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Knowing you need a partner to help you with your marketing online is the easy part. Finding the right partner is much tougher. You need someone that really understands your business, your goals, and what a smaller company needs when it comes to digital marketing.
On top of that, you need expert help at a price that makes sense for your business. How can you find the advertising agency that’s right for your business?
It all comes down to asking the right questions. Here are four questions you need to ask before you sign up for marketing services.
One of the most important things to look for in an advertising agency is their experience with smaller companies. Unfortunately, while an agency may accept a smaller client, the focus is often on big businesses with big budgets. You don’t want to end up getting ignored — you deserve high-quality service.
So, start by asking the agency how many small businesses they have worked with, and how many are currently in their client roster. That will give you a really good idea of how focused they are on helping clients like you succeed.
At Local SEO Search, we’re proud to only work with small and mid-sized businesses. You never have to worry about playing second fiddle to a larger company. We give small businesses the attention they deserve.
Once you’ve determined that they do work frequently with small businesses, it’s time to find out how those clients felt about the process. Ask the agency for names of small business clients that you can contact for a reference.
You can also look at online reviews for the agency. Are these reviews mostly from large companies, or are small businesses also happy with the work? Do the reviews seem to be valid, or are they possibly fake?
Once you contact the small business clients, ask them what it was like to work with the agency. Was communication good? Did they get new leads and customers? Did they feel valued? If the business is no longer with the marketing firm, ask if they mind sharing why.
The information you receive will tell you a lot about how you might be treated as a client.
There are two things you’re looking for in the answer to this question. First, do they understand that each company has unique goals? If so, they will reply to this question by asking you what you’re looking for and what your goals are. That’s a great sign!
Also, you want to ensure that the marketing firm doesn’t make promises that are too big, too good to be true, or too generic. “You’ll get more website visitors” isn’t a great answer, because getting a bunch of hits from Russia isn’t going to help your business grow. Instead, the agency should talk about lead from your ideal target market and ready-to-buy customers.
Remember, if it’s too good to be true or too cheap, they are probably using underhanded tactics or they will be unable to deliver on their promises. Don’t fall for it!
The final question to determine what advertising agency is best for your business has to do with ethics.
There are two primary kinds of SEO. Black hat SEO uses underhanded tactics that are penalized by Google and will bring you more headaches than success long-term. White hat SEO plays by the rules and is what you’re looking for to get excellent results that will last.
Grey hat SEO is in between. It’s not technically against the rules, but it’s against the spirit of what Google is trying to accomplish online. Asking if a company is OK with grey hat SEO will tell you a lot about their ethics. Most agencies won’t admit to black hat tactics publically, but if they are OK with grey hat SEO, you should immediately rule them out.
It’s important to play by the rules, both for your long-term marketing success and for ethical reasons. Local SEO Search uses only white hat tactics and works to cooperate with Google by creating business websites that are highly useful, engaging, and relevant to the target audience.
As a small business, you deserve a marketing agency that is legitimate, has expertise in digital marketing, and gives small companies the attention they need to succeed. You should never feel abandoned by your agency or left in the shadow of big companies and budgets.
That’s why Local SEO Search is an excellent option. We specialize in helping businesses that are small or medium-sized get the ideal leads and ready-to-buy customers they need to grow. And we do it using ethical, long-term strategies that will help you strengthen your online presence for years to come.
If you’re interested in finding out more about what Local SEO Search can do for your business, contact us today! We offer a free consultation and will answer any questions you have. We can’t wait to talk to you!
