When a business owner or company employs the services of an online marketing company, it’s ultimately because they want to grow their business.

Hiring a digital marketing agency is the ideal choice if you want a robust online presence, and yet you don’t have in-house resources. It’s also the sensible option if you wish to a reputable SEO agency to correct the errors your previous SEO specialist did to damage your online presence.

There are numerous reasons and advantages of hiring an online marketing company. However, there are also some pitfalls you should avoid. Whether you’re just starting out in the online marketing venture for your business or your previous online marketing agency did you wrong, here are the common mistakes you should absolutely avoid.

Falling for Sparkly SEO Presentations

This is a huge mistake – and one that very many small business owners easily fall for. When dealing with any online marketing company, they will try their best to make you realize the benefits of working with them.

However, those marketing agencies that often drop a lot of money on their sales pitches usually spend less effort, time, and resources on doing the job they’re meant to do for their clients.

And we understand that’s easy to be enticed by sparkly marketing pitches. However, always take a closer look. Look for substance over style.

What are they really saying? Can they explain their processes to you easily? Or is it all smoke and mirrors designed to lure you into a bad decision?

Every company, no matter what industry they are in, has finite resources. And how a company distributes its resources say a lot about them as a company.

At Rule Your Kingdom, our staff is committed to client services, rather than sales. And a good tip to remember is to pick a company with a team of experts to help you – not a group of salesmen.

Believing Promises That Are Too Good to Be True

This pitfall coincides with the first one we listed above, as it involves smoke and mirrors. If you stumble upon an online marketing company claiming they have a secret tactic or that they can get you to the top quick and fast, run.

In SEO, there’s no secret tactic or instant solutions. It’s a process that requires commitment, expertise, and the right resources to succeed. The difference between a marketing company with successful campaigns and those without is their level of expertise and their commitment to execution.

Don’t believe in promises that seem to good to be true. Chances are, they usually are. Work with an SEO company with a good reputation and proven track record of positive results.

Skimping on an Online Marketing Company

With most things in life, you get what you pay for. In SEO, that’s essentially true. Cheap SEO services use cheap content, paid links, and keyword-stuffed optimizations, also known as black-hat SEO techniques.

Google has implemented strict SEO guidelines. You wouldn’t want to be caught employing these techniques as they may cause irreparable damage to your online presence.

If you’ve found an SEO company but don’t have the budget to hire their services, ask if they offer consulting services instead.

Not Doing Research

You shouldn’t avoid this step when looking for a digital marketing agency. If you’re interested in working with an SEO company, do your research. Read their customer testimonials. Review their case studies. Ask for references. Consult with their current clients.

Getting fantastic SEO results is an ongoing process. One that requires a long, fruitful relationship with SEO companies and their clients. Hiring an online marketing company only to have to leave a year later because you realize you’re not satisfied with their services is bad news.

It can negatively affect your online presence, and it’s time and money consuming, it takes time away from running your company.

Before you sign on with an online marketing agency, do your research.

To make sure you’re picking the right SEO company for you, here are some questions you can ask them:

• What process will you use to help my business succeed?
• What is your communication process with clients?
• Are you a Google certified or Facebook marketing partner?
• What is your strategy when things are not working according to plan?
• Can you show me previous websites and companies you’ve worked on?
• Can I get services tailored to the exact needs of my business?