The short answer to the question of when you need to hire an Internet Marketing/SEO Consultant to help you achieve success in the virtual marketplace is anytime you are running a business that you want to see succeed. This may not be feasible when you are in startup mode, but as soon as you have the financial resources you should consider getting some expert help in this area.

Many business owners get used to wearing many hats and doing everything themselves, at least in the beginning. The fact is that you can't possibly do everything yourself; there aren't enough hours in the day. At some point, you will need to bring in other people so you can focus on building the business, as opposed to doing everyday things that are necessary, but that don't generate any income.

What a Consultant Can Do for You

Less than one-quarter of all businesses hire a consultant to help them with their online presence. Those that do tend to have higher search engine rankings, which is key to driving traffic to a web site and increased sales. A ranking in the Top 10 would be ideal, since most Internet users don't go through more than the first couple of pages of search results to find the information they want.

If you don't know how to use keywords, meta tags, and other strategies to achieve a search engine ranking, hiring someone with the expertise you need makes perfect sense.You may already be working with an accountant, a lawyer,and a business banker, so why don't you bring in an Internet Marketing expert, too? This is another professional who can help you achieve success.

How to Find the Right Consultant for Your Business

The Internet Marketing consultant you work with is going to be acting as a guide and you may need to contact a few of them before you find someone you are interested in working with. In short, you want someone who shares your vision for your business and who you click with. If there isn't a certain amount of chemistry, trust, and mutual respect, you are not going to be able to work effectively as a team.

You will also want to find out about the person's level of experience. Find someone who has worked with companies that are similar to yours in size and focus. A person who has worked for large corporations only may not be the best fit for a startup.

Ask for references and contact each one to find out more about what working with that consultant is like. You will also want to see if you can find other previous customers who are not being given as references to see if they have a different recollection of their experience working with that person.

As always before working with someone new, take the time to check them out with the Better Business Bureau online to see if there are complaints and if they were resolved satisfactorily.

Labels: business, consultant, internet marketing, marketing