Choosing the Right Interactive Firm
by Joe Orlando, Director of Sales
10/11/2006
Choosing the right interactive firm can be a difficult decision - especially in today's changing world, where there are many firms promising to meet or exceed your business goals through website design and interactive marketing.
First, let's take a look at the different types of companies that you may be considering to work on your online project. There are pure graphic design firms, advertising agencies, marketing strategy firms, systems integrators, and combinations of these types of firms. Graphic design firms are proficient at creating brochures, business cards, and corporate collateral. Advertising agencies are primarily dedicated to creating, planning, and implementing advertising and promotion. Marketing strategy firms typically provide a strategic foundation on which to develop a tactical plan - which may or may not include interactive marketing. Systems integrators specialize in building systems by combining products from different vendors.
Creating a marketing presence on the web represents a completely different objective than the typical goals of traditional “Marketing Communications”. One reason is inherent in the nature of the medium itself. Website visitors generally scan more than they read. The goal in developing copy for the web is to provide enough information to peak the reader’s interest, while leading the audience to your desired outcome. It is therefore important that you select a firm or agency that specializes in Online Marketing and Communications as opposed to one that simply provides online services as a "value-added" service.
Effective marketing on the Internet requires a combination of skills such as creative design, an understanding of web usability, intuitive navigation, web-centric "calls to action", and robust reporting tools in order to track success.
On the one hand, pure graphic design shops may possess the necessary creative skills, but may not have a firm grasp of usability issues specific to web interaction. I've visited many websites that feature elegant and creative homepages, but lose me quickly when diving deeper into the site. Usability shortcomings can push a visitor away as quickly as an unappealing design.
On the other hand, purely technical firms can provide fantastic software or applications that help capture users, members, and prospective customers in robust databases. These tools enable your internal teams to slice and dice the data in order to provide great insight into web visitor behavior. However, without a strong brand promise conveyed through imagery and design, visitors will not be pulled into your site – thus diminishing your online brand's effectiveness.
The ideal candidate would be an organization that has deep roots in the Online Marketing space - one with clearly defined roles of responsibility in design, usability, development, quality assurance, and project management. The firm should also possess a proven methodology for how these internal groups work together, share information, and ultimately utilize their industry expertise to produce tactical ideas that will help support your business objectives.
Here are some key questions to ask when evaluating potential interactive marketing vendors:
What is their experience in developing online brands in your industry?
This may take some research on your part. Who in your industry is "getting the job done?" Why is their site more effective than yours? Who did they hire to build their website? What are some of the key elements that make them more effective?
These are some baseline questions that you should answer before seeking a website design firm. In addition, if the firms that you interview do not ask you these questions it should raise a red flag.
Do they have a track record of successful engagements?
This question is very important. Ask for case studies, references, and criteria by which the firm measures a successful engagement. Look for organizations that want to be a partner in your success instead of just a vendor. These firms understand the value of a successful relationship with a client. They also understand that your success will only improve their business.
A partnering firm seeks to make you successful whereas a mere vendor focuses solely on maximizing their profits. To paraphrase Stephen Covey, author of "The Seven Habits of Highly Successful People", you should seek to partner with established firms that "begin with the end in mind". In other words, select a firm that understands your business objectives and the role of the web channel in your overall Marketing Strategy - not one that solely concentrates on designing your website.
Do they have a defined process that will ensure that your project will be completed on time and on budget?
When interviewing firms, develop an understanding of their project delivery methodology. Ask questions about payment schedules, project milestones, and the work that is involved in each step of the process. Knowing and understanding their process will help ensure that you get what you pay for. At a bare minimum, successful web projects should include the following steps: Requirement Analysis, Design, Development, Acceptance, and Release. As a customer, you should sign-off on each of these steps.
If you engage a firm that doesn't manage your project according to these milestones, you run the risk of "Scope Creep". Scope Creep occurs when the project isn't defined properly at the onset and additional resources and development are needed during the project - additional resources that you will have to pay for. Poor project management always translates into higher costs for your organization in the long run.
What are their core competencies?
Another important factor in choosing the right interactive marketing partner is their experience within your industry. A firm that creates amazing websites for consumer products companies may not be the best fit for Business-to-Business assignments. Make sure that candidates understand your strategic goals and ask them for examples or suggestions on how their development process will help you meet those goals.
Finally, there should be some level of consulting when you engage with interactive agency. You may already have a clear vision of what you want in terms of form and functionality. However, this vision may not be the most effective use of your development dollars. Let these experts suggest alternative paths to meet your goals.
Conclusion
In summary, when evaluating firms for your next interactive marketing project, the first step is to understand your organization's business goals and your desired end results. Choose a firm with a defined and proven process. The agency should be able to deliver online solutions with appropriate tracking tools to measure and validate results. Pick an organization that provides a consultative approach and the ability to offer alternative solutions. Finally, make sure that they have experience within your industry, a proven track record of success, and deep roots in Online Marketing.
