, they’re immediately impressed by your professionalism.

But some people want more than to just read about you. They want to get in there right away and ask questions. And they’re used to doing everything online – they’re not going to pick up the phone .

For those folks, you want Live Chat on your site.

Imagine that a potential client is looking around for a new accountant. They have a question they want answered immediately. They come to your site and see the Live Chat box – and within minutes, they’re chatting with a real accountant, all without picking up a phone or meeting in an office.

That sounds to me like an excellent way to convert a lead into a client.

What Kinds of Questions Do People Ask?

People want to know all kinds of things when they visit your site – questions like:

  • What are your rates?
  • What are your specialities?
  • How much experience do you have?
  • How long would it take you to complete my return?
  • Do you have time to take me on as a business client?

They also might have specific questions about their financial situation. It can be a bit time-consuming to answer these, but it’s a powerful way to demonstrate your professionalism and caring.

CPA website

The Meebo Me chat box.

Meebo

Meebo offers a free chat box widget called Meebo Me that you can put wherever you’d like on your website. Any visitor can click on the box and ask you a question.

If you’re not taking chats, simply adjust your status to “offline” and folks can leave a message.

To get the code for your Meebo Me chat box, visit the Meebo website.

If you’re a Gold or Platinum client, take advantage of our We Do It All for You service and ask us to add the code for you. Call us at 1-800-896-4500 or email support@cpasitesolutions.com.

Volusion

Volusion is another free live chat option.

Just like Meebo, Volusion gives you the option to change your status to “offline.”

One advantage of Volusion over Meebo is that it allows you to use your own image in the chat box rather than the stock photo.

Here’s an example of the Volusion chat box, on a Contact Us page:

CPA Website

This is what clients see when you insert the Volusion chat box on your site.

To download this free software, visit the Volusion site.

Again, if you’re a Gold or Platinum client, we help you situate the chat box wherever you’d like on your site. Just call 1-800-896-4500, or email support@cpasitesolutions.com.

Don’t Let a Prospect Slip Away

Your website is a valuable marketing tool. Extend its usefulness by impressing all the potential clients who visit, including those who want to make live contact right away – without picking up the phone.

Even if the chat option converts just two clients a year, it’s a worthwhile investment in time. And because the software is free, it’s certainly worth it in dollars.

If you have any questions about Live chat, let us know! 1-800-896-4500, or support@cpasitesolutions.com

Choosing the Keywords That Attract the Best Leads

CPA websites

Brian O'Connell, President

Is there really such a thing as a “best lead”? Well, yes and no. All prospects are important – but those looking specifically for your services are the ones who are ready – right now – to pay expert rates for what you offer.

How do you attract these high-quality leads? In our Google-dominated world, firms whose CPA websites show up high in the search results are the ones who attract these prospects.

But getting listed on the first page of results requires some setup work. And the very first part of this is choosing the right keywords.

When you establish a list of relevant, effective keywords, you’ve taken the first step toward bringing in new clients.

CPA websites

The words people type into the search box are called "keywords."

“Keywords” Defined

So what exactly are keywords?

Put simply, keywords are the words or phrases people enter in a search engine to find you. They can be one word or several words. For example, “Dallas accountant audit” is a keyword phrase (also called a “search term” or “search phrase”).

Brainstorm

Your first step is to create a list of all the services you offer. It should be about 20 to 30 words long.

Here’s a short list of example keyword phrases for a hypothetical firm in Dallas. Note that in addition to the city name, you should use your zip code in keyword phrases.

tax preparation Dallas
tax preparation 75002
prepare income tax Dallas Texas
life planning 75002
planning retirement Dallas
personal financial planning Dallas TX
small business accounting 75002
Dallas Quickbooks businesses
estate planning Dallas
part-time CFO 75002

Use Free Tools – Or Ask Us

To make it easier to identify your keywords, consider using one or both of these free tools:

Wordtracker – https://freekeywords.wordtracker.com/

Google Keyword tool – https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal

Or, if you’d rather talk over your particular situation with one of our SEO Specialists, call us at 1-800-896-4500, or email support@cpasitesolutions.com. One of our experts can guide you to the best keywords for your business.

Narrow and Refine

Once you have a comprehensive list of your services, it’s time to narrow them down to the best dozen or so keywords and keyword phrases.

Delete generic – or broad – search phrases. Use this litmus test: could the phrase relate to a wide spectrum of services? If yes, strike it from the list. You want specific search terms instead – for example, “Dallas leading tax preparation” is better than “Dallas accountant.”

Keep a variety. Put yourself in your prospects’ shoes. Will all of them type in “preparation,” or will some of them use the abbreviated form, “prep”? For the keywords you think are best, include all possible variations.

Use modifiers. Consider using adjectives that reflect the way people search – words like “best,” “top,” “leading,” and “affordable.”

Don’t forget plurals. This is another facet of thinking like the client. Some folks will use the singular of your service, and others will use the plural. For example, both “tax preparer” and “tax preparers” can pull in prospects.

What to Do with All These Keywords?

Once you have a list of the best keywords and keyword phrases to describe your services, you’re on your way to attracting new clients.

To make these keywords start working for you, you need to use them to “optimize” your web pages for the search engines.

There are several aspects to on-page optimization, but it basically means adding keywords to the text on your home page and the other pages on your site. Just watch that you don’t overdo it.

Aim for using 7 to 10 keywords on each page (“Dallas,” “CPA,” and “accounting” would be three good words to optimize for). Also – and this is important – make sure the text remains readable.

If you’re at the Gold or Platinum level, you get We Do It All for You Service – which means you can send us the edited copy for your home page and any other pages you want to optimize, with the keywords inserted, and we’ll post it to your site. Call us at 1-800-896-4500 or email support@cpasitesolutions.com.


Double the Space in Your Secure File Exchange

CPA website

Brian O'Connell, President

Tax season is just around the corner – and with it comes the need to exchange a lot of financial documents and sensitive files with your clients.

Unfortunately, if you email the files or send them via FTP, you’re out of compliance with state and federal privacy laws and liable for heavy fines and other legal consequences.

The good news is that you have a Secure File Exchange system that comes with your CPA website. This system is ultra safe. Your clients’ data is protected by 14 layers of security with this Client Portal.

One of the layers keeps the files encrypted 100% of the time. Your clients’ files are protected during transfer to the server, while sitting on the server, in all the backups, and when transferred back to you or your clients.

This level of file encryption keeps you in compliance with every state and federal privacy law.

CPA Website

Now You Get a Lot More Storage Space

The more you (and your clients) use the Secure File Exchange and Online Document Management System, the more storage space you need on our secure servers.

This month we are proud to announce that we are essentially doubling the amount of storage space in the Client Portal.

Service Level Old Amount New Amount
Silver 250 MB 500 MB
Gold 500 MB 1,000 MB
Platinum 1,000 MB 2,000 MB
Extra Storage at $9.95/mo 2,000 MB 4,000 MB

For Those on Our Old Server…

Most of our clients will see these changes in their Portal automatically. But a few of you will need to migrate to our new server to take advantage of the extra space.

If this looks familiar, you’re on our new server, and you’ve been automatically upgraded:

CPA website

If either of these look familiar, though, then you’re on an older platform, and we need to migrate your website:

CPA website

CPA website

Once we move your site over to our newer system, your Secure File Exchange storage space will double.

If you have any questions about whether you need to be migrated, just give us a call at 1-800-896-4500, or email us at support@cpasitesolutions.com.

Continually Improving

This month’s improvement required a major investment in servers and the development of  scalable file storage and backup systems. I hope it demonstrates our commitment to continually improving the service we offer you each month.

We truly appreciate your business. Thank you for letting us take care of your website needs.

Happy Holidays.

The Top 5 Reasons for the CPA to Get LinkedIn

CPA websites

Kathy O'Connell, CPA

When you want to attract new clients, don’t bother with LinkedIn. A CPA website is really what you need to build your client base.

But that doesn’t mean you should ignore it.

The plain fact is, to run a healthy, highly professional business, you need this networking social media site.

Here are the top 5 benefits of LinkedIn for accountants:

1. Banish Isolation

One huge advantage of LinkedIn is the plethora of professional networking groups you can join. When you’re a sole proprietor, it can be a welcome relief to meet other CPAs and swap stories about the highs and lows of running a business.

You may not have a company break room, but you can still spend a part of each day around a virtual water cooler on LinkedIn.

2. Get the Inside Scoop

Joining some professional groups on LinkedIn has another purpose, too – they help you stay informed about the industry. The groups, which are both national and regional, help you stay up-to-date on the latest tax laws, best practices, and relevant conferences.

Barry MacQuarrie’s excellent series about LinkedIn for CPAs lists the 7 essential LinkedIn groups to join:

  • Your company’s group
  • AICPA
  • Your state CPA society
  • SocialCPAs
  • Your practice group (that is, your niche)
  • The International CPA Association
  • Your competition

3. Diversify Your Connections

When you’re joining groups, don’t limit yourself to just the accounting groups. Join groups for service professionals, sole proprietors, and small businesses. Join regional networking groups. If you have a specialty, join groups in that niche – restaurants, elder care, or entertainment.

The more businesspeople you meet on LinkedIn, the more you learn, and the more resources you can turn to when you have a question or problem.

4. Recruit

Despite the shaky economy, hiring is always tough. Selecting the best individual to bring into your company is big decision – one that can have an enormous impact on your firm.

Maximize your chances for success by maintaining an active profile on LinkedIn. As opposed to Facebook and Twitter, this social media platform is geared only toward professional networking – which means it’s a prime location for folks looking for work.

When it’s time to hire, look first to LinkedIn, both for applicants and for colleagues who can refer good candidates.

5. Keep a Safety Net

You may be happy as a sole proprietor or firm partner now – but it’s always a good idea to have a safety net.

If, for some reason, you need to find a position at another company, an active profile on LinkedIn is a very nice asset. Having an updated profile, which is essentially your resume – combined with the groups you’ve joined and participate in – is an excellent starting point in your job search.

Link Your Website to Your Profile

LinkedIn probably won’t help you attract new clients. But to build a professional, sustainable practice, it’s world class.

To display the LinkedIn icon on your home page and link your CPA website to your profile, just give us a call at 1-800-896-4500, or email support@cpasitesolutions.com.

Try a New CPA Website Design (Change Is Good)

As always, you get some new designs to choose from for your CPA website this month - 8 modern looks.

You can change your design at any time at no charge – so take a look at your new choices and let us know if you’d like an update.

These designs are all Gold level. If you’re a Silver client and would like one of these looks for your site, consider an upgrade to Gold. When you upgrade, you can choose from all 300+ site styles.

All of the 8 new designs have slideshows – and all of them can be customized with pictures of your staff and your hometown for no additional fee. You just need to provide the photos!

Just Call Us

If you’d like to swap out your current style for one of these new designs – or any of the designs in our portfolio – just give us a call at 1-800-896-4500. Or you can email a Dedicated Webmaster at support@cpasitesolutions.com.

Remember – change is good!