How to Select a Web Design Firm
Look for an Established Company w/ ‘Internet Marketing’ Experience
A good looking website is important, but for online marketing success, businesses must rely on integrated Internet Marketing Strategies. Internet Marketing refers to the tools and processes involved in attracting and engaging online prospects and converting them into clients. When selecting a partner for your online marketing project keep the following in mind:
The website should be optimized to command large number of qualified visitors from major search engines. Your corporate website should be easy to find for appropriate key-phrases in search engines like Google and Yahoo.
A great looking website is very important. The graphic design (look & feel) of the website is the most critical
...in several ways online and offline. Caution: don t only focus on the tiny pond of the internet and ignore the ocean of the offline world. However, internet research is quicker and cheaper. Your greatest research tool is personal observation. ...
The website should be organized and engineered for ‘converting’ visitors into customers. Or, at a minimum, interested prospects. Strategically placed ‘calls to action’ must compel visitors to act and take action. A high-performing ‘conversion strategy’ will ensure your website delivers quantifiable business results.
Ensure your campaign includes mechanisms to automatically follow-up with past visitors and systematically remind them of your services, products, offerings, etc. Permission Marketing Techniques should be deployed to deliver value and information to clients and prospects on a regular basis.
...whose email addresses have been purchased (and sometimes stolen) from another source. It is a direct and inexpensive way to increase your business, track sales and maintain contact with your client base and helps filter out those who are interested ...
Find a Local Company You Can Trust & Rely On
Look for a local internet marketing firm (not just web design) to partner with. The company you select will become a critical part of your marketing efforts. Make sure they are willing to provide your business with the care, attention and support you will need moving forward. It is a good idea to meet and interview the project manager that will be in charge of your project. Also, the account manager you will work with moving forward should be knowledgeable, professional and a true advocate of your online marketing efforts. This
...to your site. Submitting, by itself, is not enough: You have to work to ensure that your submitted page attains a top ranking. Pressing the submit button and walking away is not an adequate solution in and of itself. SEO ...
Website Management Tools are Important
Make sure your site includes a non-proprietary easy to use Content Management System (CMS). Your website should accurately reflect your business and current marketing strategy. As the business evolves the content of your website should change to support the marketing efforts. A Content Management System (CMS) enables your marketing staff to make real-time changes to the website without having to rely on technical resources.
It is also important to select a firm that utilizes a non-proprietary CMS. This enables your
...do searches for those you want to meet. Normally networking sites allow you to exchange messages, blog, exchange messages on forums or groups, and start conversations with others who are interested in your area of expertise. This is the easiest ...
Conclusion
Selecting the right Internet Marketing partner for your web-redesign project is critical. Your business online marketing success depends on the decisions you make now. It is a good idea to contact and interview several firms and request detailed proposals from at least 3 companies. Take the time to review and evaluate the recommendations, map-out the different project phases and ask for references to speak with.
For additional recommendations
...you don't already have an established site in that niche, you will definitely want to avoid it if the search numbers are too low. Join a membership sites that generates niche product ideas each month. Evaluate each of these ideas ...
Hugo Fernandez, Certified Google Professional. With computer science and economics degrees, Hugo Fernandez has more than 14 years of marketing experience working and consulting with numerous Fortune 500 companies including IBM, Arthur Andersen, Compuware and the Chicago Tribune. As a managing partner with iGenMedia Web Design, he has extensive experience developing and deploying effective online marketing campaigns for large and small corporations alike. He is also a well respected authority in the field of Search Engine Marketing (SEM) and Search Engine Optimization (SEO).