There should be little doubt in todays world that the internet plays a massive role in business. Any business that isn’t operating online I’d put a bet on it isn’t performing as well as a similar company that is.
That said the internet can be a complicated place for business and not everyone has time to learn the complexities or go through the processes to make their business a success on the internet. This is where web consultants come in.
The web consultant is just 1 name for a vast array of titles and professions that are aimed around increasing a businesses effect on the internet. Many of these web companies would claim to be a ‘social media company’ in fact there are millions of them. A quick Google search shows that there are over 128 million of them!
To put that amount into perspective here is a few other business types for you to compare:
Tennis Coach – under 5 million results
Plumber – under 12 million results
Builder – 72 million results
PR Agency – under 2 millions results
When you consider the amount of people in the world that would require a plumber and then consider that on the web there is 10 times the amount of people trying to gain your business as a web consultant it’s clear to see why it is important to choose the right company, or person.
The good news for you is that it’s a buyers market. Unlike the plumber who tend to charge what they like, web consultants face massive competition so you can find the right company/person so pricing will be competitive. Not that you should base your decision on price alone.
The usual rules of choosing a company apply. Seek recommendations from people you trust. Failing any recommendations resort to the web consultant own field – the web. Any decent web consultant worth their salt will have optimised their web site for you to find them if they’re what you’re looking for. Try and be specific to your exact needs and that get in contact with some of the results that appeal to you. It makes shrewd sense to partner with a company that is local to you so you can operate face to face. If this is possible setup a meeting for them to visit you to discuss your needs.
In the meeting it is important you find out the following by asking probing questions:
- How long have they been in business doing what they do? - The amount of web consultants has risen massively in the last 24 months. Don’t rule out any companies that have been in business less than this time, but it’s definitely a negative.
- How many questions have they worked with, and how many are they actively working with? - This is a telling question. The amount of people they worked with is important but if they had been effective for those companies then they should have been retained. Often web consultancy is an ongoing project for any business.
- If they make promises, or claims of results they will deliver ask them for examples where they have delivered similar results to other businesses they’ve worked with. Then ask if they would mind if you were to seek opinions from those businesses - Pretty self explanatory this. Remember it’s a buyers market so it’s your right to go through everything as thoroughly as possible. You will only regret not doing so at a later date if not!
- Can they provide you with guarantees? - If they agree to this ensure that it is written into the contract of your agreement. Ensure that your payment is conditional with these terms.
- Will they work with your competitors? - It’s a difficult one to police, but the last thing you want to occur is for you to hire a company and put all the investment into that company learning your industry only for one of your competitors to benefit from. Also because of the nature of the web if your competitor stands to benefit usually it will be at your expense. Remember again it’s a buyers market. Put it in the contract if it’s a concern!
- Who will do the work? - Generally most web consultancies will be small. Maybe even 1 person on their own. This isn’t a negative thing. But ensure you use your judgement to ensure they don’t disappear or take on too much work.
On top of all of those questions be sure to ask all the usual questions you’d ask any company you were hiring to work for you.
