Running a start up business isn’t easy. There’s so much that you need to take into consideration in order to not only get customers through your door but keep them coming back for more. One key element for any start up is getting an online marketing strategy setup and running to ensure long term success.
However an online marketing strategy requires knowledge of the SEO world in order to get the best returns for your money. This is where hiring an SEO company like https://hookagency.com/minneapolis-seo comes into play. However you don’t just want to hire any SEO company, here’s some of the do’s and don’ts you need to consider before hiring one for your start-up business.
What You Shouldn’t Do When Hiring
Don’t Fall For Guarantees
In the SEO world you can’t guarantee full success of your SEO campaign. Why? Because your competition is also working hard to get their SEO efforts right as well. When hiring an SEO company for your business, here’s some red flags to take into consideration when it comes to guarantees:
- When they say they can get you to the top of Google’s 1st page in the shortest amount of time. Remember Google is unpredictable and they can’t control Google.
- When they guarantee you that you’ll have increased sales within the first three to six months with their efforts.
- They say they guarantee all your money back if you don’t see the results you’re after. With this one you have to be careful. Remember no one will do all the work to then give back the money if you’re not satisfied.
- They guarantee that one single SEO strategy is the best and only one that will work for you.
While some SEO companies can guarantee some areas of their services, these key red flags are something to keep in mind when hiring.
Not Asking The Hard Questions
When hiring an SEO company it’s important to ask some hard questions in order to get the answers you’re looking for. When hiring make sure you ask these questions and any other that you may think of.
- What services do you offer?
- Which ones do you believe I need and why?
- How many hours of service can I expect for the money I’m spending?
- Will you do an audit of my website?
- Will you create any content for my site or do I need to?
- Have you had experience with my industry niche?
- Can I meet in person to discuss any strategies you put in place?
- Do you have an case studies I can view of any successes you’ve done?
- How will you provide reporting for updates on my campaign?
- How can I get the most out of your services?
These are just some of the hard hitting questions that you should ask prior to hiring to gauge how they’ll handle the job and whether they’re the right fit for you.
What You Should Do
Know Your Budget Before You Look For Candidates
Knowing your budget is important because it allows you to know which SEO agency is the right fit for your individual needs. When looking into your budget, here’s some things you should consider.
- Decide on how much you want to spend for an SEO agency.
- Know whether this cost will be ongoing or a once off payment.
- Know whether you can opt out at any point or whether you have a locked in payment plan.
- Make sure you accommodate for additional funds in case something goes wrong with your business.
- Create a financial plan to help guide you on how much you should be spending.
- Don’t spend an abundance of money hoping for great returns. The SEO world can change dramatically.
Your budget is key to your overall success so make sure you have a clear number on how much you want to spend.
Have A Contract In Place
Many people tend to hire SEO companies but forget to ask whether they have a contract to sign. In today’s world there’s so many start up agencies who claim they can give you the world when it comes to SEO, but may not be experienced with getting the results you need. Signing a contract is important when hiring a company because it helps to safeguard you in the event something goes wrong. Before signing any agreement, here’s some things to make sure to check which are in the contract.
- The company’s full name, address and contact details.
- Clearly outlined deliverables.
- Timing of deliverables.
- Pricing structure and definition of what the pricing covers.
- Invoicing schedule.
- Cancellation terms.
- Legal contingencies and details.
- Ownership of work and whether there’s a money back guarantee.
- Scope of work.
- Expiration of date.
Don’t hire a company that doesn’t offer a contract on their services as this will cause problems long term if something goes wrong.
Conclusion
Hiring an SEO company for your startup business can be a great asset and return overall. Don’t let your business fall into the endless pages of Google. Are you ready to hire an SEO company?
Author bio: Tim Brown is the owner of Hook Agency, and strategic marketer focused primarily on driving traffic and leads for small businesses and construction companies.