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Happy Web Wisdom Wednesday!

Jason Douglas

Spyder Trap Online Marketing

I have had many conversations with prospects and new clients revolving around the same few questions. If you are someone who is new to the concept of using PPC for their business, or a business who has been burned by bad service or under-performing campaigns, asking the questions I listed below will help ease your confusion. Here are the top five I encounter and am always prepared to address in any type of meeting:

• What is the first step to give you control of your account?

This is a common question is one I usually get from prospects or new clients who are already dealing with an agency. The process can be as simple as sharing the login information. The first step to this is changing the password to prevent any nefarious activity from anyone who was managing the account. It is very important to also document all measurable metrics and benchmark where the campaigns currently are, which allows for the new agency to continuously measure against each of these metrics to gauge success.

• What kind of reporting will you provide?

Every agency has a different way to report to the client on successes and shortcomings. I have seen updates shared in a simple email through bullets. I have also seen client reports as long as twenty pages. Which are more effective? That depends on what you’re measuring and what the objectives are for the campaigns. Clients may like large reports, but is that what is best for the client? I like to provide all important metrics along with a recap, analysis, and recommendations which I will implement in the following reporting period.

• Will I have access to my accounts?

This seems to be a no-brainer to myself. Being that this is one of the most common questions asked, it means that clients have not had access to their own accounts in the past. Why wouldn’t an agency give access to the client? What is the agency trying to hide? We always give access to our clients, with the caveat of them not changing anything within the accounts. If a client makes changes to their PPC campaign that the agency is unaware of, that may skew the strategy we are implementing and significantly impact the results of the campaign.

• What is the communication process?
  

This is dependent on the client’s schedule. Often, the reason a client is seeking an agency is because they lack the time internally to manage the account effectively. If this is the case, a monthly call or meeting suffices along with email updates when necessary. If the client claims a lack of knowledge about PPC, but has the desire to learn and be hands-on in the process, a bi-weekly call or meeting along with email updates usually works.

• How can we be sure that you are exhausting all opportunities for us?
  

Unfortunately, when pursuing a new account, often times the opportunity is there because they are unhappy with the service received from their current agency. This is where we explain why we are different and how we are going to prove that. Business, especially now, is all about the relationship, and building, maintaining, and nurturing that relationship. Every client for me is not another transaction; they are not faceless. We do the best work possible not just because that’s what we’re paid to do, but because we enjoy the people we work with on the client side; we appreciate the product or service they provide and the value that it provides to their consumers.

As a company looking for PPC help, these five questions will help the conversation greatly, and should help you make a decision on which agency to go with. If you’re interested in starting that conversation, please contact us. Are there other questions you’ve come across with regard to beginning a Sponsored Search campaign?  Any stories you’d like to share?