In a nutshell, digital marketing is the use of online tools to drive business. It can range from creating simple social media accounts to more complex email marketing, SEO and PPC campaigns.

If you’re looking for someone to take care of your digital marketing for you, the first thing you should do is ask around for recommendations. Word-of-mouth is the most trusted form of marketing, and it’s free. Talking to people who have used similar services or brands is the best way to find out what they liked about the service and what they didn’t like. This way, you’ll be able to find a provider that meets your needs. It’s not always easy to find the right mix of features and pricing when you’re not familiar with the industry, but with careful consideration, this is what you want to look for in an agency.

Features You Should Include in Your Research

When researching what digital marketing agency to work with, you want to make sure that they offer the right set of features for your needs. Some of the top-rated agencies below will give you an idea of what you should include in your research:

• SEO: (Search engine optimization): One of the most important things you need to consider is how well the agency handles SEO for your business. If they do it well, then it’s all worth it.
• PPC: (Pay per click): This is basically advertising your product or service on search engines for free. While SEO helps your product or service stand out above the competition, PPC helps it get discovered by potential customers. Make sure you compare costs and see how much you’ll need to spend on ads each month to make it worth the investment.
• Email marketing: (Electronic mail marketing): Similar to PPC, email marketing is another way of advertising your product or service for free. However, instead of paying per click on ads, you’re paying per email.
• Social media: (Social media marketing): This is essentially the use of social media platforms to promote your product or service. There are many different social media platforms, like Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook, and the list goes on.
• Website creation: (Web design): Your website is an important part of your online marketing plan. It provides your potential customers with a place to discover you and your products, as well as gives you the opportunity to build a relationship with them. Make sure the agency you choose has experience in creating websites for businesses just like yours.
• Graphic design: (Logo design): Your logo is an important part of your brand identity. It creates a visual connection between your customers and your products, and it makes your product more memorable.
• Content creation: (Article marketing): Creating and curating content for your website, social media and other inbound marketing materials is an important part of the internet marketing process. Having a team of writers who can create high-quality content for your projects is key.
• App development: (Mobile marketing): As the world becomes more of a mobile-first society, it’s important to have a presence on all the major social media platforms as well as mobile applications that people use every day. Having a team of developers who can create a custom app for your business is a must.
• Monitoring KPIs: (Key performance indicators): Measuring the performance of your digital marketing activities against key performance indicators (KPIs) is an important aspect of the process. Monitoring your KPIs regularly and comparing them to previous periods provides you with an idea of the effectiveness of your campaign. Having a team of data analysts who can look into key performance indicators and provide you with accurate and useful reports is vital for any business.
• Analysis of competitors: (Market segmentation & psychographics): As the name suggests, market segmentation is the process of breaking down your target audience into distinct groups based on key demographics and psychographics. Once you have your segmented audience, you can personalize your message and campaign to match their unique needs.
• Search Engine Optimization: (SEO): As mentioned above, SEO is one of the most important aspects of your digital marketing strategy. In fact, almost 90% of businesses rely on SEO to some extent, according to HubSpot.
• Email Marketing: (EMC): Email marketing is another important part of any marketing plan. It provides you with the opportunity to create an ongoing relationship with your customer by sending them regular, useful emails with content that they value. This content could be anything from an email newsletter to a simple tip sheet on a new product or service. Having a team of experts who can help you choose subject lines and build content is crucial for any business.
• Social Media Marketing: (SMM): This is essentially the use of social media platforms to promote your product or service. It’s usually cheaper than paid advertising on search engines, and it provides you with the opportunity to connect with potential customers who are already using your product or service. Make sure you choose an agency with experienced marketers who know how to integrate social media platforms effectively into your existing marketing strategy.
• Website optimization: (WOS): Similar to SEO, the process of optimizing your website’s content and architecture for performance is called website optimization. Website optimization includes things like ensuring your site is mobile-friendly and has the right structure for effective SEO. Make sure you work with someone who has experience in this area.
• Personalized, relevant content: (PR): Creating personalized, relevant content for your website, social media, and other inbound marketing materials is an important part of the internet marketing process. Having a team of copywriters who can create high-quality, engaging content for your campaigns is crucial.
• Monitoring KPIs: (Key performance indicators): Measuring the performance of your digital marketing activities against key performance indicators (KPIs) is an important aspect of the process. Monitoring your KPIs regularly and comparing them to previous periods provides you with an idea of the effectiveness of your campaign. Having a team of data analysts who can look into key performance indicators and provide you with accurate and useful reports is vital for any business.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Every business is different, and as such, will have different key performance indicators (KPIs) for measuring success. If you’re not familiar with this term, it essentially refers to the metrics used to determine the performance of a given marketing campaign. These metrics can be anything from the number of website visits to the extent of social media engagement. The most useful thing is that you’re able to track these metrics on an ongoing basis and compare them to previous periods to determine the overall success of your campaign. For example, the number of website visits might be determined by measuring the amount of time people spend on your site, the number of pages they visit, and the average time spent on each page. In this case, you’d want to track these three KPIs and compare them to previous periods to get a sense of the effectiveness of your website.

What Type of Experience Do You Need for the Best Outcome?

Depending on what you need, you might want to opt for an agency that’s based in your country, or one that offers global delivery. Similarly, you might want to go for an agency that’s already established, or one that’s newly launched. These are all important things to consider when choosing an online marketing agency. If you’re not sure what level of experience you need, ask around for recommendations or do some research into the agency’s previous work. Doing some research into what other businesses in your industry have said about their experience with different agencies is also a good idea. Talking to people who have gone through similar circumstances is the best way to get an idea of what to expect. You want to be sure that you’re not getting trapped into a situation where you’re not feeling comfortable or are uncertain about the quality of service you’re receiving. For the best results, make sure you’re comfortable with the agency from the outset and that you’re aware of the terms of the contract you’re entering into. This way, you’ll be sure that everyone is speaking the same language and that you’re all working towards the same goal.