There is no doubt that we’re dealing with uncertainty in our economic futures.  Will Congress finally approve a plan to shore up the flow of credit and availability of money, or won’t it?  Will our clients and customers have the confidence they need to face the future and make hiring and purchasing decisions to move their business in the right direction?

These are valid questions, to be sure, but we also need to make decisions which will help us to stay in business regardless of what the economy or our customers are doing.

In the past we’ve made large splashes by investing banner ads, print marketing, and perhaps social media.  As my wife would say, "who cares if you’re spending $50,000 per month when you’re making $500,000 in monthly revenues?"  The answer to that question and indeed our perspective changes somewhat when we’re spending $50,000 to make the same amount in revenues.  Often the reaction is to simply remove the budget for marketing all together.

In fact marketing dollars are being invested online rather than in traditional ways.  The challenge, however, is getting the biggest bang for your buck.  With so many marketing options available to us today, where do we invest our money?

There are two very affordable components to Internet marketing which I believe offer excellent opportunities for maintaining brand recognition, relevance, and importance in the public’s eye, and, let’s not forget, traffic to our websites.

Targeted Search

The first being strong, targeted search-based marketing, particularly local search.  Search Engine Optimization (including keyword research, and content development) to target local-based searches.  People like to stick close to home, and if they don’t have to spend time or (gas) money to get it, they are more likely to buy our products and services.

Link Building

The second is Link Building.  This is a campaign of establishing links on other websites which direct visitors back to your website.  A strong campaign of placing links of relevant websites, over a period of time, establishes robust and sustainable results for your site.

In fact, I believe Link Building is one of the most important aspects of Internet marketing.  So long as it is done correctly (i.e. links are submitted to websites that are relevant to your business and it is done over a period of time which reflects care and attention to the growth and marketing of your site), a Link Building campaign can be a very satisfying effort in terms of marketing your business.

Today, anyone who wants to provide information, sell products or services, or simply promote a business or other organization knows that a well-formed Internet and Web strategy is vital to achieving those goals.  Unlike other forms of marketing or customer service outlets, a business with a well-formed Web presence has global reach and can be accessed 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.  However, unless we have the necessary design, programming, and Internet marketing skills to pull it off, the logical step to take is to hire someone who does have these skills.

If we consider for a moment how important a well-formed Internet and Web strategy is to our ultimate success in business, then, it makes sense that we give the process of selecting an Internet and Web professional an equal level of importance.

Initial Planning

A friend of mine quotes a musical by saying "It’s not how you start, but how you finish."  While I absolutely agree with this sentiment, I also believe that if you invest some time in planning a project at the beginning, how you finish will be so much better!

With the knowledge that planning will affect the outcome, let’s consider the following questions:

• What do I want to say to existing and prospective customers or clients?
• How much information about my business, products, services do I want to put on my site?
• How much in the way of automated customer service do I want to provide through my site?
• If my site will require regular updates, do I want to be able to perform those updates myself, or will I need on-going support?
• Do I want to (or need to) commit to a method of selling products or services?
• Will I need a database to store and retrieve data?
• Do I care about being found through the search engines?
• How soon do I need the project completed?
• Is my Internet business plan suitable for my relative who took a class in HTML?
• What is my budget?

I am sure there are more questions, but my experience is that these will certainly help you get off to a great start.

The Search for Professionals

So how do we create a short list of professionals if we are unsure as to what makes a professional Internet and Web consultant?

Do a quick a search on your favorite search engine using the term "Web Developer" or "Web Designer."  You will quickly see that the number of people calling themselves Internet and Web professionals far too large to create a short list.

When I’m looking for services, but I don’t know what characteristics to look for, I am reminded of the old saying, "I don’t know art, but I know what I like."  Finding an Internet and Web professional is a lot like that.  We may not know all the characteristics of a professional in this field, but we know the kind of professional we like to deal with.  Generally speaking, this is someone who has a good understanding of business, the challenges associated with being in business, and is prepared to invest time in discovering exactly what our goals are and the ways in which these may be met.

A great method of creating our short list of this kind of candidate is through referrals.  Often these happen over a cup of coffee with someone saying, "Who do you know….."  Although you may not be getting the very best Internet and Web professional on the planet, you can usually trust that you’ll get a solid performance.

Other methods of establishing a list of potential service providers include your local Chamber of Commerce, and other groups.  Often a business person is involved with several groups which will yield many potential candidates for you.

Once you’ve developed your list, there are a few things to consider.  The first one, and I know this may seem obvious but it bears mentioning, is to check their Web sites.  Try to get a feel for the attitudes and philosophy of the business.  Often you’ll be able to get a feel for how the proprietors and staff will treat you and your project.

Next, consider these points:

Positives

• Overall, the site makes sense.  There are some let’s say "interesting" approaches to data flow out there.
• The navigation system is logical and makes it easy to know where you are within the site in relation to each section.
• There are no broken links.  That is to say, every page you expect to see actually exists, and you do not get a “Page Not Found” error.
• The person used a consistent design approach.
• The contact information and site map pages are easily found.
• The information provided is adequate.  Does the company tell you enough about itself and its proprietors/staff?
• The site’s elements are symmetrically aligned to fit your browser, and it does not seem that certain elements don’t line up and cause you to scroll horizontally in order to view the site’s content.
• Text easy to read.
• The pages load fast and you are not forced to look at a "loading" graphic before viewing the site’s content.
• Links open into the same page.  If they do not, the link provides a tool tip to warn you that a new browser window will open.
• The site discusses a technical background, or attitude towards technology.
• The site makes use of the right colors.
• Page titles are appropriate and informative.

Negatives

• The site forces you to use a particular brand of browser, or download additional software just to view the site.
• You are required to "Click here to enter"
• The site requires you to look at a "loading" graphic before you can view the content

As you can see, there are really only a few negatives, but familiarization with both positives and negatives will put you in a knowledgeable position when choosing your Internet and Web professional.

You can narrow the field even further by exploring whether the candidates you are considering have helped other businesses in your industry.  If so, were they able to present the business in a professional and meaningful way?  If the answer to these questions is yes, they are probably strong candidates.

Lastly, when considering companies and individuals who include Web design as a part of their business, but perform mostly graphic design work in print media be sure to investigate the strength of their skills in the following areas:

• Programming and coding for the Internet
• Graphic creation for the Internet
• Cross-browser compatibility
• Web site accessibility
• Database modeling, and
• Internet marketing and promotion

A healthy approach to outsourcing for the skills required to deliver a satisfactory project is a good sign that this company or individual may be a strong candidate.

Sole Proprietors vs. the Big Internet Firm

There is a lot to be said for using a large firm which "does it all" for you.  There are usually a lot of people who have to work together in order to meet the customer’s needs, and some people feel secure in that.

Sole proprietors are freelancers who can take on all the design and development responsibilities, and work very closely with others to complete the project.  This kind of colaboration usually means consistency throughout the project, a single point of contact during the production and deployment phases, and greater dedication to completing projects to the satisfaction of clients.

A sole proprietor, or small office, may also provide better value money, because there are usually no hidden fees and overhead is low.

Pricing

Do the candidates you are considering charge by the hour, or by the project?  Generally speaking, a firm which is prepared to offer "project pricing" is confident in its ability to determine a project’s scope.  When Sonoma Tek makes a bid, for example, we make it clear to our clients that the project price will only change if the project itself is changed BY THEM.  We avoid as much as possible the occasions of increasing a fee because of unforeseen occurrences during the project.

An hourly price may be necessary, however, if you’ve got a small project which involves some very occasional maintenance of your site.

References

Assuming you have pared your list down to a small corpse of strong candidates to work on your Internet and Web project.  It’s now time to call them, ask questions, and ask for references.  While speaking with your candidate, was he or she a good listener?  Was he polite over the phone?  Was she helpful?  Did he welcome your questions, or make you feel like you were imposing?

I think you know what to do if any of your answers were in the negative.

When a professional is asked questions, that professional will always respond respectfully and with the knowledge that you are spending your valuable time to inquire about his or her business.

Lastly, when you ask for references, actually call them.

To Wrap it Up

You will find it is worth the effort to follow these steps. When you consider the financial investment you will be making, along with the importance of the role that the Internet will play in your business, a little planning and research on your part will mean that your Web project will stand a greater chance of success.

I was recently speaking with a business owner who understood the concept that his website needed to be an asset. In fact, you could say he was a dream client because he soaked up all our advice and made several decisions based on our findings and subsequent reports about the web-based portion of his business.

Part of our advice was to update the design of his site. Since neither the design, nor the methods used in the development of the site had not been altered since the 1990’s, this seemed like a good time do it for several reasons. First, that the site was not attracting the search traffic the business deserved, and second, we needed to give the site a look and feel which spoke to people’s expectations of professionalism in 2008.

The client felt reluctant to do this, however, because he believed he was enjoying some success with the consistent design. Of course, I would naturally concur with his reluctance if we were talking about a site which had been deployed within the last 12 months, but we’re talking about a site which had been around for more than 10 years.

I can see some of you nodding in agreement with our client.

While you think about whether to re-design your website, or to just spruce it up a bit, consider your audience (this is a common theme to all our discussions about website development), and ask yourself this question:

"If I was looking to spend money with a business after researching its services online, how much faith would I have in a business which did not appear to invest in its website?"

Although existing customers are always the best source for advice on how we should present our business, or in areas we could be doing better, an honest appraisal of the above question should not require a customer survey.

Areas which typically require investment are in the look and feel of the site, user interaction with the navigation and input, and of course "search engine friendliness."

This is a truth in almost any area of business. For example, I don’t know about you, but I’m not walking into a restaurant which looks like the owners don’t hire enough staff to keep it clean.

The same can be said with our web presence.

If you were researching your own business online, how would you judge the investment in your web presence?

Chemicals in your warehouse have inadvertently spilled into the storm drain. Public records are missing from the HR department. The CFO was in a boating accident. Your employees are outside protesting corporate policy. The news media gets wind of it.

Welcome to crisis communications.

Be it a statement to the media, an article on the ‘net, a message placed in the daily newspaper, some judicious blogging, a feature broadcast report or an address to business leaders or investors, it’s the public relations arm of your marketing at work. PR: the communications continuum that tells your outside and inside world what you are, what you’re doing, for whom and how effectively you’re doing it.

Consider. You interact with people every day. You’re selling. You’re buying. You’re planning, researching, organizing, developing and implementing. How you’re perceived is everything. When the communications roof seems to have caved in, your credibility is at stake. Your investors are watching closely. Your customers are wary. Your business is on the line.

If the guy down the hall (let’s call him “Snerdley”) with no particular authority to do anything but hand out news releases and refer callers to upper management is your company’s idea of a public relations person, you’re in deep trouble. Faceless external communications went out with typewriters. Your response to the media, to anyone outside the company, must be well thought-out and fast and you’d better be prepared to discuss the crisis, whatever it is, with confidence.

I’m not suggesting anyone put the proverbial spin on anything. Check with legal, keep it matter-of-fact and to the point. Acknowledge whatever the problem is. Present the facts. But don’t get drawn into speculation. Is Snerdley capable? Or are you going to stand in front of the cameras?

You’re first opportunity at getting it right could be your last.

Whether your company is small or large, sophisticated PR (i.e., in tune with PR principles and modern media) and whether your PR/public affairs or marketing skills are studied, do one thing right. Think about what needs to be said before you say it. Then say only what needs saying.

Agree on the best, most intelligent response to media queries and stay by the phone. That’s half the battle.

When the you-know-what hits the fan, it’s like someone just tossed a ticking brown paper box into your midst. How to deal with it, quickly, safely and effectively, is critical.

Old-line public relations still lives in some bigger organizations. Until recently, I thought the practice had died a well-deserved death. But there it was. Sensitive public employee medical files were reported stolen. Files that were taken from a supposedly secure government facility. The key word here is public — as in public property and public right-to-know.

News media interest in the story was instantaneous and justified. Site access is open turf and right-to-know reigns supreme. How equipped are you to respond intelligently to probing questions? What’s your crisis communications plan? This is the time when well-practiced PR and competent crisis management prove their worth.

You might ask yourself what any of this has to do with you and your cam tottle manufacturing operation? Dry cleaning shop? Sign store? insurance agency? Beauty salon? Body and paint operation? Dry cleaning store? The list goes on ad infinitum.  Accidents happen. Imagine the worst-case scenario for your business and follow the PR ball.

In a case where public safety, security and privacy are issues, the news media will come to you and at you from every angle. Knowing what to say, concisely and carefully, is critical. Be it paint fumes, a fire or whatever, you’re on the spot. What if there was a major problem at the home office and the media is seeking to localize the story. They call you (the local vendor) for comment.  What will you do? 

If you have legal, check with legal. If you have PR, ask for their suggestions. Sit your team down and develop a response plan — before you need one.

Who have you on staff who can present information calmly, briefly and with conviction? Maybe you dump the problem on Snerdley. Convinced he’s the person you want in front of the cameras or on the phones with the media? Be calm, collect yourself, plan what needs to be said. Believe in it, then go say it — with consistency. Add fresh information when ready. Be timely.

Writing about PR in Success magazine (March, 1994), entrepreneur and former Inc. magazine publisher Wilson Harrell described PR as “a secret weapon that you must use, whatever you’re trying to do” and “the most effective and least expensive of all marketing vehicles.” PR isn’t cheap, but it can be had for a comparatively reasonable price.