Wonder if anyone benefits from a website

[Lion]

Ea

I posted an article from the NAEA explaining what an EA is on my newsletters page on my website. I titled it something like "So, Rita's an EA. Just what does that do for me?" in hopes of getting people to read it. DollarsSense.com

[lenboush]

Drake Web Site

For those who use Drake Software, there is a totally FREE web site available from Drake that can be customized to each business's personal needs. I received at least 2 new clients from my web site this year and I believe there were more. I'd have to dig out the records to see for sure. I have also registered the site for FREE with Yahoo business which has increased the traffic. We received about 1500 hits in the last 4 months. Not much for most sites but not bad for a tiny little business like mine.

If you'd like to look at my web site as just one example (I'm sure there are many others that are much better), you can go to www.HeritageTax.com.

[thomtax]

I have never met anyone who questioned or had to have the credentials proven to them. Just putting that you had the credential on the website would be enough. Of course that is just my opinion and I'm sure someone will come along and show me the error of my ways and why.:-)

LT

[AZ-Tax]

Website productive for me

My website list testimonials, tax facts and my tax organizer forms. In AZ our medical exps pass through to our Arizona Sch A regardless what amount of any qualifies for deduction for the Fed so I have an article about Medical exps on my website. For me my website serves 2 main purposes: Clients can access my tax organizer w/o me having to email it to them and they can check out my credentials.

I have a question for you EA's. I was planning on obtaining my EA this year. Would it be wise to post a jpeg or gif of my EA certificate on my website?

[Lion]

Website

I bought a website through ProSystem fx when I purchased their software late last year. I'd had the .biz version of my name for a long time, but never did much with it other than having email. Then, the .com version became affordable last summer. I knew I didn't have time to get it up and running while evaluating software before tax season, so I bought a ready-made but infinitely alterable site. I think it's Execusite who builds/maintains it via Profx. Cost a bunch, maybe $895, and is half that much through ATX. But, I love it. I can point and click to change anything. I can post my own content. Their newsletters change automatically the first of every month. Again, I can check or uncheck to use specific pieces. I find that when people hear about me, they then google or whatever to see if I have a website so they can read about me. (I've had people get my name from the NAEA site or QB and then go to my website and then call me.) Gradually, I'm updating the pages with my own material instead of the boilerplate it came with. But, that boilerplate let me get online immediately. In fact, the Profx salesman actually filled out my site, so it was up without me lifting a finger. Then, as I had time, I worked with it. What I like best is that if a client calls with a question when I'm busy or their appointment isn't until weeks later, I can send them to my site to read a newsletter I post from the Execusite archives or I copy and paste from my own stuff to let the client do some preliminary reading until I have time to address their concern. They have a little cheat sheet of html, for the formatting I want to do. I'm very happy with it and will probably renew without much concern about the price.

[veritas]

We mainly use

our website to transfer files through a secure whatever you call it.

[erchess]

Does anyone have a website with any of these functions?

Clients can upload and send to you documents that are on their computer

Clients can fill out and print or send you your organizer?

People can send you email without learning your addy unless you respond?

Would these features facilitate one's provision of services to folks who live too far away for us to meet them in person?

[taxfun]

Our web site

We have had a web site for a long time (can't remember when). We regard it as a defensive measure. Like another post, if you type in our town for a cpa of tax preparer, we come up quickly.However, we have not gotten many e-mail messages from our site. It is a presence, for those who might look.

I designed our site with Microsoft Publisher 1997 so it is dated, but it works. I tend to think that for most folks it is only a starting point.... then people get personal references from friends and neighbors.

[Beth]

Tax Website-- and FREE

I have one and get some clients each year. Better yet, I show up in the top 3 in my communitites in Yahoo and Google. My practice is pretty much seasonal and smaller.

You can gt a free site from Microsoft :
http://smallbusiness.officelive.com/

Pretty decent reports and tools to build with not a lot of wen knowledge needed. Allows you to have email in your domeain nama as well.

[jeff501]

I don't have a website but have had people call me who looked up "tax preparers" with a google or yahoo search by city. This past season I got two new clients who had just recently moved to town and used Yahoo to find someone locally and they found me this way.

To see what would show up, I went to Yahoo and typed in "tax preparer" with my city and state and found my office information.

[equinecpa]

I designed and maintain my own website. I get a lot of business from it but I have a niche - I have specialized in serving the equine industry. I get clients from across the country - I'd say at least 50% if not more of my clients came to me from my website.

The cost of the domain and hosting is next to nothing (maybe $50.00 per year?).

Carolyn

[geekgirldany]

That is what I did to my website. I optimized it for the search engines. Like I said I did not do well for tax prep. For some reason I just can not get it to the top. I've made the search terms very local. So it is specific to my city I live in like "bookkeeping in my city state". The more specific you are the better.

[sea-tax]

Seatax, who are you working with and how much do you pay?

A local Internet/ Computer Guru- of sorts. Supposedly in order for your website to get hits you need to have the pages titled a certain way. I would suggest you call a local internet and web page guru in your area and they should be able to handle the rest. Not sure on the price as I do not pay the bills , but $75 an hour sticks out in my mind.
Sorry I can't be of more help , when it comes to computers and billing I leave it to my staff as I am not an expert in either. That is why I have these people and pay them well.

[Gretel]

Seatax, who are you working with and how much do you pay?

[sea-tax]

It is not just about having a web-site , but rather placing that web-site in areas of info space where by potential clients will see it. This year my firms contracted with a company which will see to getting you exposure on search engines. This was a great benefit and we feel lead to approximately 175 new clients being added this year alone.