Seven Characteristics of a Good Internet Marketing Partner

With thousands of internet marketing companies clawing for your business, it is increasingly difficult to filter subtle differences. While bizarre names and even crazier catchphrases are cheap tactics for you to recognize them, it’s only one unimportant piece of the puzzle. As is the case with competitive industries, a company with more specialized skills will differentiate itself, and thus gain an advantage. So, when partnering with an internet marketing company, which characteristics and services should you consider? Here are seven discriminating factors.

A good internet marketing partner… tells you the truth.

An internet marketing firm that values honesty, transparency, and ethical standards are must-have qualities. A company that listens to your objectives, understands your obstacles, and takes the time to research your market position is clearly interested in nurturing a mutually beneficial long-term relationship. You should avoid firms offering guaranteed top placements in organic results—even the weatherman can’t guarantee results. Don’t be afraid to ask how an SEO company achieves its results. A good internet marketing partner should always be willing to speak about their strategies. Also, ensure that you receive analytics reports and that a firm only practices “white hat SEO” techniques.

A good internet marketing partner… has actual experts.

While it may less expensive, it’s usually not intelligent to be your own lawyer. Unless you are a lawyer. Internet marketing is the same. It changes daily, and hiring knowledgeable professionals that are highly educated, possess years of experience, and are expected to continually monitor industry-wide changes is almost always a more cost-effective solution. As the industry matures, internet marketing is getting harder to specialize in. Ensure that a firm has specialists in analytics, brand management, campaign management, copywriting, internet consulting, link building, pay-per-click (PPC), reputation management, search engine optimization , social media, and video marketing.

A good internet marketing partner… considers you as their priority.

Why do doctor and dental offices request you arrive 15 minutes early and then make you sit in their waiting rooms for what seems like forever? It’s frustrating. Your internet marketing firm shouldn’t treat you in the same manner. As indicated above, communication is key in any service-based business and a good internet marketing team should be willing to find solutions without overcharging you and/or answer your questions promptly, no matter the circumstance. Also, since many internet marketers work remotely, ensure you have immediate access in case you need to contact them.

A good internet marketing partner… values your goals.

At the starting line of a marathon, each runner has the same goal— to finish. However, each runner likely has different time objectives they want to achieve. Internet marketing is similar. You want to select an internet marketing company that is not only going to be your partner to increase business, but is also aware of other factors, like competitor and industry-specific standards, being cost-effective, and achieving you an acceptable Return on Investment, among others. Determining and understanding your unique traits, and making decisions based on those characteristics separate internet marketing teams.

A good internet marketing partner… maximizes your results.

Internet marketing is a bottom-line business. Whether that means hiring experts to increase your search engine results page placement or copywriters to increase your conversion rate once visitors land on your site, you need to partner with a team that has an established reputation. Therefore, having internet marketers that can maximize results within minimal time and effort is cost-effective, and frees you to manage other aspects of your business. To measure this capability, pay attention to how long a firm has been in business. It’s also a good idea to browse a firm’s portfolio. Case studies, especially those with quantifiable results, are other excellent indicators.

A good internet marketing partner… lathers, rinses, and repeats. Or pivots.

A superior internet marketing firm possesses employees that are proven at their specialty, usually through a combination of talent and hard work. As platforms multiply, and Google and other search engines research online behavior and update their algorithms accordingly, the industry becomes more difficult to gain market share. Therefore, you need internet marketers with the technical capability to execute the day-after-day, laborious work. Also, it’s important for an internet marketing team to be willing to alter their decision making and tactics if analytics determine that to be more significant approach.

A good internet marketing partner… takes your open shot.

In hiring an internet marketing team, you must be willing to trust another business to conduct your marketing plan. Therefore, you need confidence that the job will be conducted professionally and within your parameters. A good internet marketing team is willing to take calculated risks, to think outside of the cookie-cutter approach and apply creative branding and marketing techniques to increase sales and/or awareness. Even more importantly, a superior internet marketing firm is a partner—a team that takes initiative to complete your project and has equity in its success, from genesis to execution.

Tags: Digital Marketing • Questions & Answers • Search Engine Optimization