What Your Business Needs to Know About SEO

Posted on December 16, 2011 by Trisha

What Your Business Needs to Know About SEO

So what is all the noise about SEO, and why should you care? You probably get lots of spam emails promising you stuff regarding SEO, but then you get lots of spam emails for Viagra too, and both get promptly deleted.

Unlike Viagra though, everyone having a website needs some SEO – and this article will try and cut thru all the hype and explain why, and then give you some very direct things you can do to improve your ‘web presence’ so that you are noticed more by Google.

Why is SEO important?

The reason you should care about SEO (search engine optimization) is the SEO traffic coming to your website is free. Everyone has a website nowadays, but just because you have one doesn’t mean people know about it. So without having to pay a dime to anyone, you get all this wonderful search engine traffic coming to your site.

What is SEO?

SEO is the practice of “optimizing” your website so that search engines like Google will rank it higher than other similar websites. By optimizing your website you tell Google what you are about, and ‘recommend’ to them what keywords you should be ranked for.

While there are lots of SEO techniques marketed on the internet, they can be boiled down to two basic areas:

1)      “off-site SEO” is primarily concerned with getting backlinks to your site, and

2)      “on-site SEO” is arranging your site so that it is ‘optimized’ for the desired keywords.

All of the hype nowadays is about getting backlinks – but just as important (if not more) is to make sure your site is optimized for your keywords as well. You cannot expect Google to just magically know what your site should be ranked for – you must be proactive by writing and arranging your site to remove any doubts.

It Starts with the Keywords

The backbone of any SEO effort are the keywords that you use, and this part can get tricky so sometimes you might need professional help, especially if you have lots of competition. And to be clear, a ‘keyword’ can be more than one word, like “accounting software”. Here are the basic things to know about how to use keywords:

  1. You want your website optimized for the keywords people are using – not the company name. You are going after new web traffic – so think like someone who is searching for the services you are offering, and use the keywords they are most likely to be searching for.
  2. Use keyword ‘themes’, or related keyword groupings, because people don’t always use the same exact keyword to get to where they want to go. By having a broad keyword theme you will “catch” more traffic coming into the site.
  3. Don’t optimize a page for more than 1 keyword theme, except for the homepage. The homepage is your storefront so needs to be a bit generic, but all your other pages have a specific purpose. So if you have three different products or services – have a page for each and optimize each with the appropriate keyword theme. And then get some backlinks going to those pages using that keyword.

Can anyone perform SEO for your website?

Anyone can do the “off-site” SEO work, because you don’t need any special training to get someone else to link to your website. All you need to know are two main points:

  1. Optimize the backlink. The link placed on the other site should be ‘optimized’ with your keyword – which means you want the link on the other site to use your keywords in the link like this: Great Business Accounting Software.  Don’t do the link like this: click here. The first link tells the search engines what they might find at that location – it reinforces the SEO effort.
  2. All backlinks are not the same. Get backlinks from websites that are both relevant to your site, and of quality.  Ideally if you have an accounting website you want to get backlinks from other accounting related websites. Second you want the backlinks coming from quality websites, websites that will lend some credibility to your own. Because one relevant quality backlink is worth hundreds of bogus ones.

Most people can’t do the on-site SEO stuff because they don’t know how to work a website, to deal with the code. The site has “meta tags” that need to be set, the navigation and page content needs to be optimized for your keywords, etc.  A company would be well advised to have their site given a good going over by a professional, and finding someone is pretty easy to do – just do a search in Google!

Which is more important; the on-site or off-site SEO? Just a few years back I would have said the off-site SEO was more important with maybe a 70 – 30 percent weight towards getting your backlinks.  Nowadays I am thinking the on-site SEO factors are more important because Google is trying to make it so that no one can ‘game’ their system, and things like backlinks are influencing the results less.

Finally remember that SEO is more art than science. Google and the other search engines do not produce manuals telling you how to become number one in the rankings. Know that you can go online and find all sorts of conflicting information. Also be aware there is some danger with SEO particularly if ‘black hat’ techniques are used, which can result in your website being banned. If you hire someone to do your SEO, find out how they plan on doing it.

Action List

Here is a checklist of things you should do so that your website is ranked better:

  1. Know what your best keywords are, have a list of your top 5 or 10 listed by priority, and make sure they are being used on the website.
  2. If you have 5 distinct keywords you want to be ranked for – make sure you have 5 pages on your site that is optimized for each.
  3. Look at each page of your website and know what its keyword is, its keyword theme should be obvious to you.
  4. Make sure your site navigation is using your main keywords, as the navigation links are also important indicators to Google.
  5. The single most important SEO factor on your web page is the meta title, which can be seen in the bar at the very top of your web browser, so make sure it includes the keyword.
  6. If you suspect your website is not optimized for SEO, then find out for sure by having it looked at. There are many SEO companies that will evaluate your website for free – simply google the term “free SEO evaluation” and ask someone to take a look.
  7. SEO in Practice – an online SEO guide for beginners
  8. UITest – a website having lots of online tools to test / verify your site.
  9. Google Keyword Tool – use Google’s keyword tool to make your keyword list
  10. Website Management Services – a shameless plug for someone offering SEO services – me!

Learn More…

  1. SEO in Practice – an online SEO guide for beginners
  2. UITest – a website having lots of online tools to test / verify your site.
  3. Google Keyword Tool – use Google’s keyword tool to make your keyword list
  4. Website Management Services – a shameless plug for someone offering SEO services – me!
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eFiling, more than a trend…

Posted on December 15, 2011 by Trisha

eFiling, more than a trend…

 Payroll: Payments…Payments…Payments

 The reporting of tax liabilities to multiple state and federal agencies is one of the most onerous and scary requirements of having employees.

 Over 25% of businesses experience a penalty for errors, late filings, or other mistakes filing employment tax, averaging over $700 each year.

(Source: irs data book 2010)

 Large companies may make deposits and file reports several times a week. Hundreds of filings in multiple states each year. Automating this process provides significant savings.

 No matter what size the company, compliance to eFiling requirements, ever-changing forms, and meeting new guidelines legislated into existence during the year is difficult and opens you to significant fines and penalties for non-compliance.

 Moving to eFiling

 Any change in the way your business operates should be made for the purpose of improving efficiencies, lowering expenses, limit liabilities, or to keep up with changing requirements in regulations or market place.

 Changing payroll reporting and payments to eFiling meets many, if not all, of these reasons. The simple interface and comprehensive nature of many of the forms and payments solutions available, provide efficiencies to virtually any other reporting and payment options. Automated error checking functions eliminate virtually all rejections, as well as eliminating the liabilities associated with potential fines and penalties. One of the biggest changes in the business regulation environment is the stated goal of the IRS and SSA to make all communications and business practices to be conducted electronically.

 Since many states take their lead from the federal standards, it will not be long before virtually all state and federal payments will be required to be sent electronically.

 The Problem

 Moving to electronic payments is inevitable. The question is how to go about changing over from your current process to electronic delivery.

 With over 170 state and federal taxing agencies and a myriad of different processes, formats, forms, and deadlines, many businesses have just thrown up their hands and outsourced reporting to payroll services and paid very significant fees to do so. In many cases they simply felt they had no choice. The threat of non-compliance is just too scary.

 Other companies have hired additional staff and decided to use agency websites to process payments and reports. Again the business is faced with going to several different sites, none of which have the same process. Those businesses are faced with unique logins for each site, separate tracking methods for each site, and multiple contacts to try resolving any issues that may occur while transcribing in payroll data or attempting to export/download multiple files for the various sites.

 The Solution

 Find a solution that is integrated in your payroll module and does not require transcribing information, creating exported files, or transcribing to a website. The solution should provide automated payroll reports that are filled in automatically with your payroll data and can be eFiled with just a few clicks. The interface should be intuitive and simple to understand. A replica of the actual form displayed onscreen and the review process very simple. The steps required to eFile should be few and well defined.

 The solution should support all of the federal and state agencies you file with and include unemployment, wage withholding, and new hire reports and payments.

 There should be a single login to eFile and view all filing histories. Any filing should be time-stamped and dated to provide and audit trail.

 There should be a calendar system that provides reminders for filing deadlines that could be received via email, desktop alerts, or even text messages to your cellular devices.

 Compliance guarantees should be part of the service. All negotiations with state and federal agencies concerning filings should be conducted by representatives of the service. Any fines or penalties incurred because of service errors should be paid by the service.

 Finally it needs to be affordable. An annual subscription that includes all of your filings for twelve months should be based on how many employees you have and should be less than outsourcing to a payroll service.

 Go to:  efile.aatrix.com

 

 

 

 

Posted in Accounting, budget management, DENALI Accounting Software, Human Resources, NonProfit Accounting | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

eFiling More Than a Trend…

Posted on December 14, 2011 by Trisha

eFiling More Than a Trend…

 State and Federal eFiling requirements are mandating more businesses to eFile payroll reports and payments every year.

More than a dozen states either lowered the threshold for employee count requirements or outright mandated that businesses eFile wage withholding, unemployment, and new hire reports.

The federal government requires virtually all employers to make withholding payments electronically.

The efficiencies provided government agencies by requiring eFiling will continue the trend towards requiring business to file reports and payments electronically.

Electronic tax administration is the foundation for a modernized IRS that provides secure, convenient, timely and accurate services to taxpayers, and to the tax professionals and IRS employees who serve them. (IRSOB-E report 2010 page 9)

The full vision for a modern ETA environment goes beyond just e-filing and seeks to make electronic interactions among taxpayers, tax practitioners, and the IRS the norm. These electronic interactions include the entire range of pre-filing, filing, and post-filing tax activities which taxpayers and their representatives may engage in with the IRS, including the ability to resolve taxpayer account issues over the Internet. ( IRSOB-E report 2010 page 9)

The Board emphasizes the need to substantially increase the e-file rate, particularly among businesses filing employment tax returns, because it is crucial to the IRS to achieve the strategic 80 percent electronic filing goal. ( IRSOB-E report 2010 page 39)

“Its good news for taxpayers as well, whether they are commercial or private filers, most experts agree, businesses that utilize e-filing have a 99 percent accuracy rate, said David Deeter of Frazier & Deeter LLC.

Source: E-filing hits record high | Atlanta Business Chronicle

It is clear that the movement towards electronic filing is more than a trend. It is inevitable that virtually all reporting to taxing authorities will be electronic.

What to look for when choosing an eFiling solution.

With more and more agencies providing an eFile portal online which allows businesses to file reports electronically for free, you may wonder why an efiling solution would have any appeal.

You should look for a solution that has dramatic advantages over the use of the agency sites.

Simplicity

• The interface is very simple. Choose any form from one screen, review/edit onscreen and simple steps to eFile

• One administrative account to track all confirmations, filings, and payments

Efficient

• eFiling is completed within the payroll solution without additional exports, typing, and logging into multiple sites

• Reports are filled in automatically with no need for manually transcribing

• Reports are time-stamped and saved on you machine and accessible anytime for review or audit

Accurate

• Reports are completed using the data within the payroll solution you use

• The solution must guarantee compliance with all legislation, eFile requirements, and form changes.

Affordable

• The solution should be offered as a subscription service which covers all your filing requirements for a single price. It should include all state and federal agencies you file with.

• It should offer a W-2 eFiling service which allows you to complete all filings as well as employee distribution for less than $4 per employee (the average in-house cost).

eFiling More Than a Trend…

Electronic filing is not going away. In fact, it is the future for virtually all business activity. State and federal agencies are being legislatively and budgetary driven to take advantage of the efficiencies and cost savings eFiling affords them. Take great care in choosing a solution that meets all your needs and has the ability to grow and meet your future needs.

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Why eFile W-2s?

Posted on December 13, 2011 by Trisha

Why eFile W-2s? 

by Bruce Senti

 Processing W-2s is one of the most important and burdensome requirements businesses face every year. It is the time of year many payroll administrators dread for obvious reasons.

 Making a mistake on an employees W-2 not only puts the business at risk of costly fines and penalties, but also creates a great deal of extra work to fix.

 In addition to the liability issues with processing W-2s there is also the matter of the pain effort need to print forms, preparing them for mailing, and the costs incurred completing the whole process.

 Complete W-2 eFiling services can eliminate most of the pain associated with processing W-2s in-house. In the past these services were provided by payroll service providers and were often very expensive. The addition of complete eFile services to many payroll software solutions, has made this option very affordable, and offers significant efficiencies to small businesses.

 What to look for in an eFile solution.

 When determining whether a complete W-2 eFile solution is the right choice for your business, there are several features to look for.

 1)     The solution should be native to your payroll solution and automatically convey your payroll data directly from your payroll entries. Manual entry of your payroll data opens the door to transcription errors and lost time trying to locate and fix errors.

2)     The solution should include automated error checking that complies at minimum the standards set by Accuwage and eVerify.

3)     It should provide the ability to save a history file of each filing and the ability to print file copies if desired.

4)     It should include all filings required: Federal copies and State copies including the Federal W-3 and any state reconciliation forms required.

5)     It should automatically print and mail employee copies directly to your employees

6)     It should also host employee copies to a password-protected website so terminated employees who have change addresses can access their copy and print it as needed.

 Additional features to look for in an eFile Solution.

 Outside of the minimum requirements listed above there are several other features that provide benefits and efficiencies.

 1)     It should provide the ability to schedule when your employee copies are mailed, when your Federal filings are made, when your State copies are filed, and the ability to make corrections at no charge up until the filings are made. Often times when the employees receive their W-2s they recognize a change that needs to be made. The ability to file a corrected Federal and State filing prior to their submission date will save the need for W-2 Cs or other additional forms.

2)     It should allow you to review all employee data in a spreadsheet format, which allows easy editing, and the simple entry of additional information required such as third party healthcare.

3)     It should include forms for all states that require W-2s and allUSterritories.

4)     You should be able to find testimonial evidence from customers who have used the solution with your native payroll solution.

5)     The solution should have at least 3 years of history in providing this solution to assure that the solution is a mature and well-tested product.

 Cost.

 Finally, the service must be affordable. Typical in-house cost of processing W-2s is from $3.85 to $4.35 per employee. This cost includes processing time, forms, envelopes, and postage.

 A fair price for a complete service solution should be blow the lower limit of in-house costs.

 Go to: https://aatrix.com/index.php/w2-efiling-service

 

 

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COUGAR MOUNTAIN SOFTWARE RELEASES LATEST DENALI UPDATES

Posted on December 9, 2011 by Trisha

Cougar Mountain Software has released the latest update to their DENALI accounting software (DENALI 3.2). This update includes new features for DENALI Business+Accounting and DENALI FUND+Accounting.

With this release Business and FUND accounting users can now:

  • View Allocation Code History in General Ledger – view allocation codes and verify which have been posted.
  • Purge Budget and Allocation History in General Ledger – include budget and allocation history when you purge through the General Ledger Purge History window.
  • Import and Export data in General Ledger –add new accounts or update existing data from external files through the GL Import/Export window.
  • Recalculate the Period Table – correct corrupted or missing ledger data.

The latest DENALI release also includes updated General Ledger Reports:

  • Balance Sheet – select classified, comparative detailed, and comparative classified report types when you generate the GL Balance Sheet.
  • Budget Reports –select standard and revenue and expense report types when you generate the GL Budget Report.
  • Budget Performance – view how actuals are performing against budgets, as well as the budgeted and actual amounts for all included accounts.
  • Revenue and Expense Report – see the relationship between the revenue generated and the expenses paid for a specified range of periods.

All DENALI products are built using the Microsoft® SQL Server database, which gives Denali extra speed, stability, and multi-level security. DENALI is also offered as a SaaS solution with many other Cloud offerings.

 

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The Advantages of Accounting Software as a Service (SaaS)

Posted on December 9, 2011 by Trisha

The Advantages of Accounting Software as a Service (SaaS)

For those who still don’t understand the Accounting Software as a Service movement, also known as “SaaS”, “On Demand”, or “Web Delivered software”, don’t worry—it’s not complicated. Accounting Software as a Service is simply a way to access and use your software over the internet. The Accounting Software as a Service revolution is at full steam, and for great reasons. Some of the benefits include:

 No client/server software installation or maintenance: no complicated planning and implementation guides, and no need to install something on each person’s PC that will access the system.

 Off-site availability: because your software is available on the Internet, you can access it from anywhere in the world. Imagine having this as a key part of your disaster recovery plan.

 Constant, incremental upgrades: when you use a SaaS application, a good provider, such as Cougar Mountain Software, wants to keep you happy by constantly improving the user experience. These improvements are easier to learn and take advantage of when they come one-by-one instead of as a huge patch or upgrade.

 IT staff can focus on other activities: with SaaS, the software provider takes on the responsibilities that falls on IT in the traditional client/server application. This frees IT personnel to focus on high-value activities and day-to-day technical operations instead of being called on to troubleshoot application software or assist users with access or compatibility issues.

 Ability to redistribute your IT budget: with SaaS, you will save money in infrastructure requirements, IT time, and knowledge requirements. The savings from using SaaS applications can be kept or reallocated to improve other IT services.

 Predictable expenses: SaaS subscribers pay a monthly or annual subscription fee for online access, which includes maintenance and automatic upgrades. This makes it easier for you to predict costs and plan your budgets.

 Provides high security: access to sensitive data is restricted using passwords, certificates, smart cards, and insulated workspaces. SaaS in many cases provides better security than most companies have for in their on-premise software.

CougarMountain Software offers a SaaS based accounting software solution that delivers a suite of business management tools.DENALI, from Cougar Mountain Software, consolidates both front and back office information to serve up a single and integrated business system.DENALI’s SaaS technology provides customers the flexibility and simplicity they need to advance their customer relationships and create a competitive advantage.

DENALI’s SaaS technology is not only built for the future and highly scalable, but is accessible from anywhere, secured by a SAS 70 certified datacenter, and easy to use.

 

 

 

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Generation Gaps in the Workplace

Posted on November 9, 2011 by Amanda

You most likely work in an environment that is comprised of a mix of generations. How do you think this affects the communication that takes place in your workplace? You probably realize there is a difference between the way your generation communicates and the way other generations communicate around the office. Much of this has to do with the way each generation was raised and the circumstances surrounding their experiences.

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Posted in Employees, Human Resources, Marketing, Uncategorized, Workforce | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

End of Year Charitable Donations

Posted on November 8, 2011 by Amanda

According to a survey done by charitynavigator.org (http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=content.view&cpid=1302), charities, on average, receive 41% of their yearly donations in the last few weeks of the year. In this economy, it’s more important than ever that you make your usual year-end donations. Even if you can’t donate your usual amount this year, give what you can—individual donations make up the large majority of donations that charities receive. If donating is important to you, but has become more difficult, you can begin to budget a few dollars a month and then donate that amount after six months or a year. Remember that most donations are tax deductible, so it can be a benefit to you as well as the charity you support.

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Preparing for a Physical Inventory

Posted on November 8, 2011 by GeorgeS

Taking a physical inventory can be time consuming and tedious for employees, but its importance goes beyond pleasing an accountant or tax collection agency. The primary purpose of a physical inventory is to verify that the on-hand quantity of each item in a distributor’s computer system reflects what is actually on the shelf. This in turn contributes to a smoother ordering system that will help salespeople be more confident when they sell items and keeps happy customers coming back. Now, the key to successful physical inventory is planning, even before the actual physical inventory count takes place. In this article, we will analyze some steps to prepare for physical inventory.
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Having a Concrete Fundraising Plan

Posted on November 8, 2011 by Amanda

When you take on any kind of fundraising, it’s important to have a concrete plan. Without a plan, it can be hard to keep track of goals and objectives, which tasks are complete, and who is responsible for tasks that need to be done. A fundraising plan provides the structure for your organization’s efforts.

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