| For Web site managers, there’s no outsourcing choice more important than picking an online advertising firm. A good marketing effort can mean streams of new visitors, piles of new revenue, a database of new prospects and a powerful extension of your brand. A bad one can mean jobs lost, visitors leaving your site and resources going down the drain.
With so much on the line, what should you really look for in an online ad agency? And how should you evaluate and manage the agency relationship once it’s under way?
Leading advertising executives, independent analysts and clients who’ve been through the agency-selection process say to keep the following in mind when making a decision:
First and foremost, spend the time necessary getting acquainted with the specific marketing, visual and technical professionals who’ll be serving your account. Chances are the executive initially selling the agency won’t be around when the work starts. Unless the people doing the day-to-day work have a feel for your business, your company will wind up with cookie-cutter advertising approaches that won’t really meet its branding needs. |
