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.

Your Client Portal and SecureReceive – Enjoy More Efficiency!

accounting websites

Brian O'Connell, President

Having a Client Portal is a must for accounting websites – and with CPA Site Solutions, you get a secure Portal that saves you time and money.

I’m happy to say that your Client Portal just got a little more efficient, while maintaining our high level of security.

Now, with SecureReceive, you receive your clients’ documents in just one click. And it’s just as secure as ever because it still goes through our secure Client Portal.

The New Way to Receive Client Documents

It used to be that when a client sent a document to the Secure File Exchange and you got an email notification about it, it took you 7 steps to start loading that file. You clicked on the link, gave your username, gave your password, clicked over to the Secure File Exchange . . . and so on.

That was the old way. Want to hear the new way?

Now, when you get your email notification that a client has deposited a file in the Portal, you just click the link in the email and the file starts to load right away. Instead of 7 steps to receive the file, it’s just 1.

accounting websites

Here's an example of the email notification you get with SecureReceive.

If you’re not logged in to the Client Portal at the time, you get a screen asking for your password. Once that’s filled in, the file starts to load.

accounting websites

Once you start receiving the file, you see this screen.

How Is This Secure?

Using SecureReceive doesn’t mean you’re getting client documents through email. (Email is NOT a secure platform for sending and receiving client files – which is why you need a Client Portal.)

SecureReceive still routes through the Client Portal. But now receiving files is quicker because you can easily get the file by clicking on the link in your email.

That’s why, if you’re not logged in to the Portal when you click on the SecureReceive link, the system will prompt you to give your password. This ensures that only authorized users are receiving files with this method.

And your Client Portal is protected by 14 layers of security. In fact, it’s the most secure Client Portal available on the market.

SecureReceive Is Already in Place

This new feature is already working for you. There’s no need to download or install a thing!

With the busy season creeping closer, this little time saver should make life a bit easier for you.

Do you have any questions about SecureReceive? Give us a call at 1-800-896-4500 or email support@cpasitesolutions.com.

“Whenever I See Your Smiling Face” – How to Attract Clients with Accounting Websites

When folks look for accountants, they want to see accounting websites with top-notch content – so they can read about what that firm offers.

But text alone isn’t always enough. Prospective clients need a reason to trust you – an emotional connection – before they make that first call.

That’s where your picture comes in.

accounting websites

A picture of your smiling face puts prospective clients at ease.

A Picture Plus a Thousand Words

Including your picture with thousands of pages of content gives prospective clients every reason to trust you.

People are naturally drawn to images of the human face. And when they’re searching for a professional to guide them in financial matters – always a sensitive issue – they need to know you’re someone they can trust. A picture of you – and your staff! – is an important part of the process.

It costs a little, but it’s worth having head shots professionally taken. A photographer uses optimal lighting to accentuate your best features.

The Real You

Don’t be afraid to throw in some personality, too.

Are you a dog lover? Use a picture of you and your canine friend. Do you love the outdoors? Take advantage of the late afternoon sunlight to get a natural shot outside. Or if you’re more comfortable behind your desk, include a coffee cup in the shot, and maybe a vase of flowers.

These little touches make a big difference.

76% of business owners recently indicated that they wanted to have a sense of an accountant’s personality before contacting them for the first time.

In a crowded online environment, reach out to your visitors and give them a reason to choose you with some winning photos.

It’s Easy to Do

A number of the pages on our accounting websites make perfect places to add your smiling face:

• Welcome
• Meet Our Team
• Our Values
• Employment Opportunities
• Blog
• Services
• Contact Us

If you’re a Gold level client, just send some shots to support@cpasitesolutions.com and let us know where you’d like us to add them.

Silver-level clients: watch this video explaining how to add pictures to page headers – or read this Help file. (To have a Dedicated Webmaster make the changes for you, upgrade to Gold for just $20 extra per month.)

Make the Most of Your Website

Just because your website is professional doesn’t mean it has to be sterile.

Warm up your site with pictures and let your personality shine through. It’s a great way to show interested visitors that you’re the right choice for them.

Not a CPA Site Solutions client? When you sign up for one of our reasonably priced Complete Web Suites, we help you make the most of your site with pictures, outstanding content, marketing expertise, and much more. Try us out for free for 60 days with absolutely no obligation.

Do you like the idea of adding your picture to your site? Or does it make you cringe because you’re not fond of how the camera looks at you? Let us know your experiences – leave a comment!

3 Ways FAQs Increase Your Bottom Line

accounting websites

Your clients have questions. Show them you have answers.

You might not expect to find value in a series of questions.

But listing Frequently Asked Questions on accounting websites leads to higher productivity, more satisfied clients, and expert rates.

Here’s how…

1. FAQs Make Happier Clients

When clients and prospects visit your website, they don’t always know what questions to ask. They just know they need help.

A set of FAQs not only conveys information – it also helps clients organize their thoughts. They feel more in control after reviewing the questions.

In addition, FAQs divide information up into small chunks – which is how people are used to digesting information online.

Finally, a lot of folks expect to find FAQs. It’s the first place they go – and if there are no FAQs, they’re frustrated.

When you satisfy your current clients, you strengthen the client bond. A stronger bond means you retain clients effortlessly, and keep the income flowing.

2. FAQs Mean Increased Productivity

Picture this: it’s tax season. Clients are calling daily, eager for financial advice. Because your website has very little information, it’s up to you and your staff to answer each and every call. This time of year, that’s a tall order.

Now let’s say you have one of our accounting websites. Instead of calling you for help, clients visit your FAQ section. You’re free to focus on your billable work, while clients get the assistance they need.

And more billable work means – you guessed it – more revenue for your firm.

Here are some examples of great questions to list on your website:

• When should I refinance my home?

• How much should I expect to pay in closing costs?

• Is interest on educational loans tax deductible?

• What kind of records do I need to keep in my business?

3. FAQs Allow Higher Rates

When you visit your doctor, you expect her to know about every medical condition you mention.

Pain in your joints? She should know what that could mean. Trouble sleeping? She ought to be able to help you. That mole on your shoulder that looks a little funky? You want to know whether you should worry.

Now what if she kept telling you, “Sorry, I’m not familiar with that.” Would you consider her an expert? Would you feel good about paying her a premium rate?

The same holds true for accountants. If you show your clients that you know a wide variety of information about financial matters, your clients trust your expertise.

And just try setting higher rates without that trust.

Save Time – Use Our FAQs

There’s no need to spend countless hours gathering questions and crafting answers. When you have a website with CPA Site Solutions, you get over 1,000 FAQs included at no extra cost.

The FAQs on our sites - helpfully categorized into several sections – answer your clients’ questions succinctly. They also point out why it’s necessary to contact you for further information, so they help drive business back to your firm.

If you already have a website with us, and you’re interested in adding to the FAQs with some customized questions, give us a call at 1-800-896-4500 or email us at support@cpasitesolutions.com.

Not a CPA Site Solutions client? Sign up today for our free 60-day trial – and start to swell your bottom line with FAQs.

Introducing a New Way to Bond with Clients

accounting websites

An RSS feed keeps a stronger bond with clients.

The wide variety of content on our accounting websites is a key reason our accountants have a year-round connection to their clients.

But we want your clients to get the full benefit of these articles and posts.

Now, with our new service improvement, they do. Clients receive updates of newsletter articles and blog posts – which means you have an even stronger bond.

RSS Feed with Newsletter and Blog

Your Client Newsletter and Blog now include an RSS feed.

RSS, which stands for Really Simple Syndication (sometimes given as Rich Site Summary), is an automated way to deliver updated web content.

More and more people get their news and updates through RSS these days. It’s convenient – you read all the latest headlines from your favorite blogs and websites in one place.

How Does RSS Work?

Clients subscribe to an RSS feed by clicking on the RSS icon, which takes them through the steps of subscribing.

When clients visit your newsletter and blog pages, they see these icons:

accounting websites

RSS Feed Icon on Newsletter Page

accounting websites

RSS Feed Icon on Blog Page

When they do, this page pops up, asking them how they want to receive the feed:

accounting websites

Once clients click on the icon, this box comes up. (Click on the image to enlarge.)

When they fire up their reader to get that day’s news, they see the latest headlines and teaser text from your newsletter and blog.

accounting websites

A feed of CPA Site Solutions's blog in Google Reader. (Click on the image to enlarge.)

They read your updated content along with the other online publications they subscribe to – the New York Times, CNN.com, and so forth.

Let Your Clients Know

Let your web-savvy clients know they now have the option to subscribe to your newsletter and blog with RSS.

They enjoy all the latest firm news, useful tips, and financial articles…

…and because RSS automatically delivers updates to your clients, you make the most of your high-quality content – and enjoy a stronger bond with clients.

If you have any questions about how your clients use the RSS, give us a call at 1-800-896-4500 or email support@cpasitesolutions.com.

Do you subscribe to any websites with RSS?  Do you find it a useful way to get the latest news? Share your thoughts in the space below.

How to Make Your Firm the Clear Choice

When consumers go online to look for products and services, they bring their magnifying glass. Like any other service, accounting websites must stand up to the scrutiny.

accounting websites

But how do people evaluate accounting websites? What helps a site stand apart from its competition?

Quality content. Load your site with great content and you make the grade.

New visitors read your articles, profile pages, and other information and become comfortable enough to take the plunge and hire you.

The 10-Second Test

Did you know that 95% of all buying decisions are now made online? Folks are searching for websites to help make decisions about what to buy. This goes for professional services as well as consumer products.

Once they land on a site, they take 10 seconds to decide whether to click away or read on.

If your design is professional, they feel comfortable enough to stay past those 10 seconds – and do a closer read. That’s where content comes in.

Quality Content Makes the Difference

But what content, exactly?

Here’s a list of the pages you need to convey who you are:

• Descriptions of your services

• About Us pages

• Articles

• FAQs

• Newsletters

• Blog posts

• Contact Us pages

If your site is filled with these pages, and they’re well written and knowledgeable, you put your best foot forward. You allow prospects to research your firm in the way they want to – online, in private, without needing to pick up the phone.

And, as a bonus, loads of high-quality content position you as an expert. This means you not only get the client, but you also get to charge the expert rates.

Get That Content Here

When you have a Complete Web Suite with us, you get page after page of outstanding content.

• 35 pages describing your Services - Tax services, business services, QuickBooks services, and services for individuals (you add and delete pages to fit your firm’s focus)

• About Us pages that are fully customizable and feature pictures and bios of you and your staff

• 3,000 pages of Financial Guides covering life events and business, tax, and investment strategies

• 1,000 Frequently Asked Questions about financial planning, insurance, taxes, and numerous other subjects

Client Newsletter uploaded to your site monthly, with links to previous issues, covering taxes, investments, financial planning, and many other topics relevant to individuals and small businesses

Fully Integrated Blog that’s easy to update with helpful accounting-related articles as well as more lighthearted pieces on your hobbies and personal interests

Contact Us page with all your contact information, an email contact form, a map and driving directions (which can be omitted if you run a home office), and a staff directory

Someone looking for an accountant wants to research a variety of firms to find the right fit. Providing them page after page of text allows them to become familiar with your staff as professionals and more personally. This kind of information is what tips the scales in your favor and gets you the sign-up.

Free 60-Day Trial

If you want a website with loads of content that helps you acquire new clients, sign up with us today. You get a free 60-day trial, as well as all the tools and content of our Complete Web Suites.

Have new clients given you feedback on your site’s content? What other features do you think clients rely on when choosing a CPA? Share your ideas in the space below.

Becoming Indispensable with Accounting Websites

accounting websites

Our Life Events guide helps when clients lose a spouse.

When a client’s spouse passes away, it’s rough. You feel terrible for their loss, and you want to help them sort out the financial tangle that’s often left behind.

That’s your job – to be there for your client when they need you most.

But you can’t always predict when life events will unfold. What if your client needs you in May, when you’re taking a well-deserved vacation? Or over a long holiday weekend?

Accounting websites with CPA Site Solutions allow you to be available for your clients 24/7/365. Our sites contain page after page of guides and FAQs designed to help your clients whenever they need it.

You serve existing clients far better with this high-quality content. And a well-served client – one you support in his hour of need – will never want to leave.

3,000 Pages of Financial Guides

Our financial guides cover 5 major areas:

Life Events

Business Strategies

Tax Strategies for Businesses

Tax Strategies for Individuals

Investment Strategies

Our guides are written by top-flight writers so you know you’re offering sound information.

Over 1,000 Frequently Asked Questions

A list of FAQs is an important resource for your clients. Sometimes it’s easier to skim a list of questions than to look for an answer you didn’t even know you wanted.

Our FAQs are divided into categories, such as Financial Planning, Life Events, Banking, and Taxes, among others.

On That Long Holiday Weekend…

On Labor Day weekend, when you were at the lake with your kids, your client Nancy needed you. Her husband had died the previous week, and after the shock had worn off a bit, she was ready to tackle the will, life insurance, mortgage, and everything else left behind. The only problem was, it was late on Sunday night.

Luckily, the last time you’d met, you mentioned the Financial Guides and FAQs, and urged her to use that resource whenever she needed it.

Nancy remembered that. When you got back to your office on Tuesday morning, you had an email from Nancy. Using your Financial Guides, she’d researched what papers to collect for various benefits and for finalizing the estate. She knew she needed to contact Social Security and she was hoping you could help her with that.

accounting websites

This Financial Guide, "Death of a Spouse: Financial Steps You Should Take," helps clients get organized in a time of confusion. (Click on the image to enlarge.)

In short, she used the Financial Guides to become informed about her situation. She still needed to talk to you – but she knew the questions to ask.

This was a great comfort to Nancy. She began to feel that she’d be able to make it on her own after all.

Of course, with you as her trusted advisor.

Complete Web Suite with Tons of Content

Accounting websites with CPA Site Solutions come loaded with Financial Guides, FAQs, financial calculators, Monthly Client Newsletter, and many other pages. Your clients have access to all this material anytime. It doesn’t take your place – it just enables clients to help themselves with the big picture, and come to you for the details.

If you’d like to take advantage of our Complete Web Suite – serving your clients better and turning them into raving fans – give us a try free for 60 days.

If you have any questions about the content on your site, call us at 1-800-896-4500, or email us at support@cpasitesolutions.com.

Do your clients use the Financial Guides or FAQs? What other content do your clients enjoy? What content is the most important on your site? Let us know in the box below.

Hooking New Clients While You Sleep

CPA websites

Brian O'Connell, President

My wife Kathy is a CPA. I’ve been at her side plenty of times when an acquaintance asks for free tax advice at a party or at one of the kids’ games.

That probably happens to you, too. It can be a little tiring – like a busman’s holiday.

But there is an upside to all the free advice you give: It lets you really impress folks with your knowledge and it raises your professional reputation.

Now what do you think would happen if you ran into the same person once a month and gave them free advice for a full year?

They would remember you. They might even switch from their current accountant to you – or recommend you to a friend.

CPA websites

Take a break! Your client newsletter does the work of connecting with prospective clients.

That sounds pretty nice. To make that happen, you could frequent as many parties, sports events, and other gatherings as possible in the hopes of running into the same people over and over…

Or you could take the weekends off – catch up on your sleep – and leave the networking to your Monthly Client Newsletter, which comes free with our CPA websites.

9 Meetings to Make a Sale

The Direct Marketing Association states that it takes an average of 9 contacts to turn a prospect into a client.

That’s 9 times you need to connect with an individual – in person, by phone, or by email.

Chances are very good your competitors are not making that much contact with prospects. It’s frustrating and time-consuming to keep calling or emailing someone, and most people give up after the 4th or 5th attempt.

If you use your client newsletter to make those contacts, it gets done once a month, every month – 12 times a year, year after year. Of course, not everyone will convert to clients – but touching base with them once a month significantly increases your chances.

Then, if you run into them at a party 6 months down the road, that’s just icing on the cake.

Newsletter Jam-packed with Helpful Tips

Is the newsletter really something your acquaintances will appreciate?

You bet.

The monthly client newsletter addresses the topics people are interested in – like saving for college, financial planning, and, for small business owners, hitting their tax due dates. There’s even a regular column on how to make the most of QuickBooks.

CPA websites

The table of contents of the July 2010 issue of the client newsletter. Click on the image to enlarge.

Hearing from you every month – with customized, firm-specific messages, if you wish – makes your contacts feel like they know you. This is important in their choice to switch to your firm or recommend you.

They’re also grateful for the gift of useful information that helps them protect what’s most valuable in their lives. This practice of “gifting” – especially to folks who aren’t paying you yet – is an effective way to build long-lasting client relationships.

A Favorable Equation

The monthly client newsletter comes with CPA websites from CPA Site Solutions at no additional cost.

And it has the potential to make you extra revenue. Say you add 10 prospects to your newsletter distribution list in a year and 1 becomes a client or recommends a friend to your firm. If you do just a standard tax return for them, you make $250.

That’s $250 for you with no additional expenditure and almost no effort.

And remember, $250 is a conservative estimate. Your extra revenue could be much higher.

If you’d like, consider the equation this way: one night off a week – with no schmoozing necessary – earns you $250 . . . or about $4 per night of sleep!

Get Started

How does it work? Each month, you get 10 new financial or tax saving articles automatically updated to your website. The articles are written by our award winning team of CPAs and MBAs and provide your clients with enough information to pique their curiosity – while giving them a consistent reminder to contact your office for more details.

We give you time to customize the newsletter if you like – and then the newsletter is automatically sent to your list of clients and contacts, using the Email Newsletter Marketing System.

If you don’t have a web suite with us, give us a try free for 60 days. See if the newsletter does what I claim – and enjoy all the other features of your site, like the secure Client Portal, 3,000 pages of financial guides, Online Tax Organizers, plus 111 other features.

If you already have a site with us and have questions about your client newsletter, call us at 1-800-896-4500 or email support@cpasitesolutions.com.

Do you enjoy networking in person, or would you rather have your newsletter do it for you? What other methods do you use to establish relationships with potential clients? Let us know in the space below.

E-Commerce Solutions for Accountants

accounting websites

Brian O'Connell, President

What’s your favorite cheesy sales line? Mine is, “What do I have to do to get you into a new car today?” You can just see right through it.

These days, you hear a bunch of phony lines from the online-money-making world. Questionable salesmen claim we can make money online automatically when we buy one simple product. These offers sound too good to be true.

And they usually are.

Without giving you a cheesy line, I will say that accounting websites with CPA Site Solutions make you money with minimal effort – in a few ways you might not expect.

Here are 5 e-commerce solutions that come free with your website. They repay your investment and earn you a profit.

Now stay with me here…

accounting websites

Your online bookstores sells popular business books.

1. Sell Books

Your website has an online bookstore through Amazon.com stocked with popular business books – like The E-Myth Revisited and Who Moved My Cheese?

You earn you a 5% commission on each book you sell.

If you sell 10 books a year at $15/book, you make $7.50. Not a lot – but keep reading…

2. Sell QuickBooks

The QuickBooks Store on your website offers your clients a savings of up to 20% off retail prices and free shipping on the latest version of QuickBooks.

You earn 5% every time your clients buy from your site. And if you’re a QuickBooks ProAdvisor, you earn 6%.

If you sell 5 QuickBooks packages per year at $300/package, that’s $75/year profit.

We’re getting there…

3. Offer Incorporating Services

Incorporating your clients is a lengthy and tedious process – if it’s done manually. But when it’s automated, it’s a lot easier.

Our Online Incorporation Solution automates the whole process of forming a corporation, ordering corporate supplies, and tracking the progress of your order.

And because this service is so affordable, you can easily charge an additional $300 per incorporation and still offer the service for much less than other accountants or lawyers.

If you incorporate just 2 clients next year, you earn an additional $600.

Now we’re talking!

accounting websites

Accept credit card payments online and capture lost revenue.

4. Accept Credit Cards Online

Our secure Online Payment System allows you to accept credit cards right away. It takes less than 15 minutes to get set up, and you pay no start-up or monthly fees.

And it gives you instant availability of funds – so you no longer have to wait for months to get paid.

This feature is more about capturing revenue that would otherwise be lost. For example, if just one of your clients pays upfront by credit card for her tax return instead of ignoring your invoice and never ponying up, you make $250.

We’re up to $932.50/year in profit from almost no effort. One more to go…

5. Offer Online Payroll Processing

CPA Site Solutions teamed up with Intuit Online Payroll for Accounting Professionals to provide a convenient “back office” payroll processing service for as low as $10.99 per month, per client.

Online payroll processing may sound intimidating, but it shouldn’t be. Here are some benefits of the solution we offer:

• Online hand-holding makes it easy – there’s nothing new to learn

• You control your clients’ data but have NO data entry to perform

• Free and fully integrated electronic payments and filings mean less work for you

Let’s say you pay $20/month for one client to have online payroll. You then charge that client $100/month, making an $80/month profit. If just 3 clients sign up for this service, you make $240/month or $2,880/year. And that’s a conservative estimate.

Add Up the Extra Revenue

$932.50 from the first 4 features + $2,880 for online payroll processing = $3,812.50/year. Of course, you do have to pay for the web suite. If you’re a Gold-level client, you pay $69.50/month, or $834/year.

$3812.50 – $834 = $2,978/year in profits from these 5 e-commerce solutions.

That’s almost $3,000/year you earn from your website with CPA Site Solutions – apart from any increased client work that comes from marketing your site.

All of these features are available with our accounting websites.

Questions?

If you have questions about these 5 e-commerce solutions, give us a call at 1-800-896-4500. You can also email us at support@cpasitesolutions.com. As always, our outstanding support staff is here to help.

Have you earned revenue from any of these features? How did they work for you? What are some other ways your website brings in more money for your firm? Share your thoughts below.

How a Webmaster Increases Your Billable Hours

Accounting Websites

Brian O'Connell, President

I love cable news. I love getting up-to-the-minute headlines 24/7. I’ve come to trust that if I tune in to CNN, it will deliver, every time.

The most successful accounting websites have something in common with CNN: they always deliver up-to-date information.

Of course, accountants don’t have the huge staff and generous budgets of cable news companies. It’s not easy to find the time to keep your site updated with the latest staff changes and firm events. Realistically, you need to focus on work that brings in revenue.

Most of the time, client work takes precedence over tweaking your website.

Besides, not all of us are techies. While updating your site isn’t hard, it does take a little while to figure out. And it can be frustrating – a real drain on your energy.

So how do you squeeze in as much billable work as possible (and keep your stress levels in check) while also staying on top of your website?

I have a solution…

Let Us “Do It All For You”

Accounting Websites

Make the most of each minute by outsourcing website maintenance.

Consider upgrading from Silver to Gold. The Gold level gets you the We Do It All For You service.

This service is like having your own webmaster just a phone call away. When you need to update your site, simply email us. We make the changes as soon as possible.

Here are some examples of the information to regularly post on your site:

• New employees

• New address or contact info

• Firm event – seminars, extended hours, etc.

• Introducing a new service

• Adding a new page when we offer a service improvement – such as our new QuickSend service

With “We Do It All For You” service, you stay focused on your core business while we do the grunt work.

The Benefits of Fresh Content

An updated site is critical for client relationships.

Like with cable news – if your site is always fresh and relevant, your clients are trained to “tune in” on a regular basis. What better way to keep that client connection?

And because search engines reward sites that regularly post new content, keeping current lands you a top spot in Google, Yahoo, or Bing. Listing high in organic search results is key when trying to attract new clients.

Cost Benefit Analysis

At $69.50/month, an upgrade from Silver to Gold costs an additional $20/month, or $240/year.

Say you bill $125/hour. If using our webmaster service allows you to do just 2 extra hours of client work per year, that’s $250/year in extra revenue. You make a little profit from upgrading to Gold, just from a tiny bump in client work.

And as a bonus, you save yourself a few mornings of tedious technical stuff. (Why suffer more stress than you need to?)

Of course, this doesn’t take into account the less quantifiable advantages of increased client connection and a possible rise in page rank on Google.

Upgrading has other benefits, too:

• When you want to try out a new website design, choose from double the number – 300 instead of 150. (It costs you nothing to switch designs.)

• For the Client Portal, you get easy one-click file upload. Simply right-click any file on your system and send it directly to the Vault.

• You also get additional space in the Vault - 500 MB total.

Click to Upgrade

If you sometimes put off making changes to your site because it takes time or it’s a bit complicated, then an upgrade to Gold might be a great solution.

To upgrade, click here. Once you submit your name and website address, one of our webmasters will call. Or call us: 1-800-896-4500, or send an email: support@cpasitesolutions.com.

What updates do you think are important for your website? Did I miss any? Share your thoughts below.