Tips for Choosing a Website Marketing Firm
Building your dream website can be a ton of work. Marketing that same website can also be overwhelming, especially if you aren’t familiar with search engine optimization and any of the other marketing techniques frequently implemented by marketing experts. The good news is that hiring someone to market your website will leave you free to focus on creating great content and products. The bad news is that finding a reputable marketer can be difficult. Here are some things to consider as you narrow down your options.
Talk about Your Market
Talk to the internet marketing firms you are considering about your target market. Does the firm have experience dealing with this type of market? Were past campaigns successful? Does the firm market websites in the same or similar niche? Will their other clients create competition and, therefore, a conflict of interest?
Education and Experience
The online world is no different than the offline world and you have the right to know who you are working with. Ask the marketers you are considering about their training. Do they have any special web marketing degrees or certifications? How long have they been in the field? How many sites have they helped to rank?
Talk about Technique
You have the right to know what techniques the firm will be using to promote your website. Will they be doing search engine and SEO friendly web directory submissions? Will they be creating article marketing campaigns? What about forum linking and blog commenting? Your goal is to obtain as much traffic as possible so you’ll need to make sure the firm is using techniques that are tried and true.
Are There Any Guarantees?
Does the marketing firm promise to complete a set series of tasks for a set price or does the firm guarantee you a certain level of search engine ranking? A firm that is guaranteeing a specific ranking, like the first page of Google or the top 5 for a given keyword, should be able to tell you approximately how long it will take them to achieve their goal. They should also offer you maintenance plans that will allow you to keep those rankings for at least a few months, if not longer. Will you get your money back if the company doesn’t actually achieve the original, intended result? Make sure you get this information in writing.
Cost Comparisons
While the cost of a web marketing campaign can vary from company to company, you’ll want to make sure you are getting the most for your money without necessarily picking the least expensive marketer out there. The least expensive isn’t always the best, and it is usually possible to find a company who charges mid-range prices while offering stellar service. Lean towards these and you’ll likely get the best results.
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