It's all about Conversion.
1. Does your agency provide strategy?
Bad Answer: We already know exactly what to do to get you more business than you can handle.
Good Answer: Yes. Everything we do is based on Strategy. We work with you to develop a Strategic Plan before we begin anything else. If we don't start with Strategy, we don't start with you. We listen to you and help you develop your goals & objectives, then design a Strategy that makes sense for your organization.
2. What type of Search Engine Marketing (SEM) should my organization be doing?
Bad Answer: We have a way of loading up your home page with words that will get you to the first page of a Google search right away.
Good Answer: It depends on what Strategy is used to reach your goals & objectives. This question can't be answered until the Strategic Plan is developed. Once that happens we use Keyword Analytics to measure where the best opportunities are for you to have a chance to be found with organic search which usually takes 3 to 4 months to establish. In the meantime, we have developed an expertise in applying advertising principles such as Paid Search and Social Media Marketing to prime the SEM pump and help you get found. This also provides invaluable data for our Organic Strategy Development as we see what Keywords and Inbound Tactics receive the most attention from your Targeted Audience.
3. How does my website perform for Search Engine Optimization (SEO)?
Bad Answer: Once you engage our hourly services, we will take a look at that for you and give your our expert opinion.
Good Answer: We start with a Free Website Grader to determine if you need to invest in a full-scale overall Internet Marketing Assessment performed by a Certified Inbound Marketing professional. The Website Grader written results are yours to keep with no obligation, but we are available to provide detailed analytical consultation once you have determined that you are ready to move forward with an Inbound Marketing Plan. The grader results will guide us in determining the benefits of further professional analysis.
4. How much content should we be producing?
Bad Answer: You probably have all the content you need already in the marketing materials you use. We can put together what we need from that.
Good Answer: How many products/services do you want to promote and how quickly do you want to create online traction, where you can begin to see measurable results from your efforts? Content volume and type will be dictated by the Content Strategy developed in the Strategic Plan, but frankly, if you are serious about success with Inbound Marketing, you should be prepared to either spend a good portion of time in writing about your business and industry or to engage the services of a Content Development Team. Inbound depends on a regular flow of relevant Content to be successful.
5. What type of content should we publish online?
Bad Answer: Once your website is up your pretty much done. Oh, you could have someone in the company do a newsletter about new employees and big contracts you get.
Good Answer: It depends on your Target Customer Personas developed in the Strategic Plan and the determined point of entry in the Sales Cycle of each of those target prospects who enter your website. Personas are character sketches of your optimal customers, the type of people with whom you would most like to do business. Your content should be "Solution-Based" for those personas and written in a language they can understand.
6. What is Inbound Marketing and should my organization be looking into it?
Bad Answer: That's just another name for SEO. You don't have to bother. We can handle that for you.
Good Answer: Inbound Marketing is an online content-based marketing system designed to attract website Visitors, convert Visitors to Leads, Leads to Customers and then re-engage those Customers to become loyal promoters of your business, as well as repeat Customers. Your website becomes the engine of a Conversion Machine that encompasses and integrates all facets of your Internet Marketing, including, but not limited to: search, email, blogging, and social media. More and more decision-makers are using the internet to either make purchases or educate themselves about making their purchases everyday. Common sense says, Yes, you should seriously consider hiring a Certified Inbound Marketing Agency if you want to be where those decision-makers are looking.
7. Should we have more or less exposure in social media outlets like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, etc.?
Bad Answer: Social media doesn't really work too well for businesses. Don't waste your time.
Good Answer: It Depends. Does social fit into your overall strategic goals & objectives defined by your Strategic Plan? Social Media Marketing can provide tremendous results for businesses that fit a certain profile, IF a coordinated plan is implemented, analyzed and modified on a continuous basis.
8. What software automation system(s) certifications does your agency hold? What certifications do your employees have? What about the people working on my account?
Bad Answer: Our staff has a lot of experience in developing websites and internet marketing so we don't really need to have certifications. They really don't mean anything.
Good Answer: We have made a commitment to Inbound Marketing and making sure our team is fully trained and certified in all aspects of the latest Inbound strategies. We have found that this is a dynamic science which is constantly changing and requires continous study to command mastery. We are a Certified Hubspot Partner and the team assigned to your account is Certified by Hubspot, our first choice for automated content management for your business. (Reputable & recognizable companies like Google, Hubspot, SEOMoz, Marketo, SalesForce and Pardot are some certifications which should be in the discussion.)
9. How do you measure success?
Bad Answer: We promise you that with our expertise and experience you will see an increase in your business you won't believe.
Good Answer: In developing the Strategic Plan, we establish your goals and objectives at the very beginning, working with you to set reasonable, accomplishable and measureable milestones in Website Conversions, Categorical Sales and ROI-(Return on Investment) based on those goals & objectives. Conversions are actions that Visitors to your website take that move them toward the ultimate Conversion, becoming a Customer. A good Inbound Marketing Plan must include analytics and measureable results, all based on Conversions.
To learn more about Inbound Marketing and building your own Conversion Machine, download our FREE ebook:
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