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.

Having a large number of inbound links to your website is one of the most important factors in determining how your website ranks on search engines like Google. One of the quickest and easiest ways to get those inbound links is from directory submission.

There are literally thousands of directories - some that are specific to certain industries only. Most directories have paid listings or featured listings and they try to get as much money from you as they can to be listed. Before you invest money in having a paid listing with directories like Yellowpages.com, Yelp, Yahoo Directory etc. make sure your bases are covered with our free directory list first. We have put together a list of a few of the top free website directories where all business websites need to be.

List Of Top Free Directories

DMOZ	www.dmoz.org/docs/en/add.html
Google Places	www.google.com/places
Bing	www.bing.com/businessportal
Yahoo	www.listings.local.yahoo.com
Yelp	www.biz.yelp.com/signup
Superpages	www.supermedia.com/spportal/quickbpflow.do
HotFrog	www.hotfrog.com/AddYourBusiness.aspx
Local	www.advertise.local.com
Best Of The Web	www.local.botw.org/secure/signup.aspx?type=jumpstart
InfoUSA	www.expressupdateusa.com/accuracy/default.aspx
City Search	www.citysearch.com/members/register

This can be quite time consuming and complicated to go through all of their steps, one at a time. So, we offer a full directory list and take care of the directory submission service for any client signed up for our IntelliCast+ marketing service.

Breaking Down Google's Search Results Page

Everyone's done it - Gone online, went to Google and searched for a local business. Typically when someone searches for a business on Google three types of results will appear. Google breaks up the page into three distinct sections:

1. Organic or Natural listings
2. AdWords or Sponsored Links
3. Google Places or Google Maps section.

One common question business owners ask us is: "Where is the best place for my website to be to get conversions?" The answer of course depends on who is searching because everyone has a different tendency to click on a certain section of the page.  Some people will automatically click on the first sponsored link, while others will skip the sponsored links and maps sections altogether and go right to the natural listings. The truth is that any exposure on the first page of Google is good.  Their are by far more people searching on Google than all of the other search engines combined.  That being said here are a few different benefits to each section:

Organic or Natural Listings 

These results appear below the sponsored links on the top of the page and usually below the maps as well. The main benefit of having a good natural listing is that it will provide long term results for your business. Gaining a high ranking natural listing is a long term, time consuming project that can take a while to achieve.  However once you do get a steady stream of traffic to your site you will continue to see results even after you have slowed down or stopped your SEO efforts. Another major benefit is that most people who search click on the natural listings.

AdWords or Sponsored Links

These results appear on the top and right hand side of the page. The major benefit of Google AdWords or pay per click advertising is that it is the quickest and easiest way to get your website on the first first page of Google. AdWords are helpful for all businesses but are particularly advantageous for E-Commerce sites. You select a daily ceiling on how much you spend to fit your budget. You get to select what keywords your ad will be shown for and only pay when someone clicks on your ad and lands on your website. You get to target the specific people who are searching for your site through research and analysis of keywords. 

Google Places or Google Maps

These results appear right and co-mingled  the sponsored links. These results are only triggered locally or when someone is searching in a specific city. A major advantage of having your business listed here is that your phone number will appear along side your listing. People can call you without ever clicking on your listing. Businesses can create these listing for free through Google's local business center, however continual optimization is required to achieve and maintain a good ranking.

Since everyone has different preferences on where they usually click on the page, we recommend a combination of having your site listed in all three sections of the page to maximize your websites potential.

Respond To Bad Reviews On Google Maps & Yelp

"There are two options to respond to him, either publicly or privately. Which one would you recommend?" - Carol J.

An unhappy customer gave your business a negative or bad review on Google or Yelp. With so much importance placed on your online reputation, each and every review - positive or negative - has weight that effects how potential customers view your business. So how do you respond to this review?

Here are some tips on how to respond to bad reviews online:

1) Respond publicly for sure. People who read your reviews need to know that you respond to positive AND negative reviews and that even if unpleasant, you are willing to work it out.

2) Try to take it "offline". You don't want to say anything that will prompt a response online. Ask them to contact you directly by phone or email. Try to avoid asking questions, telling your side of the story, or bashing the customer's opinion.

Response Example: "We are sorry for your experience at XYZ Restaurant. We were not aware the of the mix up with your reservation. Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Please contact us to fully discuss your experience so we can make it right for you."

3) No blame. Do not place blame on the customer, or assume blame yourself. Again, you don't want to start a "flame war" for the world to see. Don't be defensive, even if they were complaining directly about you. It's business, and should be treated as such. Avoid the drama.

4) Listen to your customer. Let them know you are listening and a real human by repeating back part of their complaint in your response. Be pleasant, honest, and secure in your response.

Response Example: "We are sorry your tire went flat right after the new tires were put on. We take care of our customers and appreciate you taking the time to let us know there was a problem. Please give us a call and speak with Rob, our customer service manager, he will help in any way he can to get you taken care of."

5) Make it funny. If humor fits, make it work!  If you can turn the unhappy experience into a funny, charming story it works wonders. It shows your future customers that you care, you respond, and you take care of your customers - and everyone will see that.

Response Example: "We are sorry you saw us on a bad hair day! We always shoot for the moon, and we try to make every day a 10 out of 10. Please give us a call to discuss your particular experience, we will work with you to resolve this issue to your satisfaction. Thank you for taking the time to let us know how we can improve."

6) Humble yourself. If the customer has a valid point, thank them for bringing their bad experience to your attention. Tell them how you plan to correct it.

Response Example: "We are so sorry you saw our bathrooms in that state. We work hard to keep our facility clean and we will be placing extra attention in that area with a schedule to check the bathrooms frequently throughout the day. Give us a call to fill us in on the details. We invite you to try us again, please contact us to receive a free combo on your next visit."

For good reviews thank them for their comments. For negative reviews, you can offer them a special incentive to try you again, like 10% off their next visit, or free products, or free services, or something that will make them want to come back to give your business another shot. The best press is how you handle these situations for the world to see.

Here are some additional tips on how to respond to reviews online:

http://www.google.com/support/places/bin/static.py?page=guide.cs&guide=28247&topic=28307&answer=184271

https://biz.yelp.com/support/responding_to_reviews

If you are just not a creative writer and you need help crafting your review response don't be afraid to ask for help. Ask for help from a friend, family member, co-worker, husband or wife, or from an experienced web professional.