By Jon Kelly
There is an old adage: “You get what you pay for.” It’s a common saying that has become cliché enough, some people often forget it’s true. However, when it comes to choosing a web design and/or SEO firm for your business’s website, you could be doing yourself a big disservice if you hire a consultant solely based on the price of the estimates.
Quite simply, if you are looking for a website that is designed to convert web visitors into sales or potential customers, and are banking on SEO to bring you targeted visitors, it never pays to take shortcuts. In fact, choosing a low-cost solution can often cost you more in the long run.
So how do you choose? Well, chances are you are not a web designer or SEO professional, and that is why you are looking to hire an expert. Here’s how to distinguish a good firm from an inexperienced one.
1. Not all estimates are the same
We see this every day. Businesses just like yours are looking for a quote on website design and/or SEO. You may have provided your requirements, but what you get back from company to company can drastically vary. What is and is not included can be different from estimate to estimate. If you select your web developer based on bottom line price only, you could end up paying more for your website and online marketing in the long run.
Think of it as if you’re building a house. One builder’s quote does not include door handles. Another builder’s quote is missing a bedroom. Another quote has all low-end finishes, while a different quote includes custom everything. The end result of all of these homes would be drastically different.
At the end of the day, what are you looking for? Set up parameters of your requirements and then review each estimate with the firm to ensure your web development requirements will be met in the finished product.
2. Not all SEO is actually SEO
SEO is a common word on web development quotes these days. For many firms, the process of SEO simply involves installing a plugin such as YOAST and then autofilling in the meta tags (these days this is the meta title and description which search engines read to see what a page is about). You’ll likely save a lot of money selecting a firm that does SEO in this manner, but your site may never rank for the high quality, high traffic keyword phrases that could bring in the majority of your leads.
Even the most experienced SEO firms will vary in their SEO process. It’s important to know that a well-developed SEO strategy takes time to properly execute. It is a long-term goal where a variety of elements are built upon each other to achieve success. Generally, SEO should start with a consultation and keyword research, which will then form the basis for the website architecture. SEO plays a big part in the content of the website.