As a business owner you simply cannot do it all. No matter how much time you have in your day or how skilled you are at seemingly doing everything, there is just no way that you can handle every element of your business whilst continuing to run, manage and grow it effectively. When it comes to your Pay Per Click or Google Ads, as there are so many elements that lead to a successful campaign, trying to add this to your ever growing “to do” list can be one of the worst mistakes you make.

PPC Management covers so many different things, from setting up a new campaign and all of the research this entails, through to tweaking your PPC campaign to be more effective, so unless you have an in-house team that can manage the complete package for you, it could well be time to outsource some or all elements to a specialised firm that can grab your campaign by two hands and really start making a difference when it comes to performance and results.

Whenever anyone mentions outsourcing, jaws drop, eyes roll and most have a horror experience about how it all went wrong that they can scare you with. Whilst it is true to say that you need to be very, very careful about who you use when it comes to your campaign, there are many reliable, reputable and recommended firms out there, meaning that you just need to take a step back, do some research and make sure that you can build a relationship with your chosen partner. PPC management outsourcing is a partnership between you and the company you choose, as you cannot expect them to get amazing results unless you are also willing to put some time and effort into getting them used to your company and what you want to achieve.

So, the things to look for when choosing the most suitable online marketing company to handle your businesses online marketing requirements are:

Experience

In this industry, experience and knowing how to get results is fundamental, which is why you should be looking to use a firm that has proved they know what they need to do to get you moving, and above all, they know how to do it safely and correctly. Even if the company is new, the person behind it might have a wealth of knowledge and experience in online marketing, but it is still extremely important you discuss just how much they know about what they plan to do for you. Do a bit of research about the industry before you start getting quotes and plans of action, as this will help you to be a bit more informed when it comes to what they might be proposing to offer. This also means you should be asking for case studies and examples of previous work and clients, as this can help you to understand what they do and how they have done it.

Existing Customer Base

This is a bit of a difficult one but I thought I would put it in here as a consideration anyway. For some firms, they might only have a few clients but still be successful, so judging a potential online marketing company on their existing client base might not always be the best measurement of how good they will turn out to be. But, if you can get an idea of the kind of people they work with and the success they have obtained for them, then it can be used as part of your overall judgement and decision making process.

Reviews / Testimonials

If you do a good job, then most people will only be too happy to talk about it, so when it comes to making sure that the marketing company you are considering to work with is any good, ask to speak to or at least read feedback from some of their previous / current customers. Of course, not every customer is going to want to spend all day on the phone offering recommendations, but, most successful businesses will have a couple of people that are really happy to share their experiences, which will give you a decent idea about how good they are and also if they are going to be the right ones to work with.

Costs / Packages

You are going to want results, this is why you are considering outsourcing your campaign, but the saying that you often only get what you pay for is pretty much accurate across the board. On the other hand, there is no point in breaking the bank to work with the best company in the UK, only to find that after two months you can no longer afford them and you are in a bit of financial trouble. Make sure you know the budget you can afford to spend when it comes to choosing the PPC Management firm you are going to work with, because not only does this help you to narrow down potential partners, but it means that you have a realistic idea of what you can afford to spend per month to get results.

Location

I am not going to criticise outsourcing overseas, because I know people that have done this successfully and have been rewarded with good results. However, I am a massive believer that if you are going to outsource this kind of work then it makes sense that you can go and meet them and speak to them face to face. As I have mentioned, Pay Per Click and Google Ads will be a partnership, as you need to work with the company and not just expect them to fully understand your business and do it all for you. This is why I think it can be very rewarding to work with a local or nearby company if you are going to outsource, as it helps to really forge a relationship when you know a meeting is possible should you need to speak to them.

Employees

Just because Mark seals the deal with you after spending weeks talking to you and building a relationship and tells you what is going to happen, this does not mean that you are going to be working with Mark on an ongoing basis. After all, he might just be selling you the package to then pass your PPC campaign over to an account manager when you sign up. Although there is nothing wrong with this, my point is to make sure you know who you are going to be working with and start to build a solid relationship with them, because there is nothing worse than having your campaign being passed from one account manager to another, as this can impact success and also take away some form of accountability as well.

Guarantees

Any company that guarantees to be able to generate 100% extra leads in a month are just really not worth getting into bed with, as not only are half of these guarantees based on nothing but fiction and dreamland moments, most of what they promise is out of their control and is wrong to even be promised. Although most firms can offer an idea of what they expect to achieve, until you get the work moving and start seeing the results, only then can you really understand the potential of the campaign, especially as there are so many factors to consider.

Qualifications

If you are looking to hire a firm for Google Ads in particular, then it can often be a good call to try to get someone that is Google Ads Certified and a Google Partner. Not only does this prove some kind of commitment to wanting to know the system inside out and delivering the best possible performance for your campaign, it also shows a signal of intent from the company that they value actually earning the qualification to do more for their clients. Although qualifications are by no way the be all and end all, the ones that do manage to get them and work for them are often really serious about doing the best for their clients.