Frequently Asked Questions We receive hundreds of questions every year. Below are answers to some of the more common questions regarding internet marketing and our services. Search Engine Optimization Why Should I Trust You? Our company was founded in 1998 by Chris Ulrich, a recognized authority in the field of Internet Marketing. He is an attorney, an entrepreneur, and a respected businessman in his community. He was one of the original Domain Name Registrars, is a published author, and is frequently sought out to speak as an expert on Internet Marketing at forums all across the country. He has brought in over $600 million in new business for his clients over the past 20 years, but he is still eminently accessible and will happily pick up the phone to passionately discuss ways to help you grow your business. How Long Will It Take My Site to Rank? As with all things online, it depends. Are you already ranking and looking to rank higher? Do you have a brand new site? Do you even have a website? The timeframe can vary by industry, competition and the keyword for which you want to rank. Based on your site, your online history and reputation, and what you are targeting, we can see results with several months, with more prominent positions on more competitive keywords coming over time. When we sit down with you, we will assess your campaign and give you a better idea based on your unique situation. Are we a White Hat or Black Hat company? In general, White Hat companies focus on developing great content that enhances the user experience. Black Hat companies rely on gimmicks to trick the search engines into giving you visibility online. We are a White Hat company. Black Hat tricks tend to disappear quickly, and can even get your site permanently banned from Google! Will you build a ton of backlinks to my site? No. This is a black hat technique that can get you in a lot of trouble. In reality, you do not need "a lot" of links (that was what people did in 2007). Rather, you need the "right" links from reputable sites, great content, and a strong online reputation. These things (and more) help you rank in search. Building a massive number of backlinks will not help. Social Media Will You Manage my Social Media Campaigns? Yes. There are generally two kinds of efforts - content and advertisements. As we develop content for your website, we will also feature it in social media. This can help with engagement from your followers, and help you attract new followers. We also manage paid media campaigns from social media, driving traffic to your site, your Facebook page or other property. Is Social Media Helpful in My Industry? Social media in a "social sense" is more helpful in some industries than others. However, it also generates "social signals" to the search engines, helping you rank in search. Social media should be a part of your strategy. The degree will be based on your business, industry and needs. Value How do I Know I'm Getting Value? One important feature of our business is transparency. As a white hat marketing firm, we believe strongly in user content and user experience. As we develop content, you will receive copies of it and see what is being done. Any ads run (Facebook, Google, etc.) will also be shared with you, along with traffic reports so you know exactly what you are receiving. Finally, do we do recommend carefully tracking results. Contact forms will send you inquiries and record them in a database for future reference. Phone calls can use tracking numbers, and you can record your calls, so you can review and assess your leads and how your sales team (if you have one) is handling what it receives. Fees What do you charge for services? Our fees vary based on the services provided, the competitiveness of your industry and the media you wish to use. For example, the cellular industry is extremely competitive, whereas snow blowers are less competitive. It is far more expensive to promote cellular services, because of the amount of work involved, the expensive costs of paid clicks and more. Contact us to discuss your campaign, and if we can help you, we will give you a comprehensive, firm quote for our services. What are your payment terms? Our fees are due at the start of the month in which services are to be rendered. Some services, such as media buying and pay-per-click, may have some charges at the close of the month, where pricing is based on the volume of media handled. What forms of payment do you accept? We accept payment via ACH, credit cards and check. Note that checks are due at the start of the month, and we will invoice you about one week early so you have time to process payment.
