Questions To Ask - Before Hiring An Online Marketing Company

Most small businesses realize that to be successful they will need an online presence. A website and some form of online marketing is almost completely essential for any company nowadays. All online marketing companies are not created equal and therefore we have created a few questions that you as a business owner should ask before hiring a company to design your website or do any type of online marketing:

1. Do I have to commit to a long term contract?

Most online marketing companies will require a contract/commitment of a least a year before even beginning to work on your website or online presence. Needless to say this can/has become a nightmare for some business owners. Companies will lure you in with promises of being "number 1" on Google or other unrealistic expectations. Once you realize these expectations aren't being met, you have no way to opt out and could become stuck paying a bill that doesn't benefit your company at all. Online Marketing companies that will let you go month to month are most likely reputable because they have to continuously work to earn your business and keep you as a happy customer.

     2.  How easy is it to get a hold of support technicians?

Communication between yourself and the team actually working on your website or online marketing campaign is very important. Find out how easy it is to get support on the phone. How fast is the response time when communicating thru email? Do they have communication thru physical mail or fax? Do they have any other forms of communication such as social networking or instant chat.  A general rule is that they should have at least two different ways to respond to any questions or concerns.

    3.  Will I own my website, even if I part ways with your company?

If you decide to have a web design company build your website make sure you will have full control the website even if you decide to part ways with the company. Many companies, including most of the online yellowpage directories will not let you take your site with you if you decide to part ways. You might have to continue marketing with theses companies, spending hundreds of dollars each month with very little ROI just to have your site stay online. Make sure you have it in writing that you own the site that you paid for.

At Site Smart we have no long term contracts. We work hard for your business each and every month you market with us. Our support team is always available by phone, even on nights and weekends. You can always contact us through email, fax, mail and coming soon skype. Any site we build for your company is yours, we will never hold your website hostage. When choosing an online marketing company make sure all of these standards are met before making a commitment.