The world is online. More than ever, businesses are finding that an online presence isn’t simply necessary; it is as the heart of what they do. For many, the difference between succeeding and failing is in how they manage those online interactions and experiences. For this, many turn to digital agencies, marketing and advertising firms that think online first. These agencies help online businesses avoid common pitfalls and succeed in a competitive market. If you are a business in Texas, then a digital agency in Austin could help you improve your business. Here are just a few things that the right agency can do for you to help you grow online.

Design a Better Site

When people think about how their site appears on Google and other search engines, they often think about keywords. It is, after all, how Google manages its adword auctions. But when it comes to climbing the ranks of Google organically through search engine optimization, the key is quickly changing to design over keywords, and the right digital agency in Austin can help.

The website is the main player for your average online business, the place where customers come to buy. It needs to not just work but also be a memorable and engaging experience. For that, most businesses need the expertise of design experts, something the right digital agency in Austin can offer. With the right website design thinking, your site can go from functional to beautiful and effective, increasing conversion rates while also helping it climb the ranks of Google. That means more people buying and more people finding you when they head to their favorite search engine.

Craft a More Dynamic Customer Journey

When we talk sales, we often talk about the sales funnel. But the sales funnel is actually just another way of saying “customer journey.” Understanding each point of this journey, and how to capitalize on them, is at the heart of what a digital agency in Austin can offer. This is about capturing the curious, whether they are searching through Google or scrolling on social media, and turning them into customers. This is also where many businesses fail.

When you work with a digital agency in Austin, you are tapping into a group of people who craft journeys, who understand how people move online, and who know where and how to capture their attention. This includes ads, but also the social media strategy, brand development, and more. It’s a holistic approach, and one that the right agency can help a company create.

Measure Your Success

At the end of the day, what your digital agency in Austin needs to do is deliver results. They need to help an online business do the thing it needs to do, which is to sell its products or services. What those measurable things are needs to be figured out at the start of the campaign, and the right agency will bring those results to that business. But how do they do this? With solid data and data analysis.

Many people think ads and marketing form an industry that thrives on creativity and gut, but all of this is founded on data. These days, there is so much fantastic data available that any digital agency in Austin worth your time will be able to provide solid, interesting data statistics that can prove the good work they have done, and they adjust on the fly to help those metrics improve. This data is key for seeing how well a campaign is working, but it can also help a business set itself up for success in the future.

Almost every business today has an online component, and that has only increased in the past year. What separates an online business that succeeds from a failure is how well they can connect with their potential customers and convert them. If you are a business in Texas, then you can improve your chances of success by connecting with a digital agency in Austin. With the right team at your side, your business can improve its site, its journey for potential customers, it can execute effective advertising campaigns, and it will have the data needed to improve. All of this is possible, and surprisingly easy, when you have the right online digital agency helping.

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.