The internet is a crazy old place, technology now moves faster than the speed of light, there are new development platforms, software, measurement and reporting tools being launched everyday.
It can be quite a confusing place for a business looking to get the best advice about starting a web presence or investing into online channels, there are so many choices, too many in fact, who and what platforms should you choose to deliver the requirements you need for your business.
Unfortunately, in today digital industry there isn’t enough good advice going back to the end customer. Too many businesses are finding their ‘lack’ of knowledge exploited when it comes to the web, though it doesn’t have to be this way.
Surely I should speak to a web design agency right? They ‘get’ the Internet. Or what about one of these digital marketing agencies? Surely they understand what they are selling and proposing right?
Your answer to both those questions should be, No. Choosing an online marketing consultant can save you time and money before you even begin talking to a web design agency or digital marketing agency, here’s how.
12 Reasons Why You Need a Online Marketing Consultant
- Provide Measurable results & Return on Investment -An online marketing consultant will help you to understand the results of their actions and help your business measure your return on investment online.
- Help you to understand the technology – An online marketing consultant will help you to understand the benefits of using open source technologies over paying for the cost to build a platform that is bespoke and custom built.
- Help you to find the right solution for your business – Rather than sell you everything, they find out what is the most suitable solution to your budget and business. Do you really need to spend £10,000 for a local business website? The answer should be no. Website design shouldn’t cost that much anymore.
- Help you to choose a reputable agency or website design company – An online marketing consultant can give you a fair and honest second opinion on quotes and the agencies you are proposing to work with. There are some fantastic website design companies and marketing agencies out there that can help your business and are suited to your budget. Make sure your talking to the right people.
- Agencies only have access to a Limited Studio Resource – If the studio time is full for existing client work, your project deadline might be pushed back or its priority changed. Online marketing consultants can use their vast contacts of freelance designers and developers to complete the job for you, on budget and on time.
- Agency rates are 5x more expensive than employing Freelancers – Using freelancers website designers and developers are fantastic because they normally charge reasonable rates for their end clients. The freelancers I have worked with generally produce much better results for the end client. An online marketing consultant can help you brief your website designer better and more effectively to produce great results.
- Won’t use their knowledge against you – There are agencies out there who will happily propose a solution to you that is probably not what you require and double the cost. The gap in your knowledge about web technologies and what they should really cost is likely to be exploited. An online marketing consultant helps you to make sense and understand how much the technology should cost.
- Will Educate and Train You – Rather than keep the knowledge to themselves, an online marketing consultant will help educate and share their wealth of experience with you. You’ll understand your website, what it does? How effective it performs as a marketing tool? Where you should be investing your money online? How can you improve your own search engine optimisation and rankings? etc.
- Service is key – Delivering the right solution to your budget is key. Deal with the people who are specialists in their fields and are focused on delivering high levels of customer satisfaction. All marketing should produce a return, online marketers pride themselves on measurement.
- They will look at your business needs objectively – They will help you to put together the right online strategy for your business by addressing the needs of your customers and how your products fit into a digital channel. They look at how you can extend your revenue from investing into digital channels.
- They will continue to develop their knowledge – An online marketing consultant will always continue to develop their knowledge to advise you on the new technologies, best practices and online marketing channels best suited to your business. The internet is their passion.
- They will ensure correct measurement and tracking – An online marketing consultant will help you measure your website traffic, sales and enquiries, ensuring the reporting is in place to measure your marketing activity and if you getting involved with any advertising or marketing campaigns ensure you can measure your return on investment from the money you invest into the campaign. They will choose the right and most effective reporting tools for your business and show you how to use them.
If you need clear, well reasoned advice about what your business requires and should be investing online then speak to an online marketing consultant at Smartdog digital.
