What should I expect from and expect to pay for marketing my Websites

[Mart Ensi]

Hi Guys,

Total Newbie here so please be gentle!
I'd be grateful for anyone's input regarding my situation.
I see the future of my wholesale and retail specialist jewellery business moving increasingly on-line,but have but little skill in this area as this used to be handled by a tech-savy ex-co director.
I currently have 3 websites,one retail,one wholesale and one "dormant" retail site in a slightly different sector of my trade all of which I'd like to do a lot more with.
I fear there are a lot of sharks in the water from the experience I have had so far and can see that is very easy to throw lots of money down a bottomless pit of web designers,developers,Marketeers SEO ,etc etc.
So my question is how might one go about skilling up, separating the wheat from the chaff and generally get value for money from investment made in this area to drive traffic and increase sales without it totally taking over my life?

Any comments thankfully received and thanks for looking.

 

[InternetMarketingPlatinum]

Do your research and get a good team around you. Unfortunately it might end up taking over your life!

 

[Elliottc26]

Get some audits and proposals from a variety of providers before throwing money at a project. Look into getting a service contract and pay monthly.

Ask them if they know the work will improve things. If they get sketchy, run!

You can pay anything from £20 per hour up to £100 per hour. The price can have no impact on the quality of the work - some places just have more overheads! - so this isn't the real issue.

You may have a budget in mind. Some pay by each request, whereas others are on a yearly contract for x hours per month for £x per month.

Seeing their testimonials and reviews can be a great indicator also - unless they're new. How does the proposal stack up? Gut instinct can also be a good indicator.

 

[UKcentric]

First of all it's best to treat each of the three websites as a separate project. Because they have different audiences and two are B2C and the other B2B.

To assess a digital marketing company, look at their longevity, reviews, trust, client list, case studies etc.

Regarding not having it take over your life, digital marketing agencies can work with you in three different ways.

1. Require your colllaboration and authorisation at the strategy/ideas stage
2. Develop strategy/ideas without your input, but get sign-off from you before they go live
3. Allow them to develop ideas, strategy and put them live without your sign-off

Number 1 requires the least trust but the greatest amount of your input.
Number 3 requires the most trust but the least input from you.

On the whole we find it most effective to provide service at level 2. We develop ideas and strategy, but get the customers' approval before go-live. This is a good balance of allowing the digital marketing company to do what you are actually paying them for (ideas, strategy, delivery) but not having it take over your life.

To get best value for money, go in with a set goal in mind. For example, increase leads from the website by 20% in one year. Or increase sales in a product category by 30% in six months. Clear goals give you both a clear way of measuring the outcomes.

 

[WhizzPeople]

Here is a list of my recommendations:

1. Please learn more about e-commerce, SEO, digital marketing, etc. I am not asking you to become a pro, but at least gain the basic knowledge on these topics
2. Follow the top SEO blogs - that will keep you up-to-date with the incredible world of SEO (Moz Blog, Search Engine Land, Search Engine Journal, etc.). I am fan of White Board Friday videos of Moz Blog - straightforward and easy SEO tips and tutorials
3. Don't go for a digital agency. Try to find a freelancer - they are much cheaper than agencies, work hard and always want to prove the value for money (personal experience)
4. Don't go for website redesign or CMS change - ask for a technical audit and fix the top priority issues

Feel free to give me a shout

 

[RedEvo]

These courses are good. https://academy.hubspot.com/certification

d

 

[digital88]

The advice already on here is spot on so I won't repeat it. But what I will say is work out how much you can afford to pay based on your current return, profit margin and the return on investment you need to achieve for your spend on online marketing. Be realistic about what is achievable - it will take time. You don't need to start throwing loads of money and budget at it right away, you can build your activity (and therefore spend) up as your return goes up. Feel free to give me a shout if you want to discuss further!

 

[Mart Ensi]

Thanks everyone for your valuable input.
I'm afraid I find everything to do with e-commerce as a bit of a " Blind leap of faith" in which you can continually payout whilst waiting for all the cost and effort to eventually convert into sales.
I know I will have to invest in order to gain traction and drive sales but am concerned that its all too easy to throw a lot of money at it without gaining any tangible benefit.
One thing I am struggling with,is knowing where to start with it all.
It seems there is such massive learning curve running from how the sites actually work in a hands on day to day basis and maintenance,to internet marketing strategy,SMO,SEO,Google analytics.... etc,etc.
Does anyone have any suggestions as to a logical place to start with all this so I can proceed in a considered way.A blue print to success would be lovely...any offers??
I just seem to be jumping from one issue (and jumping round the net looking for info as research) to another in an effort to gain perspective and insight as to how best to proceed to get the best return on time and money invested.
Any more thoughts?? -
Cheers

 

[AllUpHere]

Before you look at any of the tactics you mention, you should work on a strategic marketing plan. Once you have got a strategy in place, you will know which tactics to use (and how to use them).
You are getting confused because you are trying to skip the most important part.