Hiring an Online Marketing Agency: Qualities to Avoid & Look For

Qualities of an Effective Online Marketing Agency: Guide for Business Owners

To give your business a solid online presence, you need the help of an online marketing agency. Research shows that in 91% of small businesses, the CEO also serves as the primary marketer. Playing double roles doesn’t come as a surprise as 96% of these businesses have a staff of five or fewer.

Unfortunately, business owners and managers like you simply do not have enough time to dabble and experiment online. The core business – be it a bakery, carwash, dental clinic, or restaurant – needs you. You need to be running operations. Trying to learn the technical aspects of online marketing and sacrificing time for the business is not worth it.

So why burden yourself when you can leave the technical stuff to an agency, right? Correct! But now, here’s the challenge: how do you choose the right provider for your business? Here’s some helpful advice.

But First, Be Wary of Unrealistic Promises

Internet marketing consultants or companies typically make the same promise to business owners: more traffic, leads, and sales online. What business owner wouldn’t want those results, right? But the question is, can they really deliver? Are they telling the truth, or merely making promises to peddle their services? Just remember, if the promises are too good to be true, they probably are.

It’s easy to plunge into this pitfall as many businesses are in dire need of services, and are assigning these needs to providers. For instance, one research found that 63% of marketers will spend more on content creation this year. That’s how bad they need new content. Meanwhile, 50% will spend more on search engine optimization (SEO) and search engine marketing efforts delegated to agencies.

But while you may badly need these services, remember that falling for “we’ll give you the moon and the stars” type of promises is the biggest pitfall small business owners make when hiring an Internet marketing agency. Be careful when choosing your online marketing provider. After all, that company will represent your business online. If they create a faulty and spammy website, publish irresponsible Facebook status posts, or write articles with terrible grammar, it’s your business that will bear the brunt.

So how do you choose the right online marketing service provider for your business? Here are two qualities you need to look for.

Expertise: Testing and Experience Combined

Unlike major corporations, small and medium-sized businesses have small and medium-sized marketing coffers, too. As an owner, you want to ensure that you will get your money’s worth when entrusting online marketing activities to an agency. And to ensure you get a return on investment, one of the things you should search for in an agency is expertise.

“Expert” level Internet marketing agencies typically possess these characteristics:

• Carry out research and development
• Conduct testing
• Continuously improve services
• Frontliner in the industry
• Have sufficient experience

Agencies that are experts in what they do are always on the lookout for new techniques and strategies to help promote your business online. They do not merely rely on previous experiences. They keep on improving services by combining experience and results of new tests they conduct. They stay sharp through research.

That is why they understand what Google Panda and Penguin updates are, what the Hummingbird algorithm is, and what all of these terms mean to your SEO strategy. They understand how to maximize online maps, local directory listings, check-in sites, and review sites to boost your local online presence. They know that sharing content via social media is better than building cheap links and spamming. If a provider is a front liner in the industry, and has sufficient experience, there’s a good chance it can also handle and steer your business to online marketing success.

Passion: How Bad They Want You to Succeed

Passion, they say, is a subjective quality that you cannot measure. But if you ask any entrepreneur, they’ll say that passion is a crucial factor in the success of any venture. And for an online marketing agency to be able to help your business succeed online, they must be passionate in helping you achieve your marketing goals. How can you tell if they have this passion? Ask yourself these three questions:

• Does this agency listen to my needs?
• Do they provide In-depth consultation based on these needs?
• Do they align their services toward my marketing goals?

If you answered yes to all these questions, and you’ve determined their expertise based on the characteristics we mentioned earlier, then you might just be looking at the online marketing agency you’re looking for. The important thing to remember here is that passionate agencies do not simply offer specific packages without first listening to you and analyzing your business. No one knows your business better than you do!

That’s why it’s important that the agency takes the time to listen to you and give you an in-depth consultation based on your needs. Knowing your marketing goals and business needs is always the first step to achieving online success. It’s also a very good indicator of the agency’s expertise and passion in helping your business make the most out of SEO, Local Marketing, Google, Social Media, Facebook, Responsive Web Design and online marketing in general.

We’re not shy to say we’re experts at what we do and we’re passionate in helping businesses succeed online. Call us now or send us a message to schedule your free consultation on online marketing today! 

Why We Are the Perfect SEO Solutions Provider for Your Business

SEO providers will almost always claim that they are the perfect solution to your online marketing problems. 

Frankly, we do too! But only because we know we really are. Here’s what sets us apart and why you should choose us.

We understand the business side of SEO

You’ll hear providers talk about SERPs, rankings, traffic, links, and other technical mumbo-jumbo. We have gone beyond this going to the next level because we know what you need. We know that what you need is a steady stream of loyal, paying customers who want to buy from you over and over again, and then refer your business to their friends. You need loyal followers who will visit your site every day, engage in your content, and share it with their network. That’s the focus of our SEO approach.

You need to ensure that your provider understands your business and your industry. After all, your provider will serve as your online machine. They must have your marketing objectives as the blueprint in their mind to ensure that every effort is working toward your business goals.

Your online marketing company should be capable of laying out the business plan to your online success. But in order to do that, they must intimately understand your business and your business plan.

We create quality content that speaks to your target audience

We focus on creating content that is valuable to your target market – not keyword-stuffed and unreadable articles! One type of content we produce is promotional-based content, which is targeted to your existing and potential customers. This content will contain anything from promos, coupons, sales, and current discounts you have to offer. We create blog posts that your prospects want to share with their friends. We create press releases, company updates, and industry news that make your prospects more interested in your products and services. We want your prospects to think positively of you. Custom quality content has a positive effect on audience attitude, says 90% of CMOs asked by the Custom Content Council.

We will build your Google+ authorship

Unlike other providers that use it solely as a social network, we utilize G+ to improve your overall SEO footprint. Google+ authorship stamps your content with Google+ markup, identifying you or an appointed person as the author or publisher of the content published on your website and blog. When we stamp Google authorship on a piece of content, you are given credit for it through Google’s eyes. And the accumulation of authorship credits can help you to rank higher in the search engines.

We Ensure Proper Website and URL Structuring

We optimize your pages, ensuring your site has the proper structure. A proper site and URL structure make users navigate and flow easily across your website. A faulty URL structure, on the other hand, confuses users and makes it difficult for search engine crawlers to index your pages and content. We’ll also carry out URL mapping to determine which pages should be optimized for what keyword.

We Optimize Your Search Engine Tags 

These include your meta tags, allowing your site to better communicate with the search engines. We will optimize page titles, descriptions, and even alt texts for images. Tweaking your coding will enable search engines to index your pages faster and rank them higher for your chosen keywords.

We Utilize Social Media and Social Publication

When we publish new content on your blog or anywhere online, who knows about it? We make sure everyone knows about it! We make sure that when we publish content about you, everyone in your social world and beyond will know about it. We set up accounts for you in the top social media and social sharing sites, the top blogs, as well as the top press release sites. When we publish content, we let the world know through the accounts that we’ve established online for your company.

We Build and Attract Natural Links

Because of the high quality content we create, we are able to attract natural links. Authority sites are more likely to link back to your site, and therefore pass link juice to your pages. We carry out natural link building techniques that do not over optimize anchor texts or use any kind of black hat scheme that violates search engine guidelines. More quality links we build to your website, the higher your website will rank, the more visitors you will get. And of course, this will turn into more sales.

We offer an in-depth consultation, first and foremost

We are committed to help you become much more successful and for your business to grow. You will see this when you see us in action right at the very beginning. We offer you an in-depth consultation before asking you to avail of any of our services.

We want to thoroughly understand what your business is, who your target customers are, and how we can meet their needs. This way, we are aligned with your goals. We’ll propose ways on how we can help you based on the research we do and our free consultation with you.

We are here to help you grow your business. We have the know-how and experience in the SEO industry. We want to understand your business and your worries. We want to gain your trust by displaying our intelligence and show you performance through our professional execution.

If people think we are passionate about the marketing industry, they should see how passionate we are about our clients’ marketing. We want to be responsible for your success and help your company to grow.

You will never find this level of quality and commitment from other SEO providers in our price range.

We can help you grow your customers and your business today. Call us now or send us a message to schedule your free consultation on SEO.

Increase your Conversions on your Law Firm Website with these Tips

How to Increase Conversion on Your Law Firm Website

There are literally hundreds of thousands of websites of lawyers and law firms trying to get the interest of potential clients. With so much competition on the Internet, a law firm’s website only has a few seconds to engage site visitors. According to the “2013 Law Firm Website Conversion Study,” which was commissioned by LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell, prospective clients use those first few seconds to evaluate a law firm’s website, gauge their professionalism, and determine their ability to practice law.

Consumers are growing increasingly comfortable searching for information online, even when it pertains to legal issues. However, law firm websites need to observe certain principles if they want to engage and convert site visitors. Indeed, according to the LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell study, there are particular website elements that motivate site visitors to contact law firms, as well as particular website elements that would dissuade them from contacting law firms.

The “2013 Law Firm Website Conversion Study,” notes the feedback of participants on newer website elements—such as blogs, social media links/widgets, and videos—as well as more established industry best practices—such as prominent contact information, a professional image, and showcased experience.    

Features that Positively Impact Conversions on Law Firm Websites

The study notes that there are certain universal “building blocks of success” that positively impact conversions on law firm websites.

These elements are:

• Location
• Navigation
• Attorney Profiles
• Practice Areas
• Free Case Evaluation
• Consumer Education

1.    Location

The law firm’s location should be prominently featured on the website. Aside from listing the full address of the office location, participants of the study were more inclined to contact law firms that prominently featured maps and directions to their offices on their websites.

2.    Navigation

Participants of the study wanted to know very quickly whether law firms could help them with their legal issues. Hence, law firm websites that were well-organized and easy to navigate were given very favorable ratings. Such websites allow site visitors to find pertinent information (such as information about attorneys, their practice areas, and specific legal topics) quickly and easily. In contrast, law firm websites that require site visitors to perform several clicks to determine practice areas, or require site visitors to read through a great deal of text to discover the information they need, were given lower ratings.  

3.    Attorney Profiles/ Practice Areas

Well-designed attorney profiles gave participants a greater sense of the attorneys’ skills, personality, and competence. Elements that constitute a well-designed attorney profile include photos (including photos of the attorneys), biographical information, and matter experience. Participants also wanted to discern very easily the attorney’s area or areas of practice.

4.    Free Case Evaluation

Many participants favored law firm websites that prominently displayed offers for free case evaluations. This is because many participants were unwilling to contact law firms that charged for the initial consultation—especially if the lawyer might not ultimately take the case.

5.    Consumer Education

High-quality, targeted, and genuinely helpful content appealed to participants. Favorable ratings were given to law firm websites that explained participants’ legal issues and offered useful educational content. Search engines like Google and Bing also favor law firm websites that regularly publish high-quality, unique, and useful content, and give much higher organic rankings to websites that meet such criteria.

In addition, participants gave the following characteristics favorable ratings:

1.    Prominently Featured Case Results

Participants also favorably rated law firm websites that published case results. In fact, participants did not prioritize major awards, as many felt that firms that featured smaller wins were more interested in taking on cases of all sizes. Law firm websites that only published big wins were seen as being rather intimidating, and participants were less inclined to contact such law firms about smaller matters.

2.    Descriptions of Third-party Competitive Differentiators

Law firm websites that featured professional achievements, independent ratings, or client reviews scored significantly higher than law firm websites that lacked such third-party competitive differentiators. Participants wanted to learn more about the positive qualities that distinguished the law firm from its competitors.

3.    Prominently Featured Videos

A considerable number of participants found professional videos on the website to be highly persuasive. As many clients do not wish to work with lawyers and law firms that make them feel uncomfortable, they will watch videos found on law firm websites that provide a compelling glimpse into the attorneys’ personalities, as well as the atmosphere of the law firm.

4.    Well-integrated Social Media Links/Widgets

Law firm websites that prominently displayed their social media links/widgets were seen as being more accessible, and were viewed more favorably by some participants.

5.    Responsive Web Design

Law firm websites that have been optimized for various devices—such as desktops, smartphones, and tablets—were viewed more favorably by participants. Site visitors are turned off by web pages that do not load correctly on their screens, and websites that aren’t responsive will see a precipitous drop in their traffic and conversions. Google and Bing also hate websites that aren’t responsive, and will penalize such websites.

Features that Negatively Impact Conversions on Law Firm Websites

Of course, there are also features that would negatively impact conversions on law firm websites. According to the LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell study, the following features dissuaded its participants from contacting the law firm being featured on the website:

1.    Websites that Appear to be too Commercial

Participants were turned off by law firm websites that focused too much on payment or appeared to be too eager for business. While call to action terminology such as “Call us today!” might work in other niches, such language dissuades site visitors from contacting law firms. Prospects would rather hire attorneys that seem more interested in making a difference than in making a profit.

2.    Mediocre Visual Design

Badly designed or visually mediocre websites also drive site visitors away en masse. Participants said they were less likely to contact law firms that had cluttered web pages, unappealing visuals and color schemes, as well as layouts that were difficult to navigate.

3.    Paucity of Photos and Poorly Chosen Images

Some participants greatly disliked stock images, especially if they found the images to be emotionally upsetting. Disturbing images (such as those of injured people and accidents) were flagged, even if they related to the area of law being practiced. Participants also expressed disappointment at law firm websites that lacked pictures of their lawyers.

4.    Missing Case Results

Participants expected case results to be prominently displayed or easy to locate, and expressed disappointment at law firm websites that did not contain this information.

5.    Poorly Designed Contact Forms  

Participants were turned off by contact forms that were unnecessarily intrusive or required extra, tedious steps to complete.

A Questionnaire for Law Firms that Want to Convert More Site Visitors on their Websites

Attorneys who want to convert more of their site visitors and lower their bounce rates need to answer the following questions:  

• Does their firm’s website convey a professional image?
• Can site visitors easily determine if the law firm’s offices are nearby?
• Does the firm demonstrate its ability to handle the prospective client’s legal issue?
• Does the firm demonstrate its expertise through its website?

Anything less than a resounding “yes” should be reason enough to subject your website to expert analysis and redevelopment. Your website should be the central component of your online marketing strategy. Aside from providing a window into your firm’s positioning, strengths, and capabilities, your website should also outline the specialist skills of individual lawyers, and provide educational content that your site visitors will find useful.

With the right mix of targeted content, compelling design, and useful features, attorneys can connect more effectively with their site visitors, and convert them into prospective clients who will contact the firm for more information or set up appointments.  

Does your firm’s website meet the following criteria, or is it sorely lacking in the website elements and/or characteristics that lead to successful conversions?

If your law firm website is deficient in any of the aforementioned website elements or characteristics, there’s no need to panic as we’ll be more than glad to assist you. We provide professional web design and development that focuses on keeping your website dynamic and up-to-date. We’ll incorporate all the website elements and characteristics that will reduce your bounce rate and increase your site conversions.

Additionally, we’ll optimize your website with targeted keywords and keyword phrases that will increase its rankings on the organic search results of Google and Bing. We’ll also update your website blog with useful educational content that will nurture your leads and lead them down the sales funnel, transforming them into clients. If that wasn’t enough, we’ll also set up, optimize, and update your social media accounts, and manage your interactions with your audience.

We’re experts when it comes to marketing law firms online. We’ll establish your brand presence, increase your brand’s reach, drive more qualified traffic to your website, and increase your conversions.

Contact our professional digital marketing agency today, and get a FREE consultation on how to design or redesign your law firm website and increase your conversions!

Call us, send us an email, or fill out the form and take your law firm to greater heights!

Grow your Law Practice Online Today

Can your Law firm be found by Potential Clients Today?

Seventy-six percent of adults are seeking lawyers online.

A study identified a four-stage search process for people looking for a lawyer.  They gather information about their legal issue; find a lawyer; validate a lawyer; and select a lawyer.  They use various online resources in all of these stages.

How will they find you in all of these stages?

They use search engines.

Your website must be very visible on search engines for technical keywords, as well as keywords that are in the everyday language of potential clients that pertain to various legal issues you handle.

Can they easily find your website online? Do you provide legal information to demonstrate your competency? And therefore, addressing the first two stages of their search process.

They go to online legal advice forums.

You must be present in these forums as they gather preliminary information.  Are you there to provide initial advice?

They look in local online directories.

You must be present in local online directories with your clear contact information and areas of specialization. You must have positive reviews to validate your expertise.

They use social media.

You must have a good presence on LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter as they will look at your posts, your network, and other people’s comments or testimonials about you.

They read legal blogs.

Your website must have a blog for updates and stories about how you’ve helped people with their legal cases.

They visit law firm websites.

Your website must stand out with the information they need, and it must have clear calls to action to guide them to the next step. They will try to validate you here, and if satisfied, will select you.

We can help you increase your online presence and exhibit your competence and trustworthiness as a lawyer to more of your potential clients.

Digital marketing is in our jurisdiction, and we know all the twists and turns, all the possible angles of attack to make your firm successful online.

Your online presence will be judged, so fill out the form or contact us now for a consultation!

Let your Chiropractic Office Dominate Online

IS YOUR CHIROPRACTIC OFFICE SEARCHABLE AND VISIBLE ONLINE?

People should know better than to think of chiropractors as glorified massage therapists. You don’t just work patients to the bone; you also treat and alleviate muscle and tendon disorders. You are the providers of sweet relief.

People Use Search Engines to Find Chiropractors

When people were asked to think about the last time they searched for health and medical information, as well as doctors or other health professionals… a huge majority (77%) said that they began at a search engine such as Google, Bing, or Yahoo.

Will they find you online and gain information about the possible causes of their pain? Also, is there clear contact information so that they can get in touch with you for their chiropractic needs?

If your clinic is found online, do you provide helpful information about their health to gain their trust?

Can they find you on search engines at all?

Get a Mobile-friendly Website

Here’s a fact that people won’t have a bone to pick with:

A survey finds that of the seventy-four percent (74%) of adults who use the Internet:

• Eighty percent (80%) have looked online for information about health topics, such as specific diseases, treatments, or procedures.
• Thirty four percent (34%) have read someone else’s commentary or experience about health or medical issues, such as chiropractic procedures, on an online news group, website, or blog.
• And twenty five percent (25%) have watched an online video about health or medical issues, such as cosmetic surgery procedures.

Are there positive reviews about your practice online?

If your answer to any of these questions is “no,” you don’t need to get bent out of shape. There’s a lot you can do to improve your chiropractic clinic’s online presence, and make it highly searchable.  You can stand out in local listings.

You can engage and reach out to more people in social media. You can build and expand your own brand. We can help you with that.

Build and Expand your Chiropractic Practice with our Help

We provide:

• Responsive Web Design
• SEO
• Local Buzz
• Social Media Optimization
• Online Reputation Management
• Website Audit
• PPC and Remarketing
• Brand Establisher
• Brand Booster
• …and more!

Fill out the form today or call us and take a crack at setting an appointment with us. Understand how we can help you adjust your online marketing strategy.  Our services are ready to be your online marketing backbone.