If you’re a small business owner looking for help getting online, getting found, or both, you may not have the funds to hire a pricey designer or marketing firm. But that doesn’t mean you can’t get a solid website and online marketing services that will help you reach your business goals.

The secret to getting the most out of your online marketing dollars is simple. It all boils down to knowing your business, sharing that knowledge with your Web professional, and staying on schedule.

And when you use a service that requires more involvement on your part, you get even more.

Know Your Business

When you choose an online marketing company to build your Web presence, you will be asked early on in the process to describe your business and competitive market in detail. This is where a value-based online marketing service differs from a higher priced creative boutique: You’re responsible for doing the legwork, clarifying who you are among your competitors and how you want to project your business brand. Then you must convey this to designers, SEO experts and other Web professionals.

If you already have a handle on this and you’re clear on what kind of Web presence you want, you can simply provide the details. If you’re not sure, this is a fantastic opportunity for defining your business and customers and for getting a better idea of where you sit in your market.

So take advantage. You can get much more than your money’s worth when setting up your Web presence includes articulating your company’s value and mission.

Share What You Know

Web designers, developers or other marketing professionals are experts in their industry. If they work for a service that provides great value for less, they don’t have time to become an expert about your business and industry. So once you have clarified your business and industry, it’s up to you to communicate this information.

If it’s a great deal for the money, the online marketing service you choose is designed to help you build a robust Web presence for less. They are able to do this by:
 
•    handling multiple projects for many customers and 
•    completing tasks within a designated timeline

Consider this when you sign on with your affordable marketing provider. Know that how well you communicate has a big impact on the success of your Web presence (design, optimization, social media marketing, etc.). Then keep the following in mind to get the biggest bang for your buck:

1.    Be invested and enthusiastic. Staying focused on this project and letting your Web professional know that you’re enthusiastic can really pay off, plus it’s just good for you.

2.    Be up front with your goals. From the very beginning, let your Web professional know what you hope to achieve. If you’ve done your homework (see “Know your Business”) this will be easy as pie.

3.    Ask questions. This is uncharted territory for many small business owners, so designers, developers and others are anticipating your questions. Take advantage.

4.    Know the expectations and timelines. Get on the same page with everyone you work with (including your sales rep). Know what you will be expected to provide and what the timeline looks like. If you don’t understand what you are being asked to provide, ask for clarification.

5.    Provide more than enough assets, including

• A completed text questionnaire (TQ)
• Polished pages of content for website design
• Examples of website design and content that you don’t like: You can browse websites and compile a list of their URLs, including comments explaining what you don’t like about them. Surprising to many, this is actually more effective than just telling a designer, developer or copywriter what you do like. It also helps you get a better idea of what you’re after.
• Brochures, logo samples, any documents needed to help your online marketing professional create your website and/or help you get found
• The more, the better

6.    Stay on schedule. Help your designer be better prepared and build the best website possible with abundant assets and solid content. Make the most of your Web professional’s expertise; if you do what needs to be done to stay on track for monthly work, you’ll avoid delays. That’s time and money, in terms of getting traffic and conversions.

7.    Respond. Small business owners know all about the large amount of time wasted on phone tag and unanswered email requests that must be sent out repeatedly. The same goes here. Respond promptly so your Web professional can spend those minutes better on designing and/or optimizing your site.

If you commit to the process of building your online presence, provide what is needed, ask for clarification and stay on schedule, you’ll come away with much more than a good, solid, affordable Web presence. You’ll emerge online and in your industry with a better understanding of your business, your objectives and your competition. It’s a win-win situation all around.