Getting Started
What is included in your services?
It is our vision that we need to manage all aspects of your online presence. Most of our clients don’t have a dedicated team of people onsite which focus on marketing a website. We become that arm of your business by partnering together. We can work with other outside firms (i.e. marketing agency, graphic designer, etc.) as requested and have done so many times in the past if that is needed.
Our array of services include website uptime monitoring, SEO, SEM, web hosting, web design, identification of correction of errors, suggesting new changes, email management and keeping up with industry changes. Our approach is turnkey in that we want to take this headache and worry away from you so that you can focus on your business. We have the expertise in these areas and by hiring us that need is filled.
What do I need to know before hiring an SEO company?
There are many companies out there promising first page results with no intention of putting in the work or continued education to make that a possibility. Another risk is other companies following unethical practices that may do your website more harm than good and can result in penalties against your website and even delisting from the search index. As the saying goes be leery of any deal that appears too good to be true.
Website Owners may also start receiving “phishing” emails soliciting a number of internet related services since their name is associated with the domain registration and other online signals.
Is SEO ever complete?
The answer is no! When we started 11 years ago you could do a good job at SEO and somewhat put your website on cruise control. The landscape has changed where search engines constantly seek out the best performing websites and reward them with more impressions and thus, potential clients or sales.
Website traffic is so competitive now as this is one of the largest advertising mediums in the world. Companies are putting money into the internet and decreasing spend in other media such as print, radio, and television. A company has to continue to invest in SEO to keep solid positioning and hold off aggressive competitors trying to overtake your search positioning.
How often do SEO standards change?
Algorithms are what SEO professionals like to call changes made by search engines in their programs which determine the order of results from a word search such as “best dentist in Detroit”. There are well over 350 changes per year now. The exact number is not totally known as this is proprietary information for the companies, but it changes almost daily. It is our job to keep up with these changes and keep adapting your website so that it remains in compliance and follows best practices set forth by search engines.
What will I need to provide to get started?
We will need some initial history of your website and business as well as other specifics and we will send out an initial survey where this information can be given to us. For website production we may need staff images, logo files, sign on credentials to your current content management system, hosting company and logos to any affiliations your company. In some cases, we work with clients for some text to be used on their websites including industry-specific information and even employee bios.
What about SEO providers promising “first page results”?
These are flat out scams and should be avoided. There is no quick way to outsmart talented engineers from Google, Bing Yahoo, and other industry leaders. First-page placement requires diligent and ongoing efforts and it is more often the case that those promising fast results do more harm than good.
What is the difference between your pricing plans?
Our pricing plans all include the same work focus as it is all vital to proper SEO. Our full list of ongoing services can be seen on our Pricing Page. What does change for us is the level of competition for more aggressive keywords, the size of markets and service areas, the complexity of websites for larger companies and the level of interaction we have with our clients.
Why does SEO for some industries cost more than others?
Last, we checked a single click to a lawyer website can cost more than $40 for some practice areas and geographic markets. It is baffling to think that is the cost to acquire one website visitor. We have seen the number grow from five dollars to the current cost in the last seven years. It’s unfortunate, but that is the cost of doing business.
Further, consider the huge marketing firms out there working in the legal industry which now offer technical things such as SEO, website hosting, and design. What if we can bring one more client a month to your business, what would that be to your bottom line? Our goal is to understand what return on investment we can bring to your business and deliver that value each month.
Our Client Process
Does Website Medic require me to sign a contract?
Website Medic does not require our clients to sign a contract. Rather a simple agreement that states what we commit to doing for your company with any specific and the agreed upon compensation.
Because there is a larger amount of initial work we perform, we do require a 90-day initial period or many of those efforts will be wasted or incomplete.
Can SEO be done for “low cost”?
It is first important to understand the industry and the degree of competition. Take criminal law for example. This is a highly competitive space where firms are investing in SEO and other ads. It is just not realistic to spend just a few dollars and compete with a company spending thousands of dollars a month with a well-orchestrated plan. Other industries are less competitive and costs can be lower. From our perspective, we know how much work needs to go into a successful SEO campaign and the number of hours involved. Compensation to Website Medic is based on the number of hours of work needed to provide your business a successful campaign.
How does Website Medic get to know my business?
We take a practical approach to working together with clients. The first step is for us to learn about your business, the goals you have and what type of clients you are seeking. Second, we need to get background information to understand your company’s history so that we can get all business information correct and accurate on the internet. Third, we focus on the website itself and make sure it delivers the message you are seeking, adheres to good standards and provides a good user experience. Fourth we take a complete look at your current online presence so we know all areas to promote and work to correct any deficiencies.
Why does SEO take so long?
This is due to the fact that it is a marathon we are running and not a hundred yard dash. Search engines look for stability, hard work, and a dedicated track record before they reward businesses with more traffic. Consider the top business in your space? How long might it take to overtake their market share? This is the same concept in that we have to be better than the best in your industry. It takes time to do it and it is a never-ending effort.
We should start seeing movement in few months’ time. Once we can get the website updated and correct all errors we normally see a bounce as this work is recognized by search engines. Search engines continually re-index listings and website position will continue to change over time.
Website Design
Why is user experience important?
Having a successful website means getting traffic in the form of real website visitors. What happens when the visitor is on a website? Think of your own browsing experiences. How often do you get to a website and it is too slow, hard to figure out, not mobile friendly, navigation is not optimal or does not contain the information you are seeking. This data is captured on the actual visitor’s experience and used to determine where websites should rank in search results. Search engines are very concerned about behavior as that determines the likelihood a person will stay in their network and positively impact their revenues.
Will I be involved in the design process?
Yes, our clients are usually involved in the website design process to some extent but we promise to make it painless. Initially, we want to know your overall vision at least on the larger scale so we can work to create a great looking website that properly represents you and your company. Our website design page features some popular WordPress themes and we can completely customize it from there. We may also need your input as the website comes together in a simple revision process.
Does Website Medic fix existing websites?
Yes, we fix existing websites. Quite often website owners have spent a lot of money and have a nice functioning website that can use a facelift and technical updating. We can give you an overall opinion of what we feel needs to be done and quote you a price for the work.
How long will it take to complete my website design?
On the average websites take 4 to 6 weeks depending on the number of revisions and complexity of the website itself. Having an existing website, we can use to get some text from and logo will help the process. Clients that do not have a current website may experience slightly longer if we have to start from scratch.
What if I am not happy with my website design?
We feel confident that with your initial input and our revision process will greatly increase the chances of your satisfaction. Our goal is to provide a great experience and website design and if we fail to do that you will not be charged.
Can I make design changes along the way?
Websites are constantly evolving. As part of our ongoing services, we include changes and additions such as adding pages, reconfiguring menu options and some graphic details. You will only be charged for work that requires coding and other more time and cost consuming effort. We will provide a quote for your approval in these cases.
PPC - Pay Per Click
Should I choose SEO or PPC?
For many companies, it can make sense to do both especially if you are just starting out and do not have a firm position in the SERPS. SEO is an absolute must from our historical experience and PPC also know as SEM – Search Engine Marketing in many ways relies on the overall health of your website and its quality score.
Building the online trust, brand recognition and reputation are so important to attract business, keeping existing customers and getting valuable referrals. Serch Engine Marketing is efficient in that it can be turned on in an instant to bring in new business leads. Consider doing both, but if your budget is smaller SEO is the more important long-term strategy.
How do I determine a PPC budget?
The beauty of PPC is that you are only charged when someone clicks your advertisement and visits your website. We recommend starting a PPC campaign for your company that is modest which will allow us to optimize it for the best results and give you feedback as to which terms are the most successful, and the cost of these clicks.
The cost of clicks is dependent on competition levels of specific keywords and phrases in that particular market with more lucrative products and services costing more usually. You will have full control over your budget on a weekly or monthly basis, the day of the week and even time of day to maximize the effectiveness of your budget. When a PPC campaign is set up and monitored correctly it proves to have a great return on investment.
How am I billed for my PPC Campaign?
Website Medic does not take a percentage of your PPC budget. All Pay Per Click advertising set up and maintenance is included in your service plan. We work primarily with Google Adwords and your credit card is charged directly with them on their secured platform.We are very transparent and can provide detailed reports to show you where every dollar was spent and keyword performance.
How much control do I have over my PPC Campaign?
Literally every aspect of your campaign from what, when, where and to whom your advertisement shows will be under your control. We will provide reports and suggest changes along the way and our client’s feedback is always welcome and valuable. Our goal is to maximize your PPC budget and the quality of traffic coming to your website and numerous details make this possible.
