Your perfect copy does you no good if your site’s visitors don’t stick around to read it. Your excellent Google page rank brings you no more business if your visitors do nothing more than glance at your page before reaching for their browser’s back button.

You’ve got just seconds – at best – to grab the attention of a new visitor to your site and convince her to read all your carefully optimized and edited content. Just one or two interesting pictures is enough to connect with a casual visitor long enough for her to turn her eye toward your text.

Winooski Falls Near CPA Site Solutions

Appealing to the people that visit your site is easy: clear, high quality images of yourself, your office, your local area or anything else unique and relevant to the content on your page will do. Appealing to Google with those images is a little trickier. Google, after all, can’t see your your images.

To ensure that those images are optimized for search engines just as much as the rest of your content, you’ve got to help Google figure out what your images show.

• File Names. Take a look at your image file names. If you pulled the image directly off your camera, it probably has some generic file name like the time and date the photo was taken. Give it a good descriptive file name. If possible, include one of your keywords.
• Alt Tags. When adding the image to the page, use the Alt and Title tags. The alt tag text will display whenever the image cannot be loaded. The title text will display when your mouse hovers over the image. Like your file name, use a keyword here if it makes sense.
• Keywords. Google considers the context of the image, so be sure that your keywords are represented in the text surrounding the image. A page full of images may be fine for your human readers, but it doesn’t help Google much. Give Google something to read.
• Updated Your Pictures. Update your images occasionally. Google loves fresh content and images are no exception. When you update your content, bring in some new images too.
• Relevance Is Key. Relate your images to your text and your text to your keywords. Provide what people want to see, and Google will find it.

In short, think about your images the same way you think about optimizing your text for search engines. Make your content relevant, helpful, and attractive to your readers, and you’ll be well on your way to maximizing your search results from Google.

How do you get the most out of your CPA website and your marketing budget in today’s economy? First you need to know your budget and use that amount as a guide. Your target customers need to hear a marketing campaign about 6-9 times to to get them to commit. Using marketing strategies outside your budget, doesn’t allow you to repeat your message often enough to make an impact.

COSTING MORE  DOESN’T ALWAYS MEAN IT ‘S BETTER!

Expensive ad campaigns don’t necessarily translate to increased sales. You need to be able to evaluate what the ROI is going to be on your campaigns to judge whether the money you are spending is going to accomplish your goals by connecting with your target market.

The chances of your marketing campaign success, greatly improve when you can get into more channels. Potential customers will likely become buyers if they: see your add in the newspaper, see you at a conference or local business expo, pick up a brochures, post your business cards on local bulletin boards and visit your CPA website. The more you can stretch you marketing budget to reach your target clients, the better chances of you connecting with potential clients.

DEFINE YOUR TARGET MARKET BEFORE YOU BEGIN THE CAMPAIGN

A critical part of your marketing plan is targeting the right customer. Once you have determined who is you target audience what form of media is going to give you the best chance of reaching that audience. If you are trying to target a younger market then internet advertising is most likely one of the more likely choices. If you are targeting retirees then maybe focusing on local papers would be a better use of you marketing dollars.

Don’t try to market to the whole country unless you have defined that as you target market, go for small niche markets. Focus on the immediate area where you are doing business. With your CPA website make sure that you keywords contain your address at least city and state. When a potential client is looking for a tax planner they are going to look close to home. If you are targeting TV ads then focus on the local channels and not Cspan or CNN because you like them.

BECOME PART OF THE COMMUNITY

Become part of the community get out and support local sporting events and fundraisers. All of these will get your name on flyers, t-shirts and banners. Be cautious not to select events that are controversial with in the community as this can generate a negative . I know that people say there is no such thing as bad publicity but, there is if you are losing business and you are in a small community.

CREATE AFFILIATES

Creating affiliates is a great way for small business to start building a local web of people that trust each other. Developing a relationship with your clients beyond the taxes. This creates a sense of belonging that will ultimately improve retention. Maybe you don’t have a plumber that is a client of yours but, you have a contractor that is a client. Ask that contractor who they would recommend?

The most cost-effective method of reaching new customers is by referrals from satisfied customers. A satisfied customer telling others about your small business is more effective than any fancy ad campaign. Spend time to get customer testimonials on your CPA websites.

You don’t need a large budget to achieve your goals,  you need to stay focused on the target market and give your budget it’s due attention. Be creative and ask other people for testimonials if they indicate that they are happy your service. Give them some of your business cards so that they can’t pass them out to their friends. Remember personal referrals are your best for of marketing.

Your have set up your Email Marketing System with your CPA website. You have created custom campaigns specific to your CPA firm. Now you just need some subscribers.

In part three of this three-part series, we’ll take a look at how to get subscribers, what they want, and what you have to offer.

Subscribers. There is an art to getting people to give you their email address. You can read about many different methods on the Internet. Here are just a couple that have stood the test of time. Remember, anyone who subscribes to the newsletter on your CPA website is a potential client.

What Your Subscribers Want. Most people want something in return for their time. When you promise to give them what they want, they subscribe easily. You know they have come to your CPA website for tax-related information. You are going to give them that information just not directly.

A potential client wants a reason to trust you. You can gain that trust by giving them valuable, free information they might not get elsewhere.

What You Offer. You offer a trade: in exchange for their subscription, they get a free PDF download with helpful information. This one method has worked over time despite the people who may unsubscribe after getting the download.

The PDF you create doesn’t have to be long. It should just contain a couple of elements. When you craft the PDF, try to hint at what else they could get if they consult with you.

Additional Offer. In addition to the PDF, mention that there are discounts that come only via the newsletter. Subscribers that are somewhat interested get another reason to stay for more.

More helpful tips about the Email Marketing System are coming. We’ll explore how to craft that PDF you want to give away, how to keep alive the relationship with your subscribers, and more.

Have some questions about what you read in the series? Send a comment below or email support@cpasitesolutions.com.

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The Email Marketing System comes free with any CPA website hosted by CPA Site Solutions. This is part two in a three-part series about the effective use of that system with your CPA website. Part one is here.

This second post goes over creating custom email marketing campaigns, suggestions for campaigns, and the use of strong subject headings.

Custom Email Marketing Campaigns. Check out the help section on how to create custom messages. Once you have that down, check out the advanced section. Both of these links provide a foundation for managing your Email Marketing System that comes with your CPA website.

The first link is about creating custom marketing messages. The second link is about organizing those messages into an overall custom marketing campaign. Each of the messages gets attached to a particular marketing campaign. This keeps your messages organized. It also helps to manage the subscription process on your CPA website effectively.

Suggested Campaigns. What campaigns should you start first on your CPA website? Take a look at the unique services your firm offers. Say, for example, that your CPA firm focuses particularly upon Personal Financial Planning. One campaign could be around that subject.

Targeted Messages. Attach targeted messages centered around your overall campaign or “message theme.” If, for example, you decide to center a campaign around Personal Financial Planning, you could write targeted messages about helping individuals with their investment goals.

Giving Away for Free? Are you giving too much away for free with your Email Marketing System? Not really. Think of it as giving examples away for free. In your message you could highlight what a client was able to do through your service.

It is often helpful to give some basic advice away with an exception noted. The exception might emphasize that each individual is different and to call for consultation.

Subject Line. The real key to successful email marketing messages is in the subject line. Even though a person might have subscribed, you still need them to read. Powerful subject lines grab a person’s interest immediately and motivate them to learn more. A great subject line centered around a Personal Financial Planning campaign is: “How Bob Doubled His Investment Returns.” Look for more on subject lines in a future post.

Part three of this series, coming soon, delves into getting subscribers.

Have you had trouble with your own Email Marketing System? Have a success story you want to share with other readers about your CPA website? Comment in the section below.

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Your CPA website has an Email Marketing System. This tool creates an ongoing relationship with current and potential clients. There are a number of different steps to ensure that you get the most out of the Email Marketing System that comes with your CPA website.

This is part one of a three-part series that looks at implementing those steps for your CPA website. By the time you are done with the series, you should have a solid grasp of the Email tools and what you should automatically set up, as well as some suggestions on getting new subscribers.

Newsletter Schedule. Every month, a professionally written newsletter shows up on your CPA website. Your Email Marketing System emails an update to all those who subscribe. In this update is an overview of the current issue with links to the actual newsletter page on your CPA website.

Make the Most of It. Make the most of the system by editing the email that goes out. You don’t have to write much. Try adding an update that is specific to your CPA firm. A bit of personalization will keep your firm in their minds. See the help section for a quick tutorial on how to modify your newsletter email.

Leading to Subscribe. Your CPA website homepage leads people to subscribe with this text: “You also get the latest breaking tax saving strategies in our monthly newsletter.” Stronger wording about specific benefits helps you get new subscribers. You do this by modifying the text on your homepage.

For example, you might write, “Need more information on child tax deductions? Want some easy QuickBooks tips, or tips on how to prevent Identity Theft? Subscribe to our newsletter for these details and more.” By leading with specific answers to be found within the newsletter, you peak a potential clients interest.

Look for part 3 of the series that delves more into helping you get subscribers.

Taking some time to learn about your Email Marketing System pays off when you get new subscribers. Gain those new subscribers’ trust and watch it pay off when they become a regular client.

Stay tuned for the rest of the series. Can’t wait? Check out the Email Marketing System help section.

Have you worked with other Email Marketing Systems? Are there features you wish this one had? Share in the comments below.

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Marketing your CPA website requires multiple approaches to be done effectively. The internet and how searches are conducted and measured is changing all of the time. Here are some ways to think about how potential clients approach your CPA website and your firm.

PPC Advertising. Some have relied upon a Pay-Per-Click Campaign with great results. A PPC campaign still remains the fastest and easiest way to get in front of potential clients. The one problem that remains is how to measure the ROI.

On a CPA website there is no shirt to buy or widget to purchase. In short, there is nothing to place into a basket for checkout. If there were then you could view when a person clicked through from your PPC ad and made a purchase.

Responding to PPC. Once people see your ad online, 46% pick up the phone, 37% visit, and 11% end with online contact. That contact could be made immediately. On the other hand it could be made much later. You ask a recent client how they found you and they may be unable to remember. In other words it is hard to connect your online ad to the person coming in the door.

Local Search. Local search grew 46% from last year versus 31% for general search results. People are looking for local companies more and more often. In fact, 80% of customers look for results 15 miles from their location. It also helps that Google has a click-to-call option for mobile devices.

That is why local search can be so important. Yes people are online but they still like to use local businesses, especially when it comes to CPAs and other tax professionals.

Multiple Approaches Linking Your Marketing Together

Social Platforms. Potential clients also might find you via Facebook, Twitter, or any other social platform. These are becoming a way to communicate and your CPA firm misses out when not using these resources.

People to People. There is still the people to people connection. The old fashioned word of mouth is still worth more than any advertisement. Your CPA website can still help you market in this fashion thereby leveraging technology for old school results.

There are many ways to bring potential clients to your CPA website and in the door of your firm. It is important to remember to touch on each of these to ensure the health of your CPA firm and stay ahead of the competition.

There are many different ways to market your CPA website. One of those is in using social websites like Twitter. Understanding how to use Twitter in conjunction with your CPA website, is an ongoing process. Using Twitter Times is one way to take a step forward in your understanding.

Personal News Aggregate. The power behind Twitter is in the ability to effectively aggregate firm news. It brings together in the moment news from those you follow. This gives you a way to interact, discuss and even help shape the news of the day.

Beyond the Tweet. Beyond the tweets that come moment to moment, are the links mentioned. These links are to other CPA websites or CPA news and development. These links are a firm newspaper brought to you by those you follow. Now you have an easy way to read all the news generated by other like minded CPAs.

Twitter Times. Sign in with Twitter and you have an instant firm newspaper created for you. It brings together links posted from those you are following. It also takes links from the friends of those you follow. Want to see what it looks like? Here is the CPA Site Solutions Times.

CPA Site Solutions Twitter Times

Share Your Times. Once created, share your CPA firm’s news by linking to it from your CPA website. Everyone can now see news related to your CPA firm’s interests. The content is changing all of the time, however the overall subjects covered stay fairly consistent.

Authority. Get people to use your Twitter Times for CPA news and you indirectly become an authoritative source behind the news. When people you follow retweet your tweet with links to your CPA website, then you are effectively in the news.

Long Term. Right now there isn’t too much direct control over what shows on your personal newspaper. There are some indirect ways to manipulate the news by working with those you follow. Hopefully TT makes it easier to directly change what shows on your personal paper.

How have you effectively used social media to market your CPA website? Comment below and share with other readers.

When you have a CPA website with CPA Site Solutions, you have access to an Email Marketing System. This system automatically sends out your CPA website newsletter to all who subscribe. Up until now, there hasn’t been a way to export the contacts from that list. Now there is and here is how it works.

Popular Requests. All requests for changes to the CPA Site Solutions system are kept and reviewed on a regular basis. Certain improvements have a critical mass behind them. They not only make sense, but there are a number of people requesting the change.

Response. Being able to export the contacts list within the Email Marketing System has been one of those popular requests. That change has now been implemented and is fully functional for use.

Exporting Contacts. Login to your Email Marketing System and click on Contacts. At the bottom of the list shown is now an option to Export. Choose the emails you want or click on select all. You can then save either “all”, “active”, or “inactive” members from the list as a txt file. See our help section on exporting contacts for more details.

Export Contact List

Finish and Save. Another popular request has been for clients to easily save data while in the Tax Organizer. That feature has been implemented as well (see Finish and Save link). So now while a client is using the organizer they can pause at anytime and their work is saved for later.

More Updates. CPA Site Solutions is consistently improving systems. These improvements are based on popular requests, new tools and features that come available, or fixes for problems that may arise.

Stock Ticker

Marketing Watch. Recently the Market Watch feature stopped working properly. The data came from a third party source that ceased to work the same way. Now there is a Stock Ticker instead (see image on left).

Look For More. The future brings ever more functionality including better ways to view visitor stats and more. Have some ideas of your own you would like to see implemented? Send those along to support@cpasitesolutions.com or fill out in comments below.

Video provides a way to communicate on your CPA website while providing marketing benefits. A previous series walks you through how to create video and what kind of content to use. Here is a quick way to add it to almost any page of your CPA website.

Previous Posts. Be sure to check out why to use video on your accounting website. There are many tools available to create a project yourself or you can have someone else create one for you. Here is some some inspiration if you are doing it alone.

Use Multiple Platforms. Part of having video work for you is to use multiple platforms. You want to place it not just on YouTube but also the following:

• viddler.com
• revver.com
• livevideo.com
• dailymotion.com

The content is leveraged further when placed on these other websites rather than just showing on your accounting website. More potential clients see the content and it is a source of free advertising.

The Code. Every video sharing website generates code to use on your CPA website. All you need to do is copy this code and paste it into Notepad. Yes, you have Notepad on your computer! It is probably rarely if ever used because most people skip to Word.

While word is great for writing, it adds a fair amount of code that creates problems on your website. When you paste into Notepad you get just the code and nothing else. This makes it easier to save each video websites code all in one place.You won’t be using all of these! You are just keeping them here for reference.

Adding The Code. Decide where on your CPA website you want your video to appear. Mouse over it and click to bring up the easy to use page editor. Find on the page about where you want it and highlight a few words of text right in that area. This is going to give you a place of reference while you are in code view.

Choose the “Source” tab (see image below) and you are in code view. This can be confusing but just look for your highlighted text.  Now paste the code from one (YouTube) of the video sharing websites after the </p> (see image below).

Where To Place The Code

If it doesn’t look just right, try moving it to another location. Still having trouble? Leave the code in place and then send an email to support@cpasitesolutions.com with a request to troubleshoot.

Do you use video on your own accounting website? Send a comment below and share with other readers.

You have a CPA website with outstanding content and tools for your firm. You have the expertise behind that website when someone contacts you. You know that getting yourself on Google local is a powerful way to advertise your firm. The Workteam Collaboration Suite gives you easy email contact, but what about your phone? Web Work Daily recently had an article on Phonebooth. Here is how the service applies to CPAs.

If you are a smaller company or just starting out, what phone number should go on your CPA website? Phonebooth is a free solution that offers you a bit of flexibility without detriment to your CPA firm’s professionalism.

Phonebooth. A local phone number without a land-line for free? Now you can be on the go and still manage to be right in your local office without giving out your personal phone number.

Auto-Attendant. You can direct your phone calls to specific lines. Even if you are a smaller firm it can be great to organize incoming calls to the clients concern. For example: are they calling about Individual Tax Services or Business Services? You can set up a line for each of these with the auto-attendant.

Click-to-Call Widget Free with Phonebooth

Read Your Voicemail. The service sends up to 50 messages direct to email. This gives you the chance to read your messages from just about anywhere. It also makes it easier to pick out the key details and see the immediate reason for the call.

Contact Us Widget. There is a great widget all ready to place on your CPA website. Any potential client can click to call or email. They even get a choice of who to call. Instead of just calling the main line, the choices for different people are all right there.

Although there are other online solutions available, Phonebooth is easy and free (although there is paid service). Just keep in mind that it does advertise itself as being in Beta. Beta means the although the business has tested the service, it is still fairly new and under development.

Are you a smaller firm or just starting your CPA website? What do you use for your business phone number? Share your own solution with other readers in comments below.

Note: CPA Site Solutions is not an affiliate of Phonebooth. As with other online tools, Phonebooth presents itself as a great tool for CPAs and other tax professionals to use with their CPA website.