What Does Your Perfect Web Marketing Partner Look Like?

Posted on:

June 26, 2015

In almost every industry, you will come across some companies that are genuine, and some that might not be in it for the “right reasons.” In a world of Internet lingo ‘jibber-jabber,’ it can be hard to figure out who’s who, but with our 10+ years of experience, we want to share some behind the scenes information on what we’ve learned and what you need to look for when searching for marketing partners.

Here are three simple tips for knowing what the “Perfect Web Marketing Partner” looks like:

1. They stay up to date with the latest trends.
Google, Bing, Yahoo and all the other top search engines release updates at least every month. The most recent “newsworthy” example of which is Google’s “Mobilegeddon” update on April 21. Your Web Marketing partner should reach out to you regularly via phone or email about these – just to keep you in the loop. These industry-wide updates can be small, but could have huge effects on your Website and marketing. So, when you’re discussing your tactics and strategies with your partner, make sure to ask how they stay up to date — not only in the Internet marketing world, but also in your industry!

2. They give you get a dedicated contact – Not a nameless, faceless service center.
With every marketing campaign, the company you are working with should provide you with a name, email and phone number of a “Campaign Manager” so that you can reach them with any questions or updates you might have. Otherwise, consider this a huge red flag. You want a company that takes the time to focus on your campaign, creates a thorough, long-term strategy, has proven results AND doesn’t just lump you in with a bunch of other clients. So, when you’re starting your SEO, Paid Search or Social Media campaign – be sure to ask who your manager is and how to reach them.

3. They explain their strategy – In plain English.
A good Web Marketing Partner will come up with a long-term strategy and focus on turning your increased Website traffic into leads. Getting you to rank #1 on Google is obviously a main goal during your campaign, but you need an SEO company that will ultimately produce more leads. You should have a list of your keywords available at any time, so that you can check on your rankings as well and check progress for yourself. As a part of your strategy, you should always make sure that your marketing partners have a plan for your content. Updating content is one of the first steps an SEO campaign manager should take. For instance, Hi-Vac Air Conditioning Services, located in South Florida, has an SEO manager that creates landing pages for their specific cities and keywords with unique content.

Qualified, reliable and trustworthy SEO companies are out there, but to find them you need to know what to look for and when it might be time to look somewhere else. Fact is, you could have a 2015-vintage Website, but if it’s sitting on page 5 of Google, it’s not doing you much good. In today’s world, most people only look at their page 1 results, or if you’re lucky, maybe page 2. This is why it’s important to have a company who can not only optimize your Website, but ALSO increase your traffic and give you more leads. Arm yourself with knowledge and find the “Perfect Web Marketing Partner” that fits your business.

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Brian Kraff

President at Market Hardware, Inc.

Brian is a co-founder of Market Hardware. He is a member of the ‘club’ of Internet media executives who are tapped into the daily changes of how the internet affects all small businesses. Brian is a frequent speaker at Industry and Association tradeshow conferences. He was an integral part of the group of marketing experts who pioneered the pay-per-click model in 1996, the pay-per-lead model in 1997, and has been at the forefront of getting customers from the Web ever since. Prior to founding Market Hardware, Brian was the founder and CEO of eStudentLoan, the world's largest comparison marketplace for student loans. His role as a Founder and Chairman of 13 Colonies Software (now part of Interwoven/Autonomy) was a highlight of his experience in the Enterprise Web Content Management space. Brian has a B.A. from Cornell University and an MBA from Columbia Business School.