With stats showing that consumers who visit a website through a paid ad are 50% more likely to buy than an organic visitor, you need to make sure that your business isn’t missing out on the benefits of PPC advertising. PPC or pay-per-click advertising can deliver traffic to your doorstep. However, because PPC is something very technical, company owners and entrepreneurs can’t be expected to run the campaigns on their own. This is why businesses often turn to expert management agencies that help them run this type of paid promotions.
Because PPC terminologies can be confusing and it can be challenging to set campaigns, you should look for a professional and experienced management agency that won’t just help you with keywords but take your business up a notch. If you’re lucky enough to find a reputable PPC firm, then they will help you manage your PPC accounts and assist you in maintaining or increasing the amount of traffic to your website and even have an impact on your rankings.
However, not every PPC agency that you come across or that claims to be professional will offer you the services and quality that you’re looking for. This is why it is crucial that you consider some things before hiring a company and then regretting it later.
1. Experience and Certification
Will you ever consider hiring a painter with no experience only because he says he knows how it’s done? Well of course not! The same is true for PPC agencies. The only way you can be sure about their qualification and experience is if you ask them for its proof. Always hire a firm that has Google certification and looks for ones that are certified in AdWords and other such PPC programs.
Moreover, finding and hiring a company that has been handling PPC advertising and marketing for a long time will give you the assurance that they are competent and know what they are all about. These companies will also be well versed in everything related to PPC and will be aware of the changes to Google’s algorithm that affect PPC.
2. Understanding of Business
To serve you to the best of their capabilities, the firm you hire must understand your business and the industry you work in. You need to ask the agency whether or not they recognize your customers and their needs, and how they plan to meet those needs. Unless an agency understands who you are, what you do and your customers, they won’t be able to come up with a successful campaign that brings you, potential clients.
If you expect the company to give you what you’re looking for, you need to make sure that they have in-depth knowledge of not only the complex PPC marketing techniques but also the ins and outs of your business. If you’re lucky enough to find a firm that has worked with a company in your industry before then make sure you hire them because they will apply their past knowledge and experience to your project too.
3. The Range of Services and Strategies Offered
In today’s digitalized world, you need to look for PPC agencies that provide a variety of services. Though some companies will only provide traditional PPC marketing like managing, monitoring and adjusting ads, you’ll find that others have adapted to the change and offer creative services as well. You don’t want a company that only provides PPC marketing, but instead, you must hire someone that can integrate other services like an SEO audit, conversion optimization, and copywriter as well.
Also, find out if the company you’re employing can set up Google Analytics and Google Merchant Center with your account, so you have a balanced solution that helps you understand customers, improve results and increase ROI.
4. Communication
Communication is the key to any relationship’s success. Apart from being transparent about what they plan to do with your company’s PPC marketing, you also need to find out if they can effectively communicate with you throughout the time you plan on using their services.
The PPC firm you hire must tell you how often they are going to report and the channels they will keep open for communication. Though the frequency of contact varies from company to company and products, it is recommended that the agency talks to you two days a week, so you’re kept in the loop with everything that’s going on with your project.
5. Cost
Another essential feature that you must consider as far as a PPC management agency is concerned is the cost. Like any other business, you might want to go for the cheapest option, but that’s something you need to reconsider. Though hiring a PPC firm shouldn’t cost you an arm and a leg, it is recommended that you choose one that offers top-notch services at reasonable costs.
Remember that the primary costs you’ll be paying for will be for search engine PPC costs and account management costs. So, it is vital that you compare several firms and make sure that there aren’t any hidden charges before you sign the final contract.
6. Previous Campaigns
Before you hire any potential PPC agency, you need to make sure that you ask them about their last projects, campaigns, and customers. This won’t just help you in talking to the company’s previous clients but will also give you an idea about the sort of work that they have done in the past. If the firm is transparent about their projects, you can be sure that they will provide you with the best possible services and make sure that you benefit from their efforts.
7. Look for Short-Term Contracts
Finally, before you end up regretting the decision of signing on the dotted line, you need to ask the firm how long the deal will last for. Look for a firm or agency that is willing to accept a short deal because you may want to fire them if your results fall dramatically and if you see no real change even after a month of campaigns. Moreover, PPC companies that are willing to get into short-term contracts show that they are confident about their services and are sure that the client will renew his contract once he is satisfied with the results. On the flipside, agencies that aren’t competent will try to convince you of a more extended deal that you can’t get out of even if you wanted.
So there you go, along with some of your personal preferences, don’t forget to consider these seven things before you hire a PPC management agency because they can make or break your business.
