A common mistake many small to medium size businesses make is to rely on the in-house computer whiz-kid for everything related to their websites. The whiz kid might be the controller who is also good with computers, or a sales staffer, or even the college-age son of the owner.
These people may be very good at what they do, but they are unlikely to make good decisions with respect to Internet marketing. They won’t know where to begin when it comes to evaluating whether or not your website is working for you producing leads, in-store traffic, and sales.
Even if they are interested, they have their other job duties or school which are more pressing. And if you go to them with something specific like, “We need to hire someone to do search engine optimization,” they might nod “Yes,” but will be unable to truly advise you on the best direction to go.
At best, they’ll do a Google search and come up with a zillion firms offering search engine optimization (SEO). If they pick the wrong firm and your SEO work is done unethically, your site could get banned from Google search results. That might destroy your business, so you really should be extra careful when selecting an SEO specialist.
Beware of firms wanting huge chunks of cash every month, especially if you can’t understand how they are going to help you. Also, be wary with firms that promise absolute guarantees for #1 rankings.
Do look for a professional who is constantly working to stay up-to-date with the best and ethical practices for Internet marketing.
TIP OF THE WEEK: A good SEO copywriter can explain the basics so that you can grasp the underlying marketing strategy, and the basics will always involve starting with good Web page content.
(© 2011 Katherine Andes)
