Transcript Improving Your Web Presence

Improving Your Web Presence
Gail Perry, CPA
Publisher/Editor-in-Chief,
AccountingWEB
Sponsored by
Instructor: Gail Perry, CPA
• Financial journalist
• Former newspaper columnist/Indianapolis
Star
• Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of
• Former tax accountant at
• Author of 30 books, including
Determine your motivation
• Attract new clients and business
• Reinforce relationships, retain and build
business with existing clients
• Gain recognition in your field, be seen as an
authority, gain credibility
Choose a niche – focus your expertise
• Don't try to be everything to everybody
• Choose your strongest area(s)
• Choose areas where you want to build
expertise
• Choose areas in which you want to have
recognition
Choose your venue – Web site
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Starting point, already in existence
Search for other firms and compare (Kraft CPAs)
Change content at least monthly, weekly is better
Cross link – incoming and outgoing
Articles, tips, links to top news and legislation,
explanations, testimonials, community service
• Change page headers
• Update key words and meta tags
Content for your Web site
• Articles – original for the site or reprints of
newsletter or published articles
• Tips for your readers – tax, organization,
personal finance, improving credit
• Reference information – forms, worksheets,
how to get a tax ID number, education tax
credit info, 529 plans, FAFSA
• Biographies of firm members
• Information unique to your niche areas
Choose your venue – Comments
• Easy way to get your name out
• News sites, discussion boards, forums, trade
publications, other people's blogs
• Include your name, link, appropriate
description
Choose your venue – Blogs
• Informal, conversational, opinionated, openended
• Easy to write
• Read other blogs
• Blog software: WordPress, Blogger, Typepad,
Vox, Tumblr
• Find a clever writer
More about blogs
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Choose an angle
Allow/encourage/monitor comments
Use hyperlinks
Write frequently
Spread the word: E-mail signature, business
cards, newsletter
Choose your venue: LinkedIn
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Professional site
Connect with colleagues, clients, group members
Participate in groups
Ask and answer questions
Update at least weekly
Post notes
Use other postings as an opportunity to
communicate
• Turn postings into newsletter or e-mail
or blog topics
Choose your venue: Facebook
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Kid rule doesn't apply any more
Keep personal and professional separate
Page for your firm – keep it current
Remember: This is searchable
Choose your venue: Twitter
• Follow your clients
• Let clients know
• Work on an angle (news, tips, helpful links,
useful retweets)
Timely vs. Timeless
• Timely: Current news, legislation, local events
• Timeless: Unchanging information – not
necessarily current
Tips for writing material for the WEB
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Determine what questions you will answer
Research
Add something new
Outline
Write offline
Write now, edit later
Review introduction and conclusion
Choose your venue – beyond your site
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What do you read?
What do your clients read?
News sites
Trade sites/
Client sites
Web 2.0
Choose your venue: Traditional media
• Print trade publications
• Local newspapers and magazines
• Contact your business editor!
Getting the most out of published
articles
• Get reprints from print publications
• Send link
• Place article (or link) on your or your firm's
Web site
Improving your Google (and other)
search position
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Create a Google account
Accessible Web site design
Meta tags
Use appropriate key words
Incoming links
Outbound links
Study Google Analytics
Thank You!
This presentation has been sponsored by
Presenter: Gail Perry
[email protected]
Easy. Online. SurePayroll for Accountants
SurePayroll is a wholly owned subsidiary of Paychex, providing an
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small business customers in control.
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Ability to scale your payroll business by taking it online
White-label branded portals for you and your clients
Unlimited customer support by phone, email or online
Full service tax pay and file
Accounting software integration
Add-on services such as 401K, Medical Insurance, Workers’ Comp and Preemployment Screening
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