Choosing an Internet marketing company is of course never to be taken lightly – something that’s pretty self-explanatory when considering the reach and power of the web. These days, there are quite literally tens of thousands of so-called ‘professional’ web marketers doing the rounds who are of course in their own words the very best in the business. Needless to say, those that actually measure up the mark exist in much lower numbers and take a little more effort to search out, but are always more than worth the hunt.
Generally speaking, making the right choice comes down to satisfying what are essentially a few relatively simple criteria. Some are undoubtedly more obvious than others, but pay attention to each point with equal importance and it’s almost impossible to end up with a bum choice.
1 – Bigger Isn’t Always Better
First up, it’s natural to assume that the biggest online marketing brands in the business are naturally the best – with their global clients and shiny websites and all. However, it’s worth remembering that the larger the web marketing firm you choose, the lower the chance of your account being given that truly personal touch or any real dedication. Instead, it may be passed to a huge team and subsequently from one person to another without anyone ever really getting to know your cause and your needs.
2 – Consider Their Own Rankings
If you’re on the lookout for a business that can help you get by in SEO stakes, it’s important to consider exactly how easy or otherwise they themselves were to find. If when using one of the obvious keywords related to the subject they come out near the top of Google or at least on page one, you’re probably looking at a winner. By contrast, if they’re hidden at the bottom of page 33, what chances have they of doing a better job with your website?
3 – Beware Bargain-Basement Deals
With online marketing, it’s true at least to a degree to say that you get what you pay for. Now, this doesn’t mean that if you invest massive sums of cash you’re 100% guaranteed success, but what it does mean is that if you’re only willing to pay $5 per week for a bargain-basement deal, you can’t realistically expect to get very far. As such, when choosing a quality marketing partner it’s a good idea to avoid those offering these pointless deals altogether.
4 – Case Studies
It’s rare to come across a web marketing provider that doesn’t make all manner of promises – they do after all have to sell themselves too! However, there’s a big difference between making claims to fame and backing them with evidence in the form of real-life case studies. There should be plenty of these to be found and even more on offer on request, so be sure to check into their claims for verification.
5 – Attention to Detail
The web marketing partner you decide to go with will play a huge role in your brand’s future and the establishing of its reputation. As such, the last thing you want is a marketing partner that’s prone to making mistakes, missing out key details and generally has anything but an eye for perfection. How can you establish this? It’s pretty easy really – just consider how flawless or otherwise their website is!
6 – Life After SEO
SEO is still of huge importance, but to think of it as the be all and end all is both dangerous and foolhardy. Successful web marketing these days is about mounting a multi-faceted attack in various directions in order to create an all-round effect of the greatest impact. And what’s more, the more marketing elements are pulled into the strategy, the more resistant the strategy remains as web trends continue to evolve.
7 – Guarantees
If the provider is willing to offer rock solid guarantees covering the results delivered, there’s really nothing to lose by giving them a go. It’s all about establishing trust from the start and getting a good return on the investment – exactly what’s on the cards if the services are backed by guarantees.
8 – Rolling Contracts
Last but not least, no reputable SEO marketing company would in the modern way of doing things force a client to sign up for years on end or nothing at all. In fact, in order to ensure satisfaction at all times it’s more common to find marketers offering rolling contracts that are essentially renewed on a monthly basis. This way you’re never locked into a deal should you not find it to your liking – another important contributory factor for inter-party trust.