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As you begin to grow your business, it’s normal to outsource tasks you don’t have the resources to handle on your own. Two of these tasks may include website development and digital marketing since both require a unique skill set and sizeable time commitment. But, as you begin your search for the perfect companies to partner with, you may find that many companies offer both website and digital marketing services. Should you hire one company to handle both, or is it better to hire one company for website development and another for digital marketing?
As long as the company is experienced in both fields, it’s highly recommended you stick to the same company for both of these areas. Here’s why:
Organization and Communication
Website development and digital marketing efforts have to complement each other. Branding must be consistent, everything must be done with the same audience in mind, and the end goals should be similar: to convert customers. However in order for this to be done properly, it’s best that one company works on both. It’s much easier for employees within the same company to communicate about ideas and strategies with each other than it is for two companies to coordinate their efforts to provide you with a cohesive online presence.
This is especially true if the two companies do not see eye-to-eye on the direction of your business’s online presence. In this situation, who do you think will become the peacemaker? You may find yourself playing referee or acting as a middleman between the two companies and having to spend a lot of time deciding which idea you would rather move forward with. Avoid all of this by working with one company that you fully trust to handle all aspects of your online presence.
Saves Time and Money
It’s not unusual to see grocery stores advertising a deal where you are rewarded for purchasing more of the same items, but these quantity discounts are not limited to food products. Many online marketing companies will offer you a better deal on their services if you allow them to handle all aspects of your digital presence instead of choosing another company to manage a chunk of them.
Online marketing companies may even charge you more if you work with two separate companies. These companies have to factor in how many hours they will spend working on your business, and if they feel coordinating efforts with a second company will be time-consuming, they may increase the price of their services to account for the additional time.
Not only will your pricing be lower if you work with one company, but you also won’t have to give up another resource that is even more valuable than money: your time. Working with multiple companies can be time-consuming because it means twice as many calls, meetings, and emails. The more time you have to spend with a service provider, the less time you have to focus on growing your business.
Deeper Understanding of Your Brand
There’s a reason why so many employees start off at the low end of the totem pole and work their way up the corporate ladder. As they take on each new position, they learn about new parts of the business, so over time, they have a deeper understanding of the brand. The same can be said with hiring an online marketing firm. If you only allow them to handle one aspect of your online presence, they won’t have the opportunity to learn about other areas of your business. Website developers may be fully aware of how customers navigate through your web pages, but they won’t have any idea who the customers are or how they are directed to the landing pages. Allow the company you work with to have a full picture of who you are as a brand by hiring them to manage both your website and digital marketing strategy.
Stronger Relationship
The more services that a company is contracted to provide you, the more time you will inevitably spend with them. From strategy calls to results presentations, you will end up getting to know your contacts at the marketing company fairly well over time. But, you won’t get the same beneficial relationship when you are forced to split your time between two separate companies.
But, business isn’t about making friends, so why should this matter to you? Research has shown time and time again that strong business relationships foster teamwork and loyalty. When a company feels connected to your brand, they will work harder and truly become your partners instead of just another service provider.
Better Results
After learning about all of these benefits, it’s not hard to see why working with one company will lead to better results. An online marketing company will be able to brainstorm ideas, coordinate efforts, implement marketing strategies, and communicate with the client more effectively if there is not another company thrown into the mix.
When one company is responsible for every part of your online presence, they are also able to track and report results more easily. For example, a digital marketer who runs social media ads may be able to show how many followers clicked on a link to go back to your website, but they won’t be able to show what those users did once they landed on your page. Therefore, not only will you get better results when you work with one company, but you’ll get more thorough results that show you how effective your website and digital marketing truly is.
Before you hire a company, make sure you have thoroughly vetted their experience in web design and development and digital marketing. Even though a company promotes itself as an expert in both fields, that doesn’t mean it’s true. It’s up to you to find a company that has truly mastered both areas by asking for references and examples of their work.