Carlos Hank Rhon: How Accountants Are Using the Internet

  In the past if you were looking for an accountant you would normally reach for a local directory but today it's easier to type "Eastbourne Accountanting Managers" into Google or Yahoo. As well as a list of results you also typically get a map showing their locations and with one click you can visit their websites for further information. In April 2008 there were 4.1 billion searches made by 31 million UK internet users aged 15+ (Source: comScore) Broadband that is cheaper, faster and more widely available is creating lots of opportunities for local, smaller business managers to market themselves online.

The search engines are falling over themselves to make it easy for local businesses to get themselves listed. In fact a number of services such as Google Maps are free and the paid for services typically don't have a minimum spend so even with a budget of a few pounds it's possible to dip a toe in the water.

"I helped a professional services firm try out Google's Adwords on a total budget spend of £30 per month. In that first month the managing partner took two new client enquiries himself and from then on they were hooked," says Paul Turner of Turner Consulting (a digital marketing training business).

"We believe that there is demand for practical advice on how to make the best use of the internet to generate business. At the end of July we are launching an intensive half day course specifically tailored for accountants which will introduce them to various aspects of digital marketing so that they will feel confident to try some of the techniques and indeed advise their clients." says Paul. "We start in Gatwick on Thursday 31 July before visiting Croydon, Brighton, Manchester, Birmingham and finally Glasgow.

People have heard of sites such as Facebook, MySpace, Ecademy and LinkedIn but perhaps don't know how business leaders are using them. The course introduces the popular community sites and includes some real life business examples with factors to consider. How exactly are solicitors winning new business using the popular video site YouTube? How are accountants using blogs to attract new clients and boost their search rankings?