It's a big deal to hire a
digital marketing agency in NJ. You're not just buying something; you're starting a long-term relationship and putting your faith in someone to help your business grow.
What is the problem? There are a lot of "gurus" in the industry who talk a big game but don't get results. Not only will a bad agency waste your money, but they can also hurt your reputation and get your website banned by Google.
You need to ask the right questions before your first sales call to protect yourself. To tell the difference between experts and fakes, you need to ask these 10 questions.
1. How do you define and measure success?
• A bad answer is "We'll get you more traffic" or "We'll get you to #1 on Google."
• Good Answer: "We measure success by your business goals. If your goal is to get more leads, we'll keep track of 'conversions,' 'cost per lead,' and 'lead-to-customer rate.' We'll send you a monthly report that shows how our work affects your revenue."
2. Can I look at some case studies that are specific to New Jersey?
• Wrong Answer: "We work with clients all over, but we can't share their data because it's private."
• Good Answer: "Of course! We helped a plumber in Bergen County get three times as many leads in nine months. Here's a roofer in Monmouth County whose 'cost per lead' we cut in half. Here's the data..."
3. What do you plan to do with me?
• Wrong Answer: "We use a proven, unique 10-step process for all of our clients."
• Good Answer: "We need to do a deep-dive audit of your site, your competitors, and your customers first. A 'cookie-cutter' plan doesn't work. We'll make a plan just for you based on your goals and budget."
4. Who will be in charge of my account?
• Bad Answer: "You'll have a dedicated account manager." (This person is often just a salesperson.)
• Good Answer: "You'll meet your core team. Sarah is our SEO strategist, Mark is your PPC specialist, and [Name], our senior account manager, will be your main point of contact. You'll meet with them every week or every other week."
5. How often do you communicate and report?
• Not a good answer: "We'll send you a report when we have something to show."
• Good Answer: "Every month on the first, we send out a simple, one-page executive summary and a detailed report that you can access at any time. We also have a 30-minute strategy call every other week to talk about what's working and what we're testing next."
6. What are the terms of your contract? The "Red Flag" Question
• Bad Answer: "We need a contract that lasts for 12 months and is rock solid."
• Good Answer: "We start with a 3- or 6-month initial engagement to show you how valuable we are. After that, we switch to a month-to-month agreement. We think our results should be what keeps you, not a contract."
7. What work will be done in-house and what work will be done by someone else?
• Wrong answer: "We take care of everything." (They probably hire the cheapest person to do it all.)
• Good Answer: "All of our core strategies, SEO, and client communication are done in-house. For high-production shoots, we sometimes work with a trusted videographer, but you'll be involved in that process."
8. What Don't You Do?
• Wrong Answer: "We do everything! SEO, PPC, social media, print, billboards..."
• Good Answer: "We are experts in digital marketing, including SEO, PPC, web design, and social media. We do not do traditional PR, print, or media buying. If you need that, we can refer you to a partner we trust."
9. What Do You Need From Me to Be Successful?
• Wrong Answer: "Just the check. We'll take care of the rest."
• Good Answer: "We're in this together. We need you to be actively involved. Your team needs to give us feedback on leads, tell us about industry trends, and be available for a call twice a month. Your knowledge is what makes our marketing real."
10. Why should I pick you over other NJ agencies?
• "We're the best" or "We're the cheapest" is a bad answer.
• Good Answer: "We're not the cheapest. We're built for NJ service businesses, we're open and honest, and we care a lot about ROI. We don't just 'do marketing'; we work with you to grow your business. Our goal is long-term, sustainable growth, not vanity metrics."
It's a big deal to hire a [url=https://www.randlemedia.com/]digital marketing agency in NJ[/url]. You're not just buying something; you're starting a long-term relationship and putting your faith in someone to help your business grow.
What is the problem? There are a lot of "gurus" in the industry who talk a big game but don't get results. Not only will a bad agency waste your money, but they can also hurt your reputation and get your website banned by Google.
You need to ask the right questions before your first sales call to protect yourself. To tell the difference between experts and fakes, you need to ask these 10 questions.
1. How do you define and measure success?
• A bad answer is "We'll get you more traffic" or "We'll get you to #1 on Google."
• Good Answer: "We measure success by your business goals. If your goal is to get more leads, we'll keep track of 'conversions,' 'cost per lead,' and 'lead-to-customer rate.' We'll send you a monthly report that shows how our work affects your revenue."
2. Can I look at some case studies that are specific to New Jersey?
• Wrong Answer: "We work with clients all over, but we can't share their data because it's private."
• Good Answer: "Of course! We helped a plumber in Bergen County get three times as many leads in nine months. Here's a roofer in Monmouth County whose 'cost per lead' we cut in half. Here's the data..."
3. What do you plan to do with me?
• Wrong Answer: "We use a proven, unique 10-step process for all of our clients."
• Good Answer: "We need to do a deep-dive audit of your site, your competitors, and your customers first. A 'cookie-cutter' plan doesn't work. We'll make a plan just for you based on your goals and budget."
4. Who will be in charge of my account?
• Bad Answer: "You'll have a dedicated account manager." (This person is often just a salesperson.)
• Good Answer: "You'll meet your core team. Sarah is our SEO strategist, Mark is your PPC specialist, and [Name], our senior account manager, will be your main point of contact. You'll meet with them every week or every other week."
5. How often do you communicate and report?
• Not a good answer: "We'll send you a report when we have something to show."
• Good Answer: "Every month on the first, we send out a simple, one-page executive summary and a detailed report that you can access at any time. We also have a 30-minute strategy call every other week to talk about what's working and what we're testing next."
6. What are the terms of your contract? The "Red Flag" Question
• Bad Answer: "We need a contract that lasts for 12 months and is rock solid."
• Good Answer: "We start with a 3- or 6-month initial engagement to show you how valuable we are. After that, we switch to a month-to-month agreement. We think our results should be what keeps you, not a contract."
7. What work will be done in-house and what work will be done by someone else?
• Wrong answer: "We take care of everything." (They probably hire the cheapest person to do it all.)
• Good Answer: "All of our core strategies, SEO, and client communication are done in-house. For high-production shoots, we sometimes work with a trusted videographer, but you'll be involved in that process."
8. What Don't You Do?
• Wrong Answer: "We do everything! SEO, PPC, social media, print, billboards..."
• Good Answer: "We are experts in digital marketing, including SEO, PPC, web design, and social media. We do not do traditional PR, print, or media buying. If you need that, we can refer you to a partner we trust."
9. What Do You Need From Me to Be Successful?
• Wrong Answer: "Just the check. We'll take care of the rest."
• Good Answer: "We're in this together. We need you to be actively involved. Your team needs to give us feedback on leads, tell us about industry trends, and be available for a call twice a month. Your knowledge is what makes our marketing real."
10. Why should I pick you over other NJ agencies?
• "We're the best" or "We're the cheapest" is a bad answer.
• Good Answer: "We're not the cheapest. We're built for NJ service businesses, we're open and honest, and we care a lot about ROI. We don't just 'do marketing'; we work with you to grow your business. Our goal is long-term, sustainable growth, not vanity metrics."