Frankenstein is alive and well and living amongst us. Seriously. I’ve seen people turn from mild mannered; butter wouldn’t melt types into raging monsters spitting fire and brimstone and………….Ok, I exaggerate slightly but stay with me, it’s to prove a point.
The reason behind this transformation in most cases is;
1. They have been mislead by an SEO company
2. They believe that online marketing should deliver instant results
3. They have seen no increase in their rankings over the last four days.
Sympathy
In some of the above cases you have to sympathise with the client. Why? Well, its not uncommon for some companies to promise the earth to a client, tie them into a twelve-month contract and the results never come. Easy money.
Client’s Expectations
Then, there’s the online marketing agency that knows what it’s doing but it hasn’t managed it’s clients expectations for one reason or another. The way to resolve this is to be totally transparent with the client and lay it straight on the line, even at the risk of possibly losing that company as a client.
It Will Take Time
So what do we mean exactly? For one thing your client needs to know from day one (earlier if possible) that this is going to take time, especially if they have had a penalty. It takes time to get back into Google’s good books alone without thinking of anything else. So, if they’re in it, they’re in it for the long haul.
Impress upon them that they need to compare results from the same period last year and not last week, last month or yesterday. It’s the only way to get an accurate representation.
The Client Doesn’t Know Better
Whatever you do in this industry, avoid anyone that tells YOU how to do your job. This is a strange one because if these people know more than you, why have they engaged your company? This is usually down to reading out dated practices or listening to a friend who once built his own PC.
There are no winners here, especially not the client. We find in many of these cases that this results in what we call The Kamikaze Client. This client, convinced he knows best, is the catalyst of his own demise. Sad really, but by ignoring the advice from specialists, he only has himself to blame. Getting him to realise that is when the hard work really starts.
The Summary
In todays world we all expect results immediately and Online Marketing is no different. Here’s some advice for you, prepare to be disappointed. If you want to propel your business forward, allow a decent budget and allow plenty of time. If anyone promises to have you on page one of Google within a month, run a mile. The old adage “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is” has never been so true.
If you’re a client and have decided on your marketing agency, work with them and understand the time factor. On top of that, if they advise you to act promptly, do it immediately, a working relationship is a partnership and needs both parties to act accordingly.
So, if you have one of these Kamikaze clients with great expectations, prepare to bump into Frankie anytime soon.
