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Accountants Flock to Web for Email RIVERWOODS, Ill., Aug. 23, 2000 (SmartPros) The majority of accountants who use the Internet for business purposes primarily use the Web to communicate with clients and vendors via email, according to a study released Wednesday. The survey was conducted for Riverwoods, Ill.-based CCH, a provider of tax information and software, by Harris Interactive, a national market research firm based in Rochester, N.Y. Six hundred accountants from accounting firms of various sizes and corporations with annual revenue of $10 million or more participated. Fifty-seven percent of the respondents were male, 43 percent female.
According to the survey, 73 percent of the respondents have access to the Internet at both work and home. Of those who have access, 89 percent use the Internet for personal reasons, while 88 percent use the Internet for business purposes. Of those who use the Internet for business purposes, 84 percent use the Internet to communicate with clients and vendors via email. Coming in second, at 82 percent, is using the Web to conduct general business research. Conducting professional research took third place, with 78 percent. Of those using the Web as a research tool, 83 percent are accessing federal agency sites, while 79 percent are logging on to state revenue agency sites. And 64 percent are visiting professional association sites. The types of information they are looking for online includes tax forms (80 percent); state tax law (63 percent); and Internal Revenue Code (61 percent). How often are accountants going online to do business? More than half of the accountants -- of which 49 percent have been practicing 20 years or more -- told surveyors they are accessing the Web every day (59 percent). Twenty-seven percent said they use the Internet two to four days a week. Not only are accountants using the Web for communication and research, they are also using the Internet to promote their own company. Of those surveyed, 60 percent said their company has a Web site. Its goal: To provide information about the company or firm (94 percent). Establishing a Web presence is also important and came in at 89 percent. Of those who have yet to launch their own site, 25 percent said they will do so within the next year. The goal of the planned site: 96 percent said to provide information about their company or firm. And again, 89 percent said they will launch a site to establish a Web presence. On the other hand, e-commerce still has some catching up to do. Of those who have a Web site, 66 percent sell services or products online. Of those who plan to develop a site, slightly more (73 percent) plan to sell services or products via the Internet. And what about charging sales tax to customers buying online? Fifty-three percent vote, "No." And when accessing the Internet, whether it be to email a client or conduct research, what accountants look for most of all is ease-of-use. Nearly half (42 percent) of the participants said ease-of-use and navigation were the most important, while 29 percent said ease of access. -- By Antoinette Alexander Send comments to information@smartpros.com.
Back to NewsLine 2000, Smartpros Ltd. All Rights Reserved. |
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