As an Internet Marketing Strategist, I've been out networking and talking to other companies that either offer web design or have recently been 'had' by another web developer preaching to increase traffic and guarantee #1 rankings for google searches... (more on that later)
It's almost scary some of the horror stories that our prospective clients have come in contact with. Most of these problems could have been avoided if business owners or marketing directors were a little more educated about internet marketing. We've got a variety of resources for just this purpose but to help we've put a list of warning signs that you may want to keep handy if you're looking for a new internet marketing company or even a web designer.
Here's some warning signs:
- They Talk about getting you traffic without asking about ANY of your Goals.
- They don't take the time to learn about your company and your products.
- They Say they offer SEO but can't tell you the process or the expectation of time vs results based on competition.
- Their own website seem incomplete or un-optimized for search engines.
- The Provide you a quote without knowing what you do
- They Don't ask you about your other marketing collateral or brand to ensure a cohesive look.
- They don't know what a "call to action" is.
- They expect you to provide your own full list of keywords
- They Guarantee you first page "SEO rankings" on google.
- They build new or external web pages "for SEO" that don't live on your domain. Who does that really help?
- They Say They "DO SOCIAL MEDIA" but their own accounts are very un-social and rather pitiful.
- If you say you want to do social media, they DON'T ask you why and what your goals are.
- Their Idea of online advertising is PPC (Pay per click ads) even when you ask for other advertising ideas.
- They Talk fast and in technical terms in an attempt to confuse you.
- They're really Cheap and it seems too good to be true (probably is!!)
Turn this list of warning signs into a list of questions to ask next time your looking for an Internet Marketing Agency.
Remington is the Lead Designer and Marketing Strategist for Impulse Creative, An Internet Marketing Agency in Fort Myers, Florida. You can connect with him using the following social networks: Google+, Twitter, Linked In & Facebook