Blog

Christmas eCARDS – available now

As part of our Mercia totalSOLUTION and Practice Track Online website services we provide a FREE Christmas eCARD service.

Beyond the spam filter: how DKIM can improve email deliverability

With the internet still plagued by phishing scams and nuisance emails, spam filters play a vital role in protecting us online. But how can accounting firms help to ensure that their own emails make it through to clients’ inboxes, rather than landing in the junk folder?

SEO - a continuous process that accountants shouldn’t ignore

Most accountancy firms now recognise the importance of SEO in helping to improve their website’s online visibility. But many people mistakenly believe it’s a one-off task that’s done and then forgotten - if only it were that simple!

Why email tracking is a valuable tool for accountancy firms

Writing the perfect marketing email can be tricky, so it’s understandable that you might want to hit ‘send’ and move on as quickly as possible. But that doesn’t mean you should.

Why SSL certificates are essential for your accountancy website

When browsing the internet, have you ever noticed that some URLs start with ‘https’, as opposed to ‘http’? This extra ‘s’ stands for ‘secure’ and signals that the website has an SSL certificate installed, which creates a safe and private channel of communication.

Using stock photos on your accountancy website? This is what you need to know.

Soulless, dead-eyed figures staring mindlessly at the camera … no, we’re not talking about the latest episode of The Walking Dead.

6 SEO myths nearly all accountants believe

Most accountancy firms now recognise the importance of SEO in helping to increase their website’s ranking on search engines such as Google.

2020 Budget: updates to your website

(Ex!) Chancellor Sajid Javid announced that he will present the 2020 Budget on 11 March, pledging to kickstart an "infrastructure revolution".

accSEND explained: how secure messaging can transform your accountancy firm

As accountancy software specialists, we have many conversations with our customers about the challenges they face in business and what their own clients are looking for. During these talks a recurring theme emerged – accountants needed a fast and secure way of sharing digital information with their clients.

Why internal pages are essential for SEO in the accountancy world

When searching for a particular product or service online, do you find it annoying when you’re directed to a site’s homepage, rather than the specific section you were looking for? If yes, then you’re not alone.

Five must-haves for your accountancy firm website

What impression do you get when you look at your accountancy firm’s website? If your site is acting as little more than an online placeholder for the business, it’s time to take action.

Top 7 ways accountants can simplify their website design

When it comes to website design, simplicity is key. A crowded site with too many elements can be distracting and confusing for users.

A complete guide to Google my Business for accountants

What is Google My Business and how can it help accountants enhance their online presence?

2019 Autumn Budget: updates to your website

25/10/19 Breaking news: The Autumn Budget 2019 scheduled for 6/11/19 has been cancelled.

What is SEO? An introduction to search engine optimisation for accountants

In an increasingly digital age, most people use an internet search engine to find a business, product or service.

Five reasons why email is not secure for private documents

Most of us use email as the default option for sending any kind of information. It’s fast, it’s easy and it’s secure…right?

How to set up your accountancy website to maximise local SEO

As an accountancy firm, you need your website to help you attract new clients. But how will these new clients find you? Well, they’ll do what we all do, which is go online and type it into Google.

'Do it once and forget it' - why this is not how SEO works

SEO, or search engine optimisation, is the work that needs to be done to make sure your website appears when people use a search engine to look for companies like you.

Five reasons why accountants should use Digital Signatures

Accountancy firms are ever evolving, and keeping up with the latest developments isn’t always easy.

Why MTD is your opportunity to go digital

Digital transformation is one of the most talked about priorities in business today. It can mean anything from creating new online products to cutting costs.

Making Tax Digital – 5 tips for accountants

Making Tax Digital (MTD) is a massive shift for the accountancy sector, instigated last year by HMRC.

Making Tax Digital: Why you need to prepare now

Making Tax Digital is a major programme from HMRC. It has already started with many businesses now needing to file their VAT returns via an online system.

Making Tax Digital for VAT

As of April 2019 many businesses now need to follow new rules to 'Make Tax Digital for VAT'. It means that, as an accountant, you need to keep digital records for your clients and submit VAT returns online via certain software.

Data Encryption, what is it and why is it important?

It’s often said today that data is the new oil – the most valuable resource in the world. But something so precious is always attractive to thieves… or in the case of data, hackers.

Branding for accountants

As an accountant you’re probably aware that having a company name, a logo and website is important.

Browsers you should be using

Did you know that Internet Explorer (IE) is officially dead? This may come as news to many people in companies that have yet to upgrade to Windows 10 – and there are still many around.

Making Tax Digital: why your website has never been more important

As an accountant you will already be well aware of the importance of having a strong website – largely for generating new business, but also for engaging existing clients.

Why 'bounce rate' isn’t a good measure of website performance

Once you have a website you’re happy with, the next step is to track how it’s performing, usually with Google Analytics. But there are so many measurements you can look at on its dashboard, it’s hard to know where to start.

What does data protection look like post Brexit?

Data protection has been a hot topic in recent years, ever since the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) was adopted by the EU in 2016 and was rolled out across all EU states in May 2018.

Why your website needs to be responsive

What device did you use the last time you viewed a website? These days, the chances are it was a mobile phone or tablet.

Devices you should be designing for

Since 2015, Google has taken into account how ‘mobile-friendly’ a website is in ranking sites on its search page.