What to Consider When Starting A Marketing Agency

Published on: 06 April 2020 Last Updated on: 30 August 2022

Marketing is a competitive field, and if you want to start your own agency, you need to make sure you have the right stuff to compete. There’s a lot of stuff to consider when starting your own firm. For instance, what services will you offer? What type of businesses will you cater to? Will you build your own website or outsource it? What sort of marketing agency hosting will you use?

What to Consider When Starting A Marketing Agency

It seems like a lot, doesn’t it? For this reason, we’ve created a simple guide to help you get started building your marketing agency. Read on to learn what you need to get started:

To begin with, you need to make sure you have the right stuff to run an agency. To start a marketing firm, you should be adaptable, have a desire to learn, and amazing communication skills. Next, you need to decide what is going to set your agency apart from your industry competitors.

The best way to figure out what will make your marketing firm unique is to start by asking yourself some questions:

1. What can you specialize in?

Some services your agency can specialize in are:

Search engine optimization (SEO)
Email Marketing
Content Marketing
Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising
Event Marketing
Guest Blogging

2. Will you specialize in more than one thing?

It’s a good idea to start small and specialize in one or two services; however, the more services you offer to clients, the more desirable your agency will be to potential customers. This is because people tend to like to be able to get all their needs met in one place.

Utilizing marketing automation solutions could make it simple for you to provide a variety of marketing services to your customers. All-in-one marketing tools like digital marketing software for agencies will also enable your staff to perform more effectively and successfully.

3. Will you cater to B2B companies or B2C companies?

B2B is short for business-to-business. It refers to companies that sell products or services to other companies.

B2C is short for business-to-consumer. It refers to companies that sell products or services directly to consumers.

Once you’ve figured out what services you’re going to offer and what type of businesses you’ll cater to, it’s time to identify who your target market will be. Ask yourself:

4. What market are your competitors targeting? Who are their customers?

You don’t want to go after the same market as your competitor, or the same customers when you’re first starting. For instance, if your competitors have lots of eCommerce clients, you may want to choose a more underserved market like real estate.

5. What specific demographics can you target?

It’s important to know not only who needs your service but also who is most likely to buy it. Consider the following factors:

Age
Location
Gender
Income level
Education level
Occupation
Ethnic background.

Now that you know what services you’re selling and who you’re selling them to, its time to write a business plan. Your business plan should have several components:

The goals for your business.
Predictions for your finances and cashflow.
Forecast for your business activity.
Outline of which revenue stream(s) you’ll utilize.
Description of your target audience and how you intend to reach them.

Finally, we arrive at the last part: finding clients. You may feel like the best thing to do is to get as many new clients as quickly as possible. Instead, it would help if you focused on retaining clients. It is much harder and more expensive to acquire new clients, then it is to keep existing clients. So how can your marketing agency find and retain clients?

Find clients by:

1. Networking

Networking can be done by attending industry events, trade shows, and conferences, participating in networking sessions, posting and sharing content on social media, participating in LinkedIn groups and discussions, as well as sharing information on relevant business forums.

2. Offer Free Trials

Free is a golden ticket word for most people. Offering your agency’s services for free will help you build a portfolio while showing potential clients what you can do.

3. Referrals

Once you’ve acquired some clients, use them to expand your client base by asking if their customers or suppliers need your services and letting them know that your firm is available.

4. Promotion

Create a website, use social media, and design promotional material to market your marketing services.

Retain clients by:

1. Making sure everything your firm does is client-focused.

2. Document all your work and file reports.

3. Keep abreast of the latest changes and innovations in the industry.

4. Approach your work with creativity.

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Enterprise Content Management Solutions – How They Help You Optimize Your Business Efficiency

Enterprise content management is a great way to organize unstructured data and information of an organization. Many factors impact the functioning of ECM systems and determine their effectiveness. When managing your enterprise content solutions, you should define their processes accurately. Several service providers offer enterprise content management consulting services. These service providers understand the needs and requirements of companies in terms of managing data. Thus, can advise business owners with the right solutions. Proper ECM helps organizations to create, enrich, manage as well as deliver data and information. Business owners should identify their requirements and determine the solutions of the right enterprise management systems that will cater to those requirements. There are several solutions that such systems may include, such as management of documents, managing website content, document imaging, management of records, and management of digital assets as well as managing your business data and providing support for collaboration and management of business processes. Managing content is one of the most important tasks that organizations need to take care of. It is important to preserve data so that it can be reused for other purposes later. Preservation of data in a systematic order also ensures that it can be searched and found easily whenever required. There are a number of factors that affect the choice of a proper enterprise content management system. Some of the factors which affect the choice include, the number of people and the processes involved in the organization, technology involved, budget and so on. Keeping in mind all the required elements and choosing the right content management system will help an organization to share and edit content efficiently and in an orderly manner. Top features of enterprise content management (ECM) systems: Central Repository Document Scanning Secure Email Files Client Portal Document Retrieval Mobile Accessibility Easy Integration Automated Workflow Manager Advanced Analytics Cloud-based Accessibility Top benefits of enterprise content management (ECM) systems: Keep Track of All Your Information Reduce Operating Costs Save time Improve Customer Service Minimize Risk Document Version Control Picture an executive rushing from one client office to the next, updating the minutes of the feedback he received at the previous office on the official sheet using his iPhone or Android phone. The entries made by the executive are further accessed by employees sitting in the head office who use the details to generate reports for further information processing. This is possible with the advanced enterprise content management solutions provided by consultants who help businesses optimize their internal documents, datasheet, and content sharing capabilities. Are you aware of the latest techniques and tools being used to perfect enterprise content management? To begin with, the most important advantage of using professionally generated enterprise content management solutions is that you can be assured that the system will work at its optimum for long. What are the common types of solutions that these enterprise content management consultants use to give you highly advanced data access? Here is the list of the commonly used content sharing systems that are being used in enterprise content management these days. Content Sharing Systems that are used in ECM: 1. Drupal: The ideal content sharing system that is known for its robust page building capacities can be used to develop both internal and external websites. Professionals using this CMS for enterprise content sharing and management excel with the in-built options provided by Drupal. The best part of using this CMS is that it is an open-source system that allows the ideas of thousands of users and developers to flow into the building of your enterprise content management systems. 2. Ektron: This leading provider of content management products allows businesses to use the solutions to manage multi-websites. The framework can also be extended to allow customs control during component development by the professionals. Ektron has been used to design websites of many leading companies like Pfizer, Intel, Dove, Kellog's, Adidas, and many more. You could use the customizable features of this CMS provider to enrich the user experience of your enterprise content sharing portals. 3. MS Share Point: The software that helps streamline business processing amidst dynamic environments; MS Share Point is definitely the answer for low-cost enterprise content development services using the latest tools and features. The main advantage of using MS Share Point is that you get to leverage content to improve web traffic flow to your website and increase collaboration amongst users. Thus, in order to stay ahead of market competition, one needs to use the most recent tools and techniques through professionally generated enterprise content management solutions that will help you optimize enterprise performance. Read Also: A Guide to Choosing an Enterprise Document Management Solution Start-up Business Management: How to Reduce Risk and Guarantee Success

Never Launch An E-commerce Platform Without Testing – Here Is Why

In simple words, without sounding too nerdy, let us try to look at what performance testing is. Performance Testing is the process of rigorously testing all the tech and digital components of an E-commerce business. This includes the desktop version of the platform and mobile app testing. The key is to look at and analyze how the entire tech and digital ecosystem operates. Especially when exposed to real-world use. Imagine hundreds of people using the E-commerce platform app at the same time. The questions that then arise are- Is the server able to handle the heavy load of all the traffic using the mobile app at the same time? Is there a lag or breakdown that any of the users are experiencing or is there a UI and UX compromise under stress? What are some of the benchmarks and standards that one should use to judge speed and whether the platform is exposing some bottlenecks? Performance Testing is more than just looking at loading page speeds. It seeks to test each aspect of the E-commerce platform and suggest the perfect optimization for the same. Important Things To Consider During Performance Testing For E-commerce: In this section, we request experts at QA Madness to help us. Specifically, to list some important things that should be considered during performance testing. 1. Testing Financial Transactions One area where things can go wrong is in financial transactions. With so many people using the same platform at the same time, testing becomes necessary. You need to test to ensure that every transaction is going through. Integrations with Payment Gateways, the ERP, and Inventory Management Software are all areas that should be covered under this software testing services. 2. Checking The Mobile App Exhaustively Mobile app testing perhaps constitutes one of the most important verticals for Performance Testing. How does the app perform? Is it SEO friendly? Is there a compromise in the graphics? These are the common issues that mobile app testing will help resolve. In addition to the app, the mobile version of the E-commerce platform’s website also needs to be tested rigorously. 3. Region-Based Testing For Different Geographies- If you are starting an e-commerce business, you are looking at a truly global audience. This is why you need to make sure that the internet protocols of the different countries are not interfering with how the customers in those countries are engaging with your platform. Changed domain URLs, IP addresses, and other rules and regulations need to be considered. 4. Data Management Testing Any successful E-commerce ecosystem is incomplete without integrated data management. For an E-commerce platform, data is the lifeblood that helps all its verticals- marketing, sales, and CRM. Performance Testing needs to ensure that the data collection, cloud storage solutions, and the final outputs are ready for systematic generation. The Three KPIs Of Performance Testing As Stated By QA Madness- While there can be multiple KPIs that software testing services can help E-commerce brands with, QA Madness states that the following are the three major ones. They refer to the same as the three ‘S’s of their Performance Testing goals. A. Speed When it comes to speed, we are referring to the speed of the website, the mobile version of the web, and the mobile application. It also includes the speed with which users are progressing from one page to another on the app and the website. The higher the speed, the better will be the user experience. This combines to deliver the best sales and revenues for an E-commerce platform. B. Scalability You do not want your website and app infrastructure to be so weak that it crashes only after a hundred visitors. You're E-commerce website and the app must go under a test for scalability to handle massive loads all at the same time. This will help you provide a fluid experience to millions of users and potential customers all at the same time without compromises. C. Stability A lot can go wrong on an E-commerce website when it is put under stress. Graphics can fall out of place and payment gateways can collapse. You never want the users to experience these problems on your platform. An E-commerce platform needs to be stable all the time, with or without load. Performance Testing seeks to build the stability of an E-commerce platform. What Do Experts Have To Say? There is no set rule as to when an E-commerce platform should go for Performance Testing. Some believe that it should be done at the early stages of development. Others believe that it should be done once the development of the platform is complete to identify the loopholes and then plug them in accordingly. No matter when you get them done, Performance Testing is essential for your E-commerce platform. If you want to create a highly optimized and result-oriented business, this is a great investment to make. If you have any other questions on software testing services or mobile app testing, feel free to ask them. Use the comments section to drop your queries. We will once again request or reach out to our friends at QA Madness to help you out. What Happens With A Lack Of Thorough Test? Not performing performance testing for an E-commerce platform can get you in a lot of trouble. Your site is live; suddenly, hundreds or thousands of people have started using it! What could possibly go wrong?- Well, without performance testing, things will go downhill really quickly. So, let’s see what could happen when not to perform performance testing. Crashes And Slowdowns If your E-commerce platform hasn’t been tested for scalability, it could easily crash when too many users try to access it. A slow website or app not only frustrates users but also drives them away. No one likes waiting for pages to load, especially when they’re trying to make a purchase. The result? A major drop in sales and a tarnished reputation. Failed Transactions Think of users wanting to purchase an item and their transactions fail. Users will not be ready to trust your platform anymore. This is why performance testing is important as it ensures that all financial transactions are smooth on your site even when there is heavy traffic. Poor User Experience Have you ever been on an app or website that lags, has images that don’t fit, or feels unresponsive? It’s not fun. The UI/UX of your platform can feel the same way without performance testing. This gives a very unprofessional impression and will make people leave your site out of frustration (high bounce rate). Increased Costs Skipping testing might appear to be a good way to keep some money in your pocket, however it will actually cost you more in the end. If your site crashes during a big sale or promotion, the time and expense of getting those issues fixed after the fact will likely be substantial. Plus, if your site is down for any longer period of time, you’ll be losing out on all that potential income. Safety Not Guaranteed! No matter what app you’re building, you’re likely going to be handling some sort of user data. Whether it’s a login and password or more sensitive financial or health information, users need to know they can trust you with that data. What About The User's Interest Finally, one of the most significant risks is losing users’ trust. If your platform crashes, slows down, or declines a transaction, for instance, and that happens to some users, they will probably never come back. Even if you fix everything afterward! When people’s trust is broken, it’s very hard to be rebuilt! Read also: The Right B2B E-Commerce Platforms to Sell Your Used Machinery Approaches for Increasing E-commerce Sales Through Inventory Reports 5 Reasons to Use Magento for Your Next Ecommerce Website

5 Questions To Ask Your Digital Marketing Agency Before You Start Working

In the past few years, brands, regardless of their shape and size have started understanding digital marketing. This means that convincing a majority of them about the advantages of digital marketing has ceased to exist in most situations. You need to do thorough research when choosing a digital marketing agency that you need to partner with. If you are starting from scratch, you need to go via Digitech Web Design, a leading agency that can help you with everything from designing your business website to taking care of your SEO strategies and plans. In 2020, brands are faced with a new challenge- which agency to partner with! Digital Marketing agencies are propping up left, right, and center. While everyone claims to be the best at what they do, it is for brands to be sure of their abilities. In this article, we are going to help brands get on board the best digital marketing agencies as partners. However, before we get to the questions, brands should ask agencies, let us first look at some of the challenges of the same. Challenges to Hiring the Best Digital Marketing Agency for your Brand Every business is unique. It has its own sets of challenges. In terms of priority, some businesses want to concentrate on one aspect, while others look to do something else. It is important that your internet marketing agency understands your needs and requirements as a business. Many brands feel that every digital or internet marketing agency offers the same. However, that is not the case. If you want to work with a complete 360-degree agency, you will have to shell out a premium. Therefore, it is essential to work with a skill set, which you feel would be most helpful for you at a specific time. A creative agency will tell you that it is all about branding, logo, design, and language. An agency geared towards social media would want to focus on just that one aspect. You need to team, which amplifies your complete digital performance at all levels. List of 5 Questions to ask your Digital Marketing Agency before you start 1. What is their area of Expertise? It is essential that you honestly ask them about what their area of specialization at the very start is. Like we already mentioned, while some have a great social team, others might boast of a brilliant SEO team. Depending on what you want to proceed with for the next year, you need to ask them about their different verticals in the organization. 2. What are Budget and Fees? At the end of the day, money matters. If you are looking for a highly-skilled, specialized agency, you need to shell out a good amount as retainer every month. However, if your agency helps you increase your sales and revenues multiple times, you will not feel the pinch. Try starting with a smaller agency to understand those basics and then proceed with the bigger ones. 3. What are their Credentials and Past Work Records? Many brands feel secure when they see that an agency has handled clients in the past from their niche. While this is a great starting point, you should not let your options be limited by just this fact. If they have worked with a business of a similar nature in the past, then they are aware of all the challenges, strategies, and processes, which will be required in the case of your business. 4. What are their Marketing Inputs about your Brand? Most agencies will ask you about your pressure or pain points and then proceed to offer solutions accordingly. You can use this to ask them about larger marketing and sales goals. This will help show you how much they are aligned with your brand. It will also demonstrate whether they understand your issues and are willing to address the same with their skills. 5. What is the Timeframe for seeing Results? You are only working with an internet marketing agency because you want to start seeing results. There is always an expectation involved. Do not fear or feel embarrassed in communicating the same with the prospective agency. This will allow them to assess their performances and see whether they have the capability to fulfill your expectations. The Final Word It is essential that you proceed with these five questions before signing on an internet marketing agency. This will allow you to structure your expectations accordingly. A good digital agency can be a great asset to a brand. However, on the flip side, if you do not get the best agency, you will end up losing money. Read Also: 5 Most Common Digital PR Mistakes And How To Avoid Them How to Empower Your Small Business through Digital Marketing? Why Should You Hire a B2B Digital Marketing Consultant?

What to Consider When Starting A Marketing Agency