Affordable Marketing for Small & Emerging Businesses

Q. What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A. Always get references. Does the marketer have a reputation for solid work, or do their client's websites and directory listings get demoted due to unscrupulous behavior? Does the consultant provide their client’s with full access to the services they are providing? For example, do they give the client all of the usernames and passwords to access their hosting account or website files, or do they keep these and essentially hold the client hostage? Look around online to see what others are saying about a company, and be careful that the sites you are looking at are not actually owned by the consultant (some larger firms with a lot of complaints will create pages for themselves and create false positive reviews to counteract bad reviews.)
Make sure the vendor's claims are realistic. There are a lot of ads out there for marketers that promise to get you into the #1 spot on Google in a week and that's just not possible. Search engine marketing is a slow and steady race that never really ends. Marketers that follow the rules and best practices will have the most reliable results. It may take a little longer, but it will be worth it.

Q. If you were a customer, what do you wish you knew about your trade? Any inside secrets to share?

A. One of the most important things you can do to help your website rank higher in web searches is fresh content. Websites that are updated frequently and contain blogs, product reviews, case studies, or other relevant information climb the ranks faster than those that remain static.
Sometimes a business type doesn’t lend itself well to discussions or how-to articles. If this is you, then it’s time to get creative. New content can also include before and after pictures, recipes, comments on current events, an article about a favorite non-competing local business (this works both ways!), surveys, trivia questions, contests and a whole lot more. Mix and match and see which type(s) of content are the easiest for you to manage and the most effective at keeping customers interested in your product or service.

Q. What questions should a consumer ask to hire the right service professional?

A. When looking for an Internet Marketing consultant, you should ask yourself the following:
1. Do they require a contract? - If a consultant locks you into a contract, how do you know they are doing their best to keep you happy? Service Level Agreements should always be in place so that all parties know what to expect and what is expected of them, but it isn’t always necessary to enter into a binding contract.
2. Do they live and work where I do? - There are great consultants all over the world, but wouldn’t you feel better knowing that you are working with someone who takes pride in the community you live and work in and that the money you are spending is more likely to stay in your community?
3. Have they or can they shop at my store or utilize my services? - A consultant will do a better job representing you if they can come into your place of business and really learn about what you do. If they can try your product or service, it’s even better. Look for a vendor that is open to really digging in and learning about how your industry works and what your needs are.
4. Can I meet them in person and shake their hand? - We all know the value of a handshake, and building a strong business relationship is extremely important with this type of service. You need to be able to build trust with your consultant and feel comfortable letting them help you with the very important decisions you will be making throughout your marketing campaign(s).
5. Do they have a good reputation? Always check for reviews and other types of customer feedback when looking for a consultant. Ask to speak to one of their current or past clients.