Digital Marketing is oftentimes like a black box. It is something that many marketing “experts” portray as magic – something so complicated that only the best of the best can understand it. I see expensive consultants often use fancy words to make it seem more complicated than it is.

There is so much fluff in the internet marketing industry that it can be difficult for us not to call people out directly. There are a lot of products, guides and services being sold that will never help anyone grow their Business. There are a lot of companies that put all of their effort into their own sales rather than improving or creating valuable products. Finding a good web marketing agency is difficult, and there are a lot of mistakes people make when doing this. Here are some common mistakes Small Business Owners should avoid when hiring an Internet Marketing Agency:

I. Not Focusing on ROI

There are a lot of metrics to measure success in online marketing. There are a lot of fancy numbers such as Click Through Rate, Conversion Rates, Organic Visitors, etc. And don’t get me wrong, these are all very important metrics so we can monitor where improvements need to be made in a campaign. However, one of the issues I often see with businesses is focusing on the wrong thing. For example, imagine you are a business who hires an agency to manage and market your company on Facebook. You set your budget and the Marketing Expert launches your advertising campaign.

The campaign is a huge success. Your engagement, likes, and overall reach skyrocket. Users are sharing what you say and liking your photos. You are gaining a ton of traction on Facebook. But is it really a success? That depends on what success looks like to you. For many small businesses, they don’t have the budget to spend $1,000 a month for a bunch of Facebook likes and shares. You need to be sure it is translating to cold, hard, cash. If you are a Small Business with limited resources and it’s not making you money (directly or indirectly), then you should consider looking at other options.

II. Thinking Aesthetics is Everything

Having a website that looks aesthetically pleasing is very important. It is hard to run a successful business if your logo and brand looks like it was designed by a 4 year old. What I see happen a lot is small businesses overthinking their graphics or web design. Looking professional, consistent, and providing a good user experience is what matters most. However, spending $5,000 to create your own custom animation effect is not.

When deciding whether or not to upgrade your website or designs, you must ask yourself how it is going to bring you more customers. If it is going to improve your image and increase your buyer confidence, then great! If it is just something that you think would look cool but not have an effect on your business, then you may want to consider passing on it.

III. Choosing Someone Because You Know Them

This one we see a lot among Small Business Owners. Whether its Web Design, SEO, or other forms of digital marketing, we have seen business owners choose a marketing agency or freelancer simply because “They are my friend’s son” or “I want to support my local community”. While this is understandable, it is important to note that every single marketing company is different.

When you hire a company for marketing, you are essentially paying for their brains. Since everybody’s brain is different, who you work with can either make or break you. Oftentimes people don’t realize that by going with their nephew they could be leaving thousands of dollars on the table if they don’t get the proper advice. Don’t go with the person you know, go with the best. There are a lot of companies that do poor quality work, so you need to thoroughly vet and interview whatever company you work with, regardless of whether or not you know them.

IV. Not Doing Their Research

In a way this is reiterating what was said before. However, it is extremely important. Do your research before hiring anyone. Ask them questions and request case studies. Ask for references and type their name (business and personal) in Google. You usually can learn a lot and find reviews just by doing a quick online search. When you hire someone to help with your marketing, you are giving them a certain amount of control of your brand. When you hire someone to build a website, SEO, or any other form of marketing, they are essentially deciding what potential customers see when they search for you. You want to make sure you know who is representing your company online.

V. Going the Cheap Route

This is the most common mistake I see small businesses make. I don’t blame the small business owner for this, I blame the marketer. There are a lot of people out there selling snake oil. There are a lot of people out there advertising fast Google rankings for extremely small amounts of money. When you go with the cheap companies, they typically either do nothing at all, low quality work, or (even worse) black hat SEO. With other forms of marketing, the same rules apply.

Internet marketing is a lucrative industry with a fairly low barrier to entry. We live in an age where anyone can grab a DIY web builder and call themselves a web designer. Anyone can Google your name and call themselves a SEO Expert. The high quality marketing experts out there will charge reasonable fees for their work. The cheap ones are usually just trying to make a buck. If you are going to invest in digital marketing, invest in somebody who will do it right.