5 Great Ways To Determine The Quality Of A Company
There was a time when the yellow pages ruled the world. It’s not like they had a death grip like a character from A Game of Thrones, more like there weren’t many options to choose from. If you had a business and didn’t use the yellow pages, you better hope that word of mouth was exceptional in your hometown.
Like Kodak, however, the digital age is quickly pulling the company apart as it tries to reinvent itself. Daily, the company touts itself now as an authority, telling its clients that it knows what it means to secure them a digital presence.
But does it?
Anyone can SAY they know what they are talking about. I could start up a company and create a page tomorrow for dentistry. That doesn’t mean I’m qualified however. And because industries such as web design or window installation don’t require credentials to operate, you are left wondering how to choose from the plethora of companies.
What should you be looking for? What proof can a company offer in their digital presence to prove they are as qualified as they promise?
Does the company have a website?
A website with an easy explanation of what you do. If I have to search for what you do down in the far reaches of your website, then you haven’t accomplished your goal. You have about thirty seconds to prove your value.
Do they blog?
Not just a blog, but an active one. Of course, this isn’t the be all end all. Some people are busy. But for some companies such as ours, it’s an absolute must. It doesn’t matter if we are posting daily, weekly, or monthly. What matters, is that you have a reason to come back periodically to learn something from us.Additionally, the blog has to be educational, not promotional. Your audience can tell.
Are there Google reviews and are they on the map?
Go ahead. Look up SEO Kingston. Right now, ClickHelp has about 20 reviews. As a company telling you the importance of reviews, we better have them. Those reviews need to be real and have comments. A blank review with a bunch of stars can come from anywhere. It’s harder to fake a review with a write up.
What is their position on Google?
Some industries are hard to rank well. There are a lot of players vying for top spot. If your SEO is working then you should rank well. Of course, SEO is a long game.There are companies that pay for Google Ad space in hopes of getting people to unwittingly click on their ads not knowing they aren’t a ranked page, but an ad. Just look for the little green box next time. [Ad]
Are there Facebook reviews?
It isn’t just Google that has reviews. Facebook has a lot of great content and social proof in the form of reviews to show you which companies are worth working with.
Yellow pages knows it. Gone are the days of just choosing the first person in the phone book so the company is trying to redefine itself as a digital player.
Your potential clients are doing more research before making that call. They know what they’re getting into. And that means you need to do more to stay relevant.