The need to get more traffic, enquiries and sales through your website has never been so great, with more and more businesses now heavily relying on their online efforts, with reduced focus on other, more traditional marketing platforms.
But with this increase in wanting more comes the issue of getting more, as with all your competitors also knowing that online is the place to be, trying to get the right customers to your website has never been harder. But on the flip side, we now have more platforms to focus on, with SEO, PPC, Paid Social Media Advertising and Email Marketing just some of the avenues that can work for a business.
If you have now turned your attention to finding the right online marketing company to work with, we asked Bristol based IS Digital Marketing the key questions you simply must ask before you start working with an online marketing partner, to avoid heartache and financial loss later down the line and to get the most long term success.
What Services Do They Offer?
Many online marketing companies only specialise in SEO or Pay Per Click, but the term online marketing covers both of these and many more platforms and services, so this means you need to understand the kind of services your potential partners offer. If you just want SEO then you are better off looking for an SEO specialist, and again, if you are just looking for PPC then you might want to consider a Google Partner, but if you are looking for a broader range of services that can cover many areas, then this is what a true online marketing company can offer.
What Results Can They Show
We all want results and when spending money on an ongoing basis, results are obviously very important, so you need to see hard and real evidence about some current results and some information about the level of investment that it took to get there. It is all very well seeing an increase in enquiries of 110% over 6 months if their client spent thousands, but if you don’t have that budget, you need to roughly understand what the money you spend is going to earn you in terms of return on investment, as after all, results matter.
Are There Any Contracts?
Some online marketing companies will ask for a minimum of 6 months, some a year and some will not have any contracts and will work on a rolling basis, often with one months’ notice of leave. If you sign up for a contract, be it 6 or 12 months, then you need to make sure that you are happy to move forward, as getting out of these contracts early will generally cost you, even if you are seeing no results at all from their efforts and work.
Do They Have Success Stories?
It is always great to read through success stories and case studies, as looking at results is one thing, but understanding how they got there, what they did and how the client feels about the work is another thing, and a well-written case study can highlight just how knowledgeable the company is when it comes to what they do. You need a partner that has shown the full path from understanding needs through to delivering success and everything in between, as every online marketing campaign is different and therefore you need to know the company will understand what you require and then plan the path to deliver it.
Who Will Be Your Contact?
The final point is that you need to understand who you will be working with on an ongoing basis, as forming a solid relationship with your online marketing partner is crucial, which is why being passed from pillar to post is simply not going to work. Many successful online marketing firms lose customers simply because they get to know someone who then moves on, and once again, get to know someone else who then moves on, and the customer starts to feel a little bit unloved and unwanted, and will leave regardless of how good things are going.
