AUTOMATED CONTENT – 3 Stars
The 1040.com web site builder is
limited in the content that it provides
users, with no ability to automatically
include newsletters or top financial
news stories, even though this information
could easily be culled from the
1040.com portal, which does provide
these. Users can, however, include
a direct link from their menu to
tax or financial web sites, which
can provide some benefit to their
users, but not with the appearance
of being firm-originated information.
Depending on the practice, the system
can provide links to all state and
federal tax forms, general tax information,
a tax calendar and filing addresses.

EDITING/UPDATING EASE-OF-USE – 3.5 Stars

The Sites Preparer system uses a
unique and very easy-to-understand
interface that shows the front page
of the web site. Editable regions,
which include the color scheme,
title, logo, navigation menu and
a few other elements, are identified
by a small ‘Click to Edit’
icon. Clicking into the edit mode
provides the user with options specific
to the object they are editing.
All pages within the web site are
based upon this front page template,
and vary only in the text/content
within the main part of the screen.
The system uses a simple image uploading
function and allows a firm logo
or other image to be inserted at
the top, another small image at
the bottom of the left-hand navigation
menu, and the main section of the
front page also provides two additional
image locations.

Primary web site sections, such
as General Tax Info, Forms and About
Us are already included in the navigation
menu, and those pages can be edited
through the navigation menu edit
function. Users can also add a virtually
unlimited number of additional links
in the navigation menu that can
go to outside web sites, additional
1040.com sources, or to user-created
customized pages within their site.
When creating a new blank page or
editing text within documents, the
system provides no text formatting
controls, however HTML tags work
within the documents, enabling headers,
paragraph separation and other formatting.
The system should include a list
of HTML tags to help users format
these pages.

Only seven color schemes and one
general template are offered, so
web sites look very similar, but
it is well-designed and maintains
a professional appearance. The web
site created for a firm uses a sub-domain
system by default that is under
the 1040.com domain, which means
a firm’s web site address
would be www.1040.com/FIRMNAME,
but primary domains can be purchased
through the system, and practices
that already have a web site can
also use the web site builder.

TOOLS – 3 Stars
Web sites created through Drake’s
1040.com are geared primarily toward
drawing do-it-yourself taxpayers
to an online e-file system. As such,
this is the primary tool provided
to customers, although the system
can also provide a tax refund estimator,
and offers general tax information
and forms. Firms can also create
additional content and can link
to financial calculators at other
web sites, but the system does not
provide any of its own.

The system provides one web-based
e-mail account through 1040.com
with the format name@1040.com. It
does not offer client collaboration
and document sharing functions.
However, clients who have prepared
returns online through the system
can check the status of their returns.

VISUAL QUALITY/USER NAVIGATION – 3.5 Stars

Preparer SiteBuilder uses a clean
and easy-to-navigate template that
allows traditional image files,
including animated GIFs, but does
not support Flash images. All pages
are marked with a 1040.com copyright.
Florida-based Boswell Accounting
Services uses the site with a subdomain
(www.1040.com/boswellaccting).

SITE MARKETING – 4 Stars
Preparer SiteBuilder includes a
search engine submission service
for $100 that submits to more than
100 search engines and directories,
including Google, Overture, Ya Ha,
Inktomi and Jayde. A Meta tag builder
is free and also helps improve site
rankings in search engines by placing
site description and keywords within
the web site. The system also comes
with a very basic hit counter but
provides no other web site visitor
statistics.

PRICING/VALUE – 4 Stars

This web site builder is free for
all users of Drake’s tax preparation
software. With the exception of
the search engine registration and
domain name purchasing options,
there is no charge for the program’s
features, including the ability
to provide online self-preparation
to clients. Technical support is
available for free through the user’s
subscription to Drake Software.

SUMMARY
The Drake/1040.com Preparer SiteBuilder
is easy to use and understand but
is limited in its customization
features. However, the system does
enable users to create many pages,
and it produces a nice site that
all Drake users should avail themselves
of if they don’t currently
have a web site or if they are looking
for a way to add revenue from online
self-preparers.

2004
OVERALL RATING: 3.5 Stars

This review looks at several web
builder solutions that are designed
for accountants, tax preparers and
other financial professionals. They
range in cost from free to more
than $1,000 per year and offer significantly
varying degrees of content, tools
and ease-of-use, so firms should
identify the needs that are most
important to them. Based on input
from accounting professionals and
the system vendors, we scored these
systems in the following areas:

Automated Content: This section
looks at the financial content provided
by the vendor, including quality/reliability,
whether it is automatically updated,
newsletter offerings, and other
material that would be valuable
to a visitor of the web site.

Editing/Updating Ease-of-Use: After you build it, you still need to update

contact and service
information periodically. This
section looks at the tools the
vendor provides for creating and
updating the site, which are usually
accessed through a browser. Ease-of-use
is an important factor here, because
users may only work on the site
a few times per year.

Tools: In addition to rich financial content, tools such as financial

calculators, calendars, useful links and online tax preparation keep clients and prospects

coming back to a web site. Additionally, options such as secure file transfer enhance the

client relationship. This section considers such tools as well as e-mail and Intranet

capabilities.

Visual Quality/User Navigation: How a web site looks and whether navigation

is intuitive plays a very large role in whether visitors will return, and can certainly

influence the impression the site has on clients and potential clients. This section also

evaluates the templates used by the system, and how logos and other image files are

incorporated.

Web Site Marketing Tools: If you build it, they still need to find it

before they can come. This section identifies whether the vendor assists in registering the

site with search engines and other directories, as well as other marketing assistance. And

since measurement tells you how you’re doing, the availability of web site visitor stats is

also addressed. Who owns the web site?
Firm’s need to own their
primary domain name (www.firmname.com).

Pricing/Value: Is there an initial setup cost? How much does it cost per

month/year? Are there any other fees?