How difficult is it to get a website online? Truthfully, building a website today is easier than ever before. Programs such as WordPress will walk you through most of the heavy lifting. Even if you’ve never launched a website before, you could probably have a working site ready-to-go in just a few days.
But is that enough? Should every business hire an internet marketing agency, or are there some situations where you’re better off doing it yourself?
Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of hiring an SEO Expert:
What Does an Internet Marketing Expert Do?
An internet marketer generally provides whatever online services your small business needs. If you don’t have a website at all, the marketer can build you one. If you already have a site, but need more content, the marketing pro can identify and create new content which will connect with your audience.
Maybe you don’t even know what your site needs. You might have some type of web presence, but nothing’s working out really well. Your site is stale, traffic is weak and your online presence isn’t leading to an increase in sales.
An internet marketing agency can analyze your brand’s current online situation, identify what changes need to be made and then implement those strategies. This might mean technical changes to your site construction, artistic changes to your marketing plan or something else entirely.
Benefits of Professional Design
Most business owners tend to leave the technical SEO issues to a professional. But what about some of the simpler stuff. Should you design your site yourself in order to save money?
That can be an option. For instance, WordPress has thousands and thousands of third-party themes available. You can easily (and cheaply) create a unique look for your site.
But is that enough? A site built by someone with a background in SEO design will be more visually appealing to potential customers. Visitors will be drawn through the site and directed to take specific actions.
For instance, certain elements on a home page help increase the chances of your visitors clicking deeper into the site. You’ll want logos placed in certain areas, examples of social proof, clear navigation and more.
More Than a Pretty Website
Beyond design, an SEO professional can get the technical aspects of your site running beautifully. For instance, you want a site which loads quickly. Ideally, each page should load in about three seconds.
A professional will be able to remove what’s-called bloat. Page bloat includes images with a needlessly high resolution, coding which is overly complex and other issues. Streamlining a site helps a site load faster without sacrificing quality.
Social Media Management
Many business owners are reluctant to hire someone to manage their social media pages. But an internet marketing professional can add a lot of value here.
First, managing social media pages can be very labor-intensive. New content needs to be created and posted on a regular basis. Plus, brands need to respond to any social media comments relatively quickly. Most small business owners don’t have the time necessary to manage an effective social media presence.
Plus, a marketing professional will be able to develop an effective social media strategy. Your ideal customer base, and their preferred social media network, will be identified. Then content will be created to appeal to their interests.
Mobile Readiness
Perhaps the most compelling reason to work with an SEO professional is the upcoming Mobile First Update from Google. Soon, the largest search engine in the world is going to change how they rank web pages. Instead of rankings based on the desktop version of a site, ranking will be based off the mobile version.
Without proper preparation from a professional, your site’s ranking could dramatically drop overnight. Your site needs to be ready with clear navigation, fast loading times and other mobile friendly strategies.
Unsure how an SEO expert can help your business succeed online? Call me today for a free consultation. I’ll offer personalized recommendations, suitable for any budget, for how to increase your traffic and sales.
