The first step in choosing the right agency for you is identifying your specific marketing needs. It’s important to understand that different agencies may offer different services. Some focus on foundational tools such as websites, SEO and SEM, others may favor social media and content marketing while larger firms may offer full-stack services. Businesses should evaluate their marketing goals, review agencies that can deliver results in the areas that matter most and then choose a firm that will truly value your business rather than treat you like a number.

Dr. Michael Perusich, CEO of Kats Consultants remarked, “we often think about marketing as a mechanism to accomplish a task. But, just like the need to create great relationships with your customers, the same is true when choosing your digital marketing partner.  I advise my clients to avoid firms with ‘thousands of clients’. Yes, that can be reassuring to hear but, that also indicates a high-volume, cookie-cutter approach where you are just a number. Choosing a strategic partner that truly values your business will bear much more fruit for your business in the long run.”  

It’s difficult to be confident about what services are offered and needed, how pricing and terms are structured and most of all, what results should be expected. And with so many choices, how do you select the right professional marketing team?

In this blog post we will explore the critical questions you should ask and considerations you should evaluate before selecting a digital marketing agency for your small or medium-sized business, discuss what services marketing agencies do for you, review the elements that make up an effective digital marketing strategy and, reveal standard costs and compensation structures.
Understanding these points better ensures that you’re more likely to select the right partner and create a successful relationship that generates the consistent growth outcomes you’re looking for. Let's get started!

When looking to hire a digital marketing company there are several things to evaluate. Look for an agency with experience in your industry, ask for examples of past work, what tools they use to track success, how often they can meet with you, the size of the agency, how they are compensated, what specifically is included and what terms are required.  

1. What Services Do You Offer?  You want a company that provides comprehensive services. This is often referred to as ‘Full-Funnel’ services. That means they have a wide range of expertise and can handle various aspects of digital marketing, including SEO, social media, email marketing, content creation, and web design. If a digital marketing firm only specializes in one area, you may have to engage different firms to handle other aspects of your online marketing, which can be a hassle and time-consuming.
2. What Success Stories Can You Share?  Before deciding on a digital marketing firm, ask them to share some successful online marketing campaigns they have run for other clients. A credible and trustworthy firm will not hesitate to provide you with examples of their work. Case studies and testimonials from previous clients are a good gauge of what a digital marketing firm can deliver. If they can’t provide specific examples of what they have achieved for clients, you may want to keep looking.
3. What’s Your Industry Expertise?  Digital marketing practices vary by industry, so you want a firm that has experience in your business niche. This way, their team understands your target audience, industry trends, and engagement strategies. Ask for examples of past clients in your field and what specific marketing approaches they used to create consistent impact.
4. Who Will Be Managing My Account?  It’s essential to have a direct point of contact or account manager within the firm you hire. The account manager will ideally provide you with regular updates and reports on your campaigns' performance and help you strategize. Find out who this person is, and how open to communication they are, especially if you prefer to be hands-on with your campaigns.
5. What Are Your Compensation Structure and Terms?  It’s crucial to understand how the marketing agency will be compensated and what terms are required. Ask about their payment, terms and what’s included in their pricing. Be wary of firms that offer vague pricing terms or ask for large upfront payments and promise quick results.

Digital marketing agencies typically provide a variety of services such as website design, search optimization, search engine marketing, social media marketing, email marketing, and SEO. Niche firms specialize in providing one or several services. Full-funnel digital marketing firms will typically offer all digital services plus graphic design, copywriting, video/audio production, branding, advertising, media planning/buying as well as public relations services.

1. Digital Marketing Agencies Conduct Market Research.  They’ll identify the target audience, understand the business's value proposition, and the competition's marketing activities. Through market research, digital marketing agencies can create strategies that resonate with the target audience's interests, generate leads, and convert them into paying customers.
2. Digital Marketing Agencies Create Strategies.  Look for them to develop an all-inclusive digital marketing strategy that includes various components such as search engine optimization, search marketing, social media marketing, email marketing and more. They also determine the budget required to implement each strategy and set specific goals in terms of leads generated, conversion rates, customer acquisition cost, and overall return on investment.
3. Digital Marketing Agencies Develop and Maintain Websites. Digital marketing agencies help businesses create and maintain websites that are fast, user-friendly, and optimized for search engines. The websites that digital marketing agencies create are easily navigable, mobile-friendly, and provide high-quality user experiences to the audience.
4. Digital Marketing Agencies Develop and Execute Paid Advertising Campaigns.  Search marketing targets specific audiences through various media platforms such as Google Ads, Bing Ads, Facebook Ads, LinkedIn Ads, etc. Programmatic ads serve paid advertising to users across any platform such as subscription video services referred to OTT (Over-The-Top) such as YouTube TV, Hulu, etc, or while people are shopping on Amazon or other ecommerce sites.
5. Digital Marketing Agencies Measure and Analyze Results.  Marketers use analytics tools to measure, analyze, and interpret the effectiveness of each digital marketing campaign. They generate data-driven reports to provide businesses with insights on their digital marketing campaigns, identifying areas of improvement, and generating recommendations.

An effective digital marketing strategy requires careful planning, research, monitoring and goal-based adjustment. You need to define your target audience, establish your goals, choose the right channels, plan and implement your strategy, monitor and measure your results then adjust for improvement.
Effective digital marketing strategies are comprised of foundational elements no matter a business’s size, target audience or industry segment. By following these steps, you will be able to create a successful digital marketing strategy that delivers results for your small or medium business.
Ask agency candidates for example digital marketing plans and look for these elements:

1. Defined Audience and SMART Goals. The target audience demographics and what they are looking for, should be clearly identified. Goals should be focused on increasing website traffic, generating leads, improving brand awareness, or increasing sales. No matter the goals, they need to be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART).
2. Channel Selection.  Selecting a mix of digital marketing channels that align with the audience and goals is key. Each channel (SEO, content marketing, PPC, social media marketing, email marketing, programmatic, etc) has its strengths and weaknesses, and you need to choose the ones that work best for your business. If you’re looking to boost your website traffic and generate leads, you may want to invest in SEO and content marketing. Whatever channel you choose, make sure it aligns with your audience and goals.
3. Planning and Implementation. This involves creating a content calendar, developing a messaging strategy, creating high-quality content, and testing and tweaking the messaging and delivery. The content calendar should outline the topics and themes you’re going to cover, the channels you’ll use, and the frequency of your posts. Your messaging strategy should be consistent across all channels and align with your brand’s tone and personality. Your content should be SEO optimized, engaging, and provide value to your audience.
4. Monitor and Measure Results. Track progress, identify what’s working and what’s not, and adjust accordingly. Use an iterative process based on analytical data to optimize strategy and to achieve dependable growth.

Digital marketing agencies typically offer two types of compensation structures: project-based & retainer-based. Project-based compensation is charged by the hour for one-time projects such as website design, branding, or social media setup. Retainer-based compensation is charged monthly for services such as content creation, social media management, and email marketing.
When asked about why they chose a retainer through a full-funnel firm, Eric Johnson of CJ Real Estate said, “We struggled to realize how our website, SEO, email, events and social media - all our marketing -  works together and needs to be managed as a whole. We wasted so much time and money with one-off projects and short-term focus. I’m so glad we listened to Chris Lowers and let his team get us marketing strategically. Grey Partners is a remarkable digital marketing agency – they have us off the sales roller-coaster and enjoying steady business growth. And, we’re spending about half of what we did on project work. Go figure!”
Service costs are often substantially reduced by entering into a monthly retainer agreement because it offers the same benefit for both the client and agency – consistent success. Agencies know that your success is their success. One-time projects typically won’t be good for them or their clients over the long term because websites and SEO must be continuously nurtured to be consistently successful.
Check out these FAQ’s to learn more about digital marketing agency pricing:

1. What is the average hourly cost for digital marketing agency services?   Usually, digital marketing agencies charge between $90 and $200per hour for their campaign or project-based services. Hourly fees will vary depending on the scope and complexity of the project.
2. What is the typical cost of digital marketing agency retainer services?  Retainer services vary based on the scope of services provided. Most small business spend approximately $1,200 - $3,000 per month while larger brands may allocate $10,000-$30,000 or more per month for digital marketing services.
3. Are paid advertising costs included in digital agency service compensation? No, unless specifically called out in the contract, hard costs are not included.  Paid advertising costs, stock images, royalties, hosting and other hard costs are charged separate from digital marketing services.
4. What to look for in a Digital Marketing Agency Contract? Before signing a contract with a digital marketing agency, ensure that you're clear on important details such as deliverables, timelines, and payment terms. Check for clauses such as a non-compete or early-termination fees. Always ask if there is a 30-day out or if longer notice is required to terminate services.
5. Are Digital Marketing Agency terms flexible and negotiable?  Yes, reputable marketing firms are always ready to offer flexible terms customized to your needs. While many digital marketing agencies offer standardized contracts, you may want to negotiate a lower retainer if you commit to a longer-term engagement or ask for a clause that allows you to increase or decrease your retainer based on business needs.

The takeaway
Before hiring a digital marketing firm, it’s crucial to do your research and ask critical questions to ensure that you end up with a firm that complements your business needs. Ask about the firm’s services, previous success stories, industry expertise, who will be managing your account, and their pricing structure. Ensure significant experience, an understanding of your goals and objectives, a commitment to be ahead of the latest trends and technology, transparency, and the ability and desire to measure success. With a clear understanding of the digital marketing firm, you’ll be more comfortable working together toward the common goal of building your brand and achieving consistent growth outcomes.

Yes, provided you don't have large-scale eCommerce needs. Weebly is simple, affordable and effective. It’s an all-in-one domain, hosting and site builder able to run a powerful site – no coding or advanced knowledge required.

Simplicity is the advantage and disadvantage of using Weebly. Users of any skill-level can visually assemble and launch a responsive, SEO-friendly site fast.

Although not suited for large eCommerce sites, Weebly provides small-to-medium size players with a very cost-effective option.  50 million use Weebly worldwide and it is offered in 15 languages.

It is ideal for professional service providers, small-to-mid size manufacturers, non-profits or similar organizations that need a great site without the carrying costs associated with site development and management.

Weebly offers collaboration allowing site owners to invite people to edit specific areas of your site and assign them different levels of access. It’s a cool feature you won’t find everywhere.

The site-creation tool impresses with a clear, simple drag-and-drop interface that lets you easily build excellent-looking and responsive webpages. Novice users may not realize that the design limitations that come with ease of use also provide a layer of protection against inadvertent catastrophic mistakes that are so easy for novices to make when working in WordPress or other site-builders with more challenges structures and easy code access.

Weebly offers a fair selection of template designs and integrated e-commerce tools. If you’re not able to find just the right theme from Weebly, third-party themes from platforms such as ThemeForest and WebFire give you more options – be aware that these may require more technical knowledge to implement. And, additional functionality is available through Weebly’s app center. You can find over 350 apps and integrations for site-tools, social media, pop-ups, SEO, calendars, appointments, eCommerce and more.

Advanced users can customize HTML and CSS files providing greater control over website layout for users with developer skills.

Weebly is fast with outstanding 99.9% uptime. Many site builders fail on this point but our testing revealed response rates in the United States from 3ms to 81ms. Outside the US speeds averaged 136.8 ms.

SEO functionality is built right into the Weebly platform. Just like any site, the ability to rank highly on search engine results pages (SERPs), comes down to what’s in it. Factors like keywords, site content, and links are all critical elements of effective SEO. If you install the MarketGoo App, you can get a free SEO analysis report of your published site.

What the Experts Say
PC Mag rates Weebly as a good website builder with a 3.5 star rating citing well-rounded features with limited customization. Software analysts Michael Muchmore & Jordan Minor concluded that, “Weebly is an easy-to-use builder. It lets you create and publish attractive, responsive design sites, blogs and online stores, but could use more themes and a better photo repository.

Website development expert Sophia Conti feels that “Weebly is one of the best ways for beginners to build a website that looks and acts like it was built by an expert. It still has some limitations, but if you want to keep costs low and have all your tools in one place, Weebly could be the way to go,” giving Weebly 4.6 stars.

PROS

• No coding or advanced knowledge required
• Responsive themes
• Integrated eCommerce option
  
• Switch themes without rebuilding your site
• App & integration center
  
• Outstanding uptime
• Integrated SEO functionality
• Fast site speeds
• Part of Block, Inc. (Formerly Square, Inc)

CONS

• Lacks reusable photo storage
• Limited design capabilities
• Can’t go beyond H2 headers
• Poor image editing tool
• Limited blogging tools
• Upgrade required for chat, phone or email support

 
The Bottom Line
At the end of the day, choosing between an all-in-one site builder and a custom-built site comes down to your resources and budget.
If you’re looking for simple and affordable, or you’re a one-person marketing team, Weebly is an excellent choice. You’ll be able to create a nice-looking website that can be optimized to attract web traffic, without spending a lot of time or money.
On the other hand, if you aren’t restricted by expertise and are able to handle building and managing your site in-house, WordPress may give you more of what you're looking for.

If your website is not SEO friendly, you are missing out on significant traffic, leads, and revenue for your business. Think about it, what good is a website that's essentially hidden from your customers?

In this article, we'll take a closer look at what it means to have an SEO-friendly website and provide you with tips on how to optimize your website for search engines.

First, understand that SEO is a process rather than a destination. It must be continually refined and updated.  Search Engine Optimization (SEO) refers to the process of optimizing your website's content, structure, and links to increase your rankings on search engine results pages (SERPs). Essentially, the higher your website ranks, the more likely people are to see it when they search for relevant keywords in Google or other search engines. This can lead to more traffic, increased brand visibility, and ultimately, more conversions.

There are three core SEO elements: on-page, technical and off-page.

On-page refers to the content that makes up your website - both (1) what people see and read to learn about your business so they can take action and buy, and (2) what search engines read to learn about your business so that they can return relevant results to people searching. One of the main components of SEO is keyword research. This involves identifying the search terms that potential customers are using to find businesses like yours. There are various tools available for keyword research, including Google AdWords Keyword Planner, Moz Keyword Explorer, and SEMrush. Once you've identified your keywords, you'll want to incorporate them into your website's content, meta descriptions, and other on-page elements.

Technical SEO plays an important role in your website's rankings. This involves optimizing your website's structure and code to make it easier for search engines to crawl and index your content. Factors such as site speed, mobile friendliness, and structured data can all impact your rankings. Working with a professional web developer or SEO agency can help you ensure that your website is optimized from a technical standpoint.

Off-Page SEO refers to everything you do outside your website to improve your ranking on search engine results pages, such as link building, social media marketing, and guest blogging. Off-page SEO is an essential part of optimizing your website. Without a good off-page SEO strategy, your website may struggle to rank well on search engine results pages. Remember, Off-page SEO is not a one-time thing; it’s an ongoing process that requires continuous effort. If you want your website to rank well, you need to build quality links, engage with your audience on social media, guest post on other websites, submit your website to web directories, and save your website pages on social bookmarking websites.This involves posting content on third party sites and getting other websites to link back to your website, which signals to search engines that your content is valuable and authoritative. You can build links through guest posting, outreach campaigns, and other methods. It's important to note that not all links are created equal, and quality over quantity is key. Getting a few high-quality links from authoritative websites can be much more beneficial than getting numerous low-quality links.

When done well, these three components contribute to build search engines understanding of your EXPERTISE, AUTHORITY and TRUSTWORTHINESS. In search vernacular this is referred to as E-A-T which is the fuel that drives search engine effectiveness and your websites ability to generate high seach engine results page rankings.

But what exactly is E-A-T, and how does it impact your website's visibility?

E-A-T is a concept that emerged from Google's Quality Rater Guidelines, which are used to train human evaluators on how to assess the quality of search results. Expertise refers to the knowledge and skills of the content creator, authority relates to the creator's credibility, and trustworthiness is about the overall credibility of the website.

Why E-A-T is Important
When search engines crawl your website and finds high-quality pages with excellent E-A-T, it views your content as trustworthy and authoritative. As a result, your pages are more likely to rank higher in search results than pages with lower E-A-T. Poor E-A-T, on the other hand, can result in lower search engine rankings and less visibility for your brand.

E-A-T is tough to quantify. Search engines do not provide a guide to building E-A-T ranking factors but, we know that there are a few factors that drive E-A-T. Some of these factors include the quality of your content, the expertise and credibility of the author, the reputation of your website, and the quality of your website's user experience.

Effective SEO generates strong E-A-T by feeding search engines high-quality content that's informative and helpful to your target audience, ensuring that you're publishing content that's written by experts in your industry, establishing your brand as a credible authority in your niche delivering top-nothc user experiences with intuitive navigation, fast loading speeds, and a mobile-friendly design.

So how do business owners move forward?

1. The first step to improve your website's SEO is to evaluate its structure. An SEO-friendly website should have a clear and organized structure that makes it easy for search engines to crawl and index. This means having a logical hierarchy of pages, a clear navigation menu, and a URL structure that is easy to read and understand.
2. Once you have a clear and organized website structure, it's time to focus on your content. High-quality content is the backbone of SEO, providing value to both your readers and search engines. To optimize your content for search engines, you need to ensure that it includes relevant keywords and is structured using header tags. Additionally, strive to make your content engaging and informative, as this will encourage users to spend more time on your site.
3. Link building is one of the most effective ways to improve your website's SEO. High-quality backlinks from reputable sources can help establish your website's authority and credibility in your industry. This, in turn, can improve your website's ranking on search engine results pages (SERPs). To invest in link building, reach out to other websites and ask if they would be interested in linking to your content.
   
4. Mobile optimization has become increasingly important for SEO in recent years. With more people using mobile devices than ever before, Google has placed increased importance on responsive design. Ensure that your website is optimized for mobile devices by using a responsive design and ensuring that your content is easily accessible on smaller screens.
5. Social media can be an effective tool for SEO, allowing you to connect with your audience and build backlinks to your site. Incorporate social sharing buttons on your website and encourage users to share your content. Additionally, use social media platforms like Twitter and LinkedIn to share your content with your audience.
   

Having an SEO-friendly website is essential if you want to establish your brand and grow your business online. By following the tips outlined in this article, you can optimize your website for search engines and improve your visibility on SERPs. Remember, SEO is a long-term process, and it requires consistent effort and attention. Stay dedicated to these efforts, and you'll see positive results over time.

The more you understand SEO the more likely it is that you'll seek professional SEO help. Here are 12 questions to ask before hiring an SEO provider.

Striking the perfect balance between aesthetics and usability is key to crafting great user experiences. So how will your website give every visitor a great experience? 4-minute read.

A well-designed site builds trust and guides visitors to take action, all the while creating an enjoyable user experience. So how will your website give every visitor a great experience? Read on to learn 10 keys to great site design:

1. Communicate clearly. Visitors must immediately and effortlessly recognize why your website exists, what you’re offering, and what actions they can take. Without visitors end up frustrated, leaving never to return. Avoid slang and overly technical copy. Test readability and legibility. Know that your message is on point and immediately understood by any user.
2. Visual language. You are telling your story through the users eyes. Site colors, icons, typography and imagery become a powerful visual language that is the backbone of your unique brand identity. When combined with well-written content, an effective visual language helps create a cohesive, memorable and enjoyable experience throughout your site.
3. Seamless navigation. Keeping navigation simple, intuitive, and consistent are key to a great navigation experience. Without it, users struggle to understand what to do and leave. Your navigation must feel predictable. Use a combination with structured menus, keyword searches, and internal linking.  But, keep it simple by incorporating clear labels, intuitive categories, and consistent placement of elements.
4. Familiar comfort. Elegant websites feel familiar, even at the first encounter because the design follows established conventions. Great designers build clarity and usability on conventions because they represent mental models that visitors have established by visiting countless other sites. For example, an innovative approach such as placing your navigation menu on the bottom of the page may look great, it is far from what users have come to know and expect, and likely would cause significant usability issues.
5. Responsiveness. Ensure that your site effortlessly adjusts to your visitor’s device or browser so that visitors always experience your site as you intended.
6. Structural integrity.  Well-organized sites are easy to digest. Hierarchy helps you structure content meaningfully so that users feel a logical flow helping visitors find what they want faster. Use color, contrast, size, white space, alignment and movement to your advantage.
7. Unwavering consistency. A cohesive look, feel and functionality ensures rewarding user experiences. Think about how color, typography, imagery, icons, buttons and copy style adds to or takes away from site functionality. Craft familiar experiences through consistent design.
8. Performance perks. Slow is ugly. Your site should load quickly, work properly, and give users feedback when there’s an issue or delay. Optimize site performance by eliminating any design elements that make your site the least bit sluggish. After all, it an elegant site doesn't work, how would you know it's elegant.
9. Friction-less interactions. Users should find converting intuitively easy. Whether you're asking visitors to sign up, subscribe, or buy, reduce the process to only the essential elements. Incorporate conversion processes that are free of distraction, confusion, and frustration are vital. Test for and eliminate unnecessary steps.
10. Stewardship. Visitors trust great websites through clear, consistent and accurate information free of errors, confusing copy and dead links. Good sites also communicate with transparency clearly citing fees and pricing, reasons for collecting personal data, and genuine customer reviews to inspire feelings of trust and confidence.