Book Offers Website Advice To CPAs

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Related Article: 2006 Review of Website Tools for Accountants

Everyone knows that a website is necessary for a modern professional services firm and that a website can provide much more than just a static phone-book style information page. But if you are in the majority of professional accountants, then, unfortunately, you probably don’t know much about how websites actually work for a firm, much less how to fully optimize the effectiveness of your own firm’s website.

That’s where a new book by a CPA comes in. “Effective Websites for CPAs,” by Kristi Stangeland, CPA, provides proven Internet marketing strategies that are specifically geared toward accounting firms. The book provides easy-to-understand and easy-to-implement methods to guide users through the whole maze of online marketing and website development. The CPA-credentialed author is president of KLS Web Solutions (www.klswebsolutions.com), and has 20 years of experience in developing accounting, finance and IT solutions. She has performed work for PricewaterhouseCoopers, JP Morgan Chase and Salomon Smith Barney.

Among its key points, the book explains why accounting firms need well-designed websites that offer valuable, frequently updated content. It also shows readers how to attract the right prospective clients, and how to evaluate them prior to spending billable time on a non-lucrative prospect. Stangeland also discusses methods to increase client retention and cross-selling, as well as tips to ensure that a practice’s investment of time and money is as effective as possible.

The difference between just having a website and having a truly effective website is like the difference between a new teenage driver and Mario Andretti: Sure, both can drive, but one is an artist at the task, can get you there quicker, and is more likely to get you there in one piece. In other words, an effective website can help your firm achieve the results for which it is striving.