There are a number of SEO companies operating in each city alone. With so many options, it can be a bit overwhelming to choose the right agency for your business. Hiring the wrong company can do more harm to your business. So, it is important to do your research before you select an SEO agency. Consider these three tips to choose the best one for your business.

Review their past performance

Successful SEO agencies will be backed by verifiable and specific results. You can easily check their performance by assessing the results they have delivered for their clients. Reputable agencies have nothing to hide. They proudly present such information on their website for the benefit of their prospective clients. You may find case studies on the website with data such as an increase in the percentage of organic traffic for a client along with the percentage of bounce rate and other metrics.

If you don’t find such information on a company’s website then send them an inquiry for the same. Request them for real examples when you first approach them for more information about their business. Also, consider their industry accolades such as awards.

Client testimonials are also great to assess a company’s performance. See to it that the testimonials are presented well with the clients’ names and business mentioned alongside their photographs and statements.

You can search online for local SEO companies by using your location in the keyword. For instance, SEO agency Miami is a good example of a relevant keyword. It will help you jumpstart your research.

Assess the transparency of their business

You wouldn’t want to see your money wasted by hiring an SEO agency that doesn’t really deliver. So, see to it that you don’t focus only on their performance but also on the way they conduct the business. Anyone can write glowing content on the website. But you need to see if they can back what they say.

Check if they offer free SEO analysis. It can be a good starting point to gauge a company’s confidence.

Do they mention the names of their clients on the website? A company that has a solid client base will not hesitate to present this information to their prospective clients.

SEO companies with transparent business practices will grant their clients 24×7 access to real-time results. So, you will be able to check your rankings on various search engines along with traffic statistics. Companies that are assured of producing the desired results for their clients will not hesitate to reveal information about their performance. With access to such data, you can see the company’s performance anytime you want.

Some reputable SEO companies work with only one business in each category and market. They may or may not reveal this information on their website (though businesses with transparent practices are likely to do so). Exclusivity is a good thing to have when you hire an SEO company for the job. It can be a relief to know that the same company is also not working for your competitors.

Reputable SEO companies with transparent practices will never insist on long-term contracts. Yes, it takes time for SEO results to show. But they will still not ask their clients to commit to them for the long term. They charge on a monthly basis. So, it gives you the freedom to terminate their services any time you feel the need to do so. Only companies confident in their performance will offer monthly contracts.

You can also check their business social accounts (if they have any) to know more about their business practices and ethics. Read their business blog to assess their industry knowledge and expertise.

Schedule a meeting

Once you have identified a good SEO company, schedule a meeting with them. It can be an in-person meeting, a video call, or just a telephone conversation. Unless you speak with the company executives, you will not know if they are a good fit for your business.

Ask them to define how they plan to tackle SEO for your business. Gauge their understanding of your business category by asking them relevant questions. Ask them about their fees upfront for the monthly work.

For too long, companies have been relying on outdated methods to capture and capitalize on leads and customers. In fact, many of the tactics that are given to businesses to help with their marketing are based on ideas that pre-date the internet itself, and that hardly account for how much our society has changed. There are, however, modern marketing agencies focused on new ways of thinking. They’re often called a lifecycle marketing agency and they’re helping businesses succeed now and into the future.

A lifecycle marketing agency is one that uses lifecycle marketing to better target customers and help businesses generate new leads and capitalize on their success. But what is lifecycle marketing and why is it seeing such success? We break it down for you here.

What is Lifecycle Marketing?

When people ask about a lifecycle marketing agency, their first question is often the most obvious: what exactly is lifecycle marketing? This particular style of marketing is a goodwill generating concept focused on delivering content and incentives to your target demographics in the ways that they love. So instead of trying to get people to come to your infrastructure, you reach out to them in places that they already are. This is all done with the purpose of converting them not simply into customers, but into brand ambassadors.

Why is lifecycle marketing different from your typical sales funnel? It’s a more fluid model compared to the traditional sales funnel, and it’s one that’s better adapted to the modern sales journey. While the sales funnel has been a useful analogy, it’s also largely outdated, and has been since the internet became a household utility. Lifecycle marketing, especially when implemented with the help of a lifecycle marketing agency, is much better suited to today’s tech-savvy customers.

The Three Major Stages of Lifecycle Marketing

Lifecycle marketing has a number of advantages compared to the traditional sales funnel. It’s arranged a little differently. In this form, it is actually three stages, each of which have clear goals and processes. Unlike a sales funnel, these stages are not consecutive. In fact, many leads will bounce around these different stages as they become more aware of your brand, products, and options. Many companies that use lifecycle marketing will craft a plan in conjunction with a lifecycle marketing agency to ensure that the plan works. Here is a breakdown of each step.

Stage 1: Collect

In the collect phase, a lifecycle marketing agency will break down the profiles of all your target demographics. Not just with their likes and dislikes, but also where they are on the internet, how they best receive information, and what forms of advertising they prefer. In this phase, the focus is on collecting leads and demographic information simultaneously.

Much of the collect phase is developing content plans that will drive customers to your site or your storefront. This can be through eye-catching articles, e-books, white papers, or other relevant materials. The right lifecycle marketing agency will help you create the right plan for your company and industry.

Stage 2: Convert

Conversion is all about relationship development, one that relies on a steady stream of relevant material for anyone who’s found you. This stage is crucial for tone and brand identity, something that a lifecycle marketing agency can help you refine. In this phase, you will start to see more leads warm up to and begin a fruitful relationship with your company. But that first sale is not the end. In fact, it’s basically the beginning.

Stage 3: Create

In the create phase, you will begin turning your converts into ambassadors. This can be done in any number of ways, be it promotions, additional lead generation, or even incentivizing spreading the news of your company. With the right lifecycle marketing agency helping, you will be able to develop these relationships into something that works far past the first sale. After all, an ambassador for your company will give you invaluable word-of-mouth marketing that you simply cannot buy.

What makes a Lifecycle Marketing Agency Different?

Since lifecycle marketing is so focused on meeting potential customers and leads where they are, a lifecycle marketing agency is actually specialized in audience knowledge. They create and maintain incredibly detailed and relevant profiles of your demographics to help you reach new levels of success.

If you are tired of the old ways of marketing and want to see success in the modern world, then you will need a new marketing strategy. For that, you will need a lifecycle marketing agency to help you break out of old habits, meet new leads where they are, and convert customers into your next brand ambassadors.

Are you thinking of using WeChat for marketing your business in China? It is a step that can enhance your brand recognition in the country. With over one billion monthly users, many of whom visit the site multiple times daily, WeChat is the leading social media platform in China. It is a versatile one too. Along with using it for chatting and communication, people use it as a wallet. Additionally, businesses use it for e-commerce activities, providing services, and receiving feedback. It is quite an invaluable tool for marketing and building up a customer base.

Here are five steps that you can use for creating a successful WeChat marketing strategy:

Hire a reliable Wechat marketing agency

There are multiple reasons for hiring a WeChat marketing agency. It will have native-language speakers, and you will need them to execute your marketing strategy. Not only will they offer tips and advice on marketing to local consumers, but they will also review or rewrite your social media posts and advertisements for more language and cultural accuracy. Keep in mind that most online users in China will prefer to view content in Chinese, and you will be at a disadvantage without agency assistance.

Register and create your WeChat account

You will also need help from the agency to register and create your WeChat account. The Chinese government requires all foreign companies to apply for official account verification and to provide business registration documents. You cannot market your products and services on Chinese social media without their permission.

Research your target audience

While its billion users may make WeChat seem like marketing heaven, you can’t practically reach all of them. Furthermore, you would be wasting your resources even if you could. They wouldn’t all be interested in your products and services. It makes more sense to research and target consumers who already use similar brands as they will be more likely to convert into customers. For further marketing convenience, you can segment the target audience by their ages, genders, occupations, incomes, buying habits, interests, and so on.

Set up a mobile-friendly marketing strategy

A large percentage of WeChat users access their accounts via their mobile devices, and so you need to have a mobile-friendly marketing strategy. You will have to create content that is easy to scan and more readily viewable on mobile screens. Make sure the content remains relevant and useful, and you will be able to expand your social media audience and get your products and services out before more people. They will soon become familiar with your brand and will be more likely to purchase it.

Integrate the wallet feature in your business account

WeChat’s wallet features allow users to make online and offline purchases. They can also use it to make payments for utility and other bills. People have become accustomed to paying with WeChat, and that’s why it is to your benefit to integrate the wallet feature in your WeChat business account. After browsing through your shop, they can conveniently purchase your products and services by using the familiar wallet payment.

Generally, the more seamless the buying process, the less hesitancy there is with making the purchase. You are also likely to get more repeat customers, and they may even recommend you to their families, friends, and followers.

With these five steps, you can build up a reasonably successful marketing strategy. Of course, you will need to continually tweak and improve on it to keep up with changing circumstances and trends. Additionally, you must monitor your WeChat wallet feature and make sure that your customers can make their payments without any hitch. It will also help to make prompt responses to their queries to smooth over issues and ensure customer satisfaction.

Furthermore, you must take care that your social media content and interactions are all above board and comply with the legal rules and requirements in China. Working with a digital marketing agency and having them vet your content before publication can help your brand to avoid controversies. You will be able to build up a strong consumer following for your products and services and establish a firm footing for your business in China.