Hiring Your Strategic Web Partner to Grow Your Business Raising the Barr Weekly Memo: Issue 281

I was recently asked to provide my insights about the following questions, focusing on hiring a strategic web partner to grow your business:

1. What should a consultant or small firm consider when hiring a strategic web partner for their consulting website project?

When evaluating the hiring of a web company, there are several key criteria to review:

1. How long have they been in business and what is the stability of the company?
2. What is the company’s infrastructure, who will work on your projects, and how responsive are they?
3. What social proof exists about them and what do their clients say?
4. How will you be supported, what exactly will be delivered and the associated investment as well as future support, what will be included or not and investment?
5. What web presence areas will be covered? Such as: Web strategy, Digital Content, Social Media, Coaching and Advisory, Design, Productizing and Monetizing, List Building, Hosting.
6. Who owns the work?
7. What are the distinctions between the strategic and tactical focus?
8. How will they help you create your global digital empire and strengthen your thought leadership?
9. Do they understand the distinction between a web site and a web presence?
10. And finally, and probably the most important set of questions: What is their track record of success? Do they walk their talk and how impressive is their web presence and their clients’? What is the expected return on investment for you? What is the profound value you will receive by virtue of working with them?

I should also acknowledge that “it takes two to tango.” What I mean by this is that achieving great success is never a one-sided contribution. Both the client and their web partner have unique responsibilities in contributing to the client’s success. Having these documented and implemented with the proper accountabilities are crucial for the ultimate success of the project.

2. How do you determine if that partner has the expertise to assist a consultant or small firm in their website or digital marketing project?

I would suggest you evaluate the following three areas:

1. How impressive is their work and how many testimonials are featured on their site? That testimonials page should scroll down forever.
2. Talk with the provider to determine their expertise, pay attention to the kind of questions they ask you, and ask them how they would help you achieve your objectives.
3. Talk with some of their clients and ask them the tough questions especially the ones about the value gained and achieving the objectives.

3. Why shouldn’t you just select the cheapest option available?

There is that old cliché: “Cheap is not good and good is not cheap” as well as “you get what you pay for!” Just as you probably would not select the cheapest attorney to represent you in court or the cheapest doctor to perform a major surgery, this same logic applies to your web company.

The key factor to evaluate is what is the profound value you will achieve and what is the anticipated return on investment!

Selecting the right partner can help transform your business success.

Use this checklist before choosing your next strategic web partner.

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