Frequently Asked Questions:
Can I get to the first page of Google search results? Possibly, but you’ll need to understand what Google is asking for, especially since they’ve changed their algorithms – their rules – recently. See: How to Get There (or Not)
Why has my web site been dropping in search engine position? The rules affecting placement of web sites in search engines, notably in Google, have changed. More correctly, they’re the same rules, but they’re now being enforced by very effective tools that now make a lot of traditional search engine optimization obsolete. As the net tightens, more sites that rely on outdated methods will also plummet. See: Web Site Search Position Plummets
Why do you do consulting by appointment, instead of just picking up the phone and calling when you get a chance? We book appointments in advance, so we can provide our full attention to clients and to avoid phone tag. Our consulting clients are usually not willing to pay for our time when trying to connect at unscheduled times, so we only make scheduled calls.
Where are your prices? We’re not trying to hide prices, and we’re not necessarily more expensive, but we don’t quote prices unless we’ve had at least an initial consultation. The industry is arcane enough that, even though there are standard practices, an appropriate comparison involves comparing apples to apples. Some firms describe their services in ways that lead to inaccurate comparisons based on price (how much “SEO” you get for $199 is not a valid source of claims if they’re’re doing anything real), and we don’t want to contribute to that. Let’s do an initial consultation, and we will show you how to assess your own situation and the value of various effective marketing solutions, and then we can quote prices based on your needs.
What about web site prices? When it comes to web sites, we prefer not to just put up sites on the web for fixed prices, like lawn chairs, because a web site like that is *not* an effective marketing tool, and is therefore a waste of any amount of money. We’d be bad consultants if we suggested that. As marketing professionals, we want your web site to be an effective client driver for your business, so you’ll get a business developer who understands how to maximize your budget and make one do that. Let’s do an initial consultation., and we’re happy to quote a price once we’ve come to agreement on what will work best for you company.
How do I know your stuff works, vs. the other guy? Simple answer: we are not selling you on anything proprietary, hidden, or mysterious. You will not find the words “secrets of insane web site traffic revealed” in big red letters anywhere on our web site (unless it’s April Fools Day or we’re poking fun at it). We use industry accepted information and knowledge, industry standard methods. There’s no voodoo or secret sauce. We don’t promise it will bring miracles. If you can’t verify what we say is right, don’t believe it. The secret sauce guys? Some will get you blacklisted, and in the long-run, the cost of that for your business is much higher than doing it right the first time. Internet marketing is an industry with legitimate professional standards. Expect them to be observed.
Aren’t there search engine tricks you can use? The rules of search optimization are documented well enough that everyone in the industry knows about them – we think presenting those as ‘tricks’ just because the average person isn’t in the loop isn’t honest. The magic tricks and technical wizardry, on the other hand, are so “secret” that even the search engines don’t know about them – in other words, they don’t exist, which is why they don’t actually work. Would you fly in an airplane built by a company that claimed to use hidden secrets and voodoo, or would you prefer to trust your business to industry standard knowledge?
Do you have payment plans? We have subscription plans for everything but the initial web site build, because that needs to be done all at once to be efficient. Payment plans we don’t have, in the sense of extending credit, but we do take credit cards, and they do offer credit terms. We just feel it’s important not to mix the creative relationship with the financial one.
You didn’t take on my project – how come? We only take projects we’re really interested in. A lot of companies are modeled on the retail store and take everything, like cashiers. We think we deliver higher value as a boutique firm by being selective and operating as your company’s consultants. You have access to plenty of ‘fish in the sea’, so we think all parties benefit from seeking the best fit.
I just want a web site – do you do just those? Sure – but then so can anybody else. A site without some functional plan to generate traffic and clientele usually hasn’t as much value – it’s there, but no one really notices. We encourage clients to make a web site one of the tools in an internet marketing plan that focuses on growing the business and generating clientele.
If you found an error, highlight it and press Shift + E or click here to inform us.
