Vetting Your Internet Marketing Agency

Trying to figure out who is who and what is what when it comes to internet marketing agencies can be really tough. However, there are some things you can do to separate the good, from the bad, from the ugly.

 Learn

 The first thing you can need to do is to spend some time learning at least the basics. You can't even begin to effectively vet an internet marketer without having some common ground in terms of definitions, concepts, etc. Make sure you understand the differences between organic and paid search marketing. I recommend you check out SEOmoz.org and search Google.com (site:google.com seo). These are really phenomenal references for getting getting down some basics. I also recommend GetListed.org for learning about local search which is especially important if you're a local business.

 Ask

 Once you've got the basics down, you should start compiling a list of questions. Ask your prospective internet marketer for examples of clients. Ask them very specific questions about what they plan to do on your behalf. Ask them how they will measure the effectiveness of what you're paying them to do. Ask them how long you will have to commit to them. Ask them is they have specific experience working with businesses like yours. Ask them if they're working with your competitors.

 Expectations

 One of the best ways to avoid problems with an internet marketing agency any vendor is to identify specific expectations from the start. Identify expectations in terms of performance metrics. Identify expectations in terms of results. Identify expectations in terms of what will specifically be accomplished and when. The less surprises that you face, the more likely that you will have a positive experience with an agency.

 Run, Don't Walk

 If your prospective internet marketer is talking in terms of "magic," "special relationships," or "secret sauce," my advice is that you politely say no thank you. If you're dealing with someone that is selling secrets, it's likely that the secret is that you're being taken for sucker.