This is one of the questions any business owner or marketing manager has asked himself at least once when setting his web marketing strategy. It is not always profitable to internalize a web marketing pole within your company, especially if your needs are urgent and you need a variety of skills. The agencies are therefore a great option provided to successfully find our shoe foot. In this article, we will go through different criteria and questions to ask yourself to choose your Web Marketing agency. Keep in mind however that this article is a basis for reflection but that other criteria may be taken into account.
SET YOUR GOALS
Before you even begin your search on Google and fill out your first contact forms, it is very important that you have an idea (even a brief one) of your needs. Indeed, the web marketing agencies you will meet cannot read your mind. So you will have to explain to them what you expect from them. It is not mandatory to have a clear plan and a clearly defined strategy but it is important to have taken the time to do some research in order to have a basic knowledge of the different components of web marketing(SEO, advertising on Google, management of social networks, web design etc.). The goal is to speak the same language as the agency and not have the impression that the counselor who receives you speaks to you in Chinese.
EVALUATE YOUR APPROXIMATE BUDGET
It is possible that you have no idea how much a web marketing strategy costs. In reality, there is no magic formula for defining your budget because everything depends on your objectives. The fact of defining a rough budget will, however, allow you to give indications to the web marketing agency which will be able to propose you adapted solutions. In fact, a budget of $ 10,000 will not give you the same options as a budget of $ 5,000, whether for the design of a website, the implementation of an SEO strategy on Google ( SEO) or online advertising.
When you go around the web marketing agencies, you will find that prices can vary greatly from one agency to another. Even if the price is not the only criterion to take into account, having already a budget in mind will allow you to make the first selection and avoid wasting time if the agency you contact is too far away of your ideal budget.
TAKE THE TIME TO ASK YOUR QUESTIONS
Do not hesitate to ask your questions over the phone and only to make an appointment when the agency has answered your “pre-selection” questions. Know that no answer necessarily requires a meeting so feel comfortable to impose your questioning. Indeed, it can be embarrassing to find yourself in front of a salesman who tells you that he does not take any contract below $ 15,000 when your budget is $ 5,000.
Here is a list of questions that you can easily ask web marketing agencies before moving to their office:
- What services do you offer?
- Which represent your greatest strength?
- What sets you apart from your competitors?
- How many employees are you?
- Where are you located?
- How much does it cost to spend for a particular service?
- Do you have experience in my industry?
- Are your services subject to a commitment period?
This list of questions can serve as a basis that we encourage you to complete as needed. We will discuss in detail some of these points to explain their importance in choosing your web marketing agency.
Compare the strengths and weaknesses of each agency
All web marketing agencies offer substantially the same services but they are not all equally effective on each of these services. For example, a website design agency may offer SEO services without this being its strength. It is therefore important to identify the strengths and weaknesses of each agency before entrusting them with all or part of your budget.
For the most skeptical who say that agencies can tell what they want and that they have no way of knowing if they are telling the truth, know that there are simple ways to control for yourself answers you will receive. For example, an agency that tells you that it specializes in web design will necessarily have a well-developed “portfolio/achievements ” section. If the agency claims to be an SEO expert, it will not be difficult to verify this by typing Google searches such as “SEO”, “SEO agency”, “SEO expert” etc. Finally, if she explains that she is specialized in web marketing general, you can make total control by analyzing its positioning on Google, its achievements, its presence on social networks etc. You will be surprised by the wealth of information you will come across!
CONTROL THE REPUTATION OF AGENCIES
In the digital age, companies are now rated as Amazon products, with stars and customer ratings.
Take the time to read the reviews left by agency customers. This will allow you to know what comes up most often and thus better understand the strengths and weaknesses of each company.
You can even contact their customers directly to ask them your questions and see if the reviews are authentic. This may seem extreme for some people but it is normal to try to be reassured before giving several thousand dollars to an agency that will influence your web marketing.
EVERYTHING IS OFTEN ABOUT FEELING
Beyond the price, it is important to feel confident with the web agency that will accompany you. When you have moved or contacted the various agencies, there are inevitably that stand out and have left you a better impression than others. This does not mean that others are not competent, but here we are talking about human relationships in which a certain amount of subjectivity must be granted.
Beware, however, web sellers who know very well answer the questions to put you in confidence but have no idea of the promises they make you. To avoid this, find out about this person’s role in the organization. Is it a leader, the person who will do the work or a client advisor who will then delegate the work to the rest of his team?
THINK LONG TERM WITH YOUR WEB AGENCY WILL BE THE MOST PAYING
Finally, one of the best advice we can give you is to think long-term with your agency and not to try to take the cheapest left for a given service then the cheapest right for another service, negotiate prices in an abusive way and wanting more and more. You may be able to save a few dollars in the short term but your agency will eventually make you understand that it can no longer take care of you and the one who will take the next will charge you for initial analyzes that will cancel the savings realized.
The goal is to find a win/win balance between your company and your web marketing agency so that it helps you grow and continues to share best practices without you having to ask anything. You may have already done business with web marketing agencies and we hope everything went well. If this is not the case, know that you can always contact us to receive a free evaluation from one of our leaders who has made the promise to always stay close to each customer. In the meantime, thank you for taking the time to read this article. We hope you liked it and that you got answers to your questions.
Comments are closed.