Choosing the right web designer/developer and online marketing company can be rather difficult. There are so many companies out there today that are hungry to capture new clients. Here are 5 simple questions that will help you find an online marketing partner that cares about growing your business almost as much as you do. The “right answers” to these questions are the ones that will ultimately help you find the business that thinks more like a partner and not just someone out to take your money. The “wrong answers” will bring light to the difference in their outlook on your business.

1. What information will I need to provide for you?

The right answer:

“Well first, tell me more about your business; where to you spend most of your time and how do you connect or interact with your customers? What is it about your business that frustrates you and what do you think frustrates your clients? What is it that you love to do in your business and where do you think you provide the most value to you customers?”

The wrong answer:

“What do you want the website to look like?”

2. How will you develop my online marketing solution?

The right answer:

“We start by learning more about your business by talking with you about it. Then we take some time to think about your business and where it fits in your industry. Then well present our idea and give you a marketing blueprint; a plan for achieving your online goals.”

The wrong answer:

“We’ll show you 3 options and you pick the one you like best.”

3. How long will the process take?

The right answer:

“The first week or so will be spent in the planning phase. After you’ve approved the direction we’re headed, you’ll have something to see within another week or two. Then we really get to work with creating content, optimizing your site, promoting your site online etc. We’ll work each step together. ”

The wrong answer:

“Until we’re finished. I’ll call you in a few week and give you an update on our progres”

4. How will you help market the site online?

The right answer:

“We’ll do a competitive analysis to identify the strong players and then analyze their online strategy…then we’ll do it better. We’ll identify what keywords and phrases people type into the search engines when they’re looking for your business and begin to track which ones convert prospects into leads and customers. We’ll modify the code on your website so the search engines have everything they need to rank your site highly for the relevant keyword searches. We’ll claim your business listings in the major search engines and submit your business to 100′s of online business directories and internet yellow pages so your business can be found in many ways online.”

The wrong answer:

“We’ll submit your site to the search engines.”

5. What if I decide to work with another developer later?

The right answer:

“You own all of the work we do to your site. We’ll give you the source code, all of the content, any licenses or registration contact info we needed, and all of the external links we’ve build for promoting your site that we have. ”

The wrong answer:

“It’s your content but our technology (or our design). Print out the pages and hand it off to that developer.”

When it comes to internet marketing, the saying “Buyer Beware” is more true than ever. Local business online marketing companies are popping up all over the place; many with little experience marketing businesses online and no results to show of their skills. By finding the internet marketing company that thinks like a partner you may pay a little more. But the benefits are that they are working toward achieving your goals, not just delivering a product. Think of the value of their experience and expertise and remember to add those into the equation when you’re considering which company to go with and what they are offering.

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