Are you currently outsourcing your digital marketing needs?
Or have you outsourced and now wish to self-manage this aspect of your business?
If you bought a car – would you ask the dealership to keep all sets of your keys and have them drive this around for you? I wouldn’t. I would want all sets of keys in my possession and only share them when I needed to (keeping a set for myself, of course).
All too many times, I have seen clients and potential clients being held hostage by their providers.
If you have a website, here are 5 important things you need to know to ensure this doesn’t happen to you.
Website Logins
Sounds pretty straight forward – but I have had discussions with business owners who do not have access to their own website. Whether you want to look after this yourself – or not, you need to have these logins. As with all relationships there is the possibility that you may no longer wish to work with your current provider. Make sure you get access to what you have paid for. Ownership of your most valuable digital asset should remain with you. If you’re looking to get a new website, have this clarified before you sign the dotted line to get started.
Data Tracking – Google Analytics
Have you put your head in the sand, hoping that things are getting done and your data is being tracked correctly? Another important tip is to have access to your reporting platforms, like Google Analytics. If someone else is looking after this for you, they can still continue to do this with shared access. You don’t need to be a tech expert to login and check that it’s working. Again, at some point you may decide to take the reins – data cannot be backdated. So if it hasn’t been tracking, you won’t know until it’s possibly too late.
Google Ads
If you have Google Ads running, this is another aspect of your online presence that you should have access to. Have your consultant or AdWords manager walk through the campaign and ask questions. Things like – will you be given access to the campaign should you wish to self manage this in the future? If not, how can they help set you up for this? You don’t need to be an expert on these platforms, but as above, you need to ensure you can login to it and access your business information.
Keyword Research
Having a copy of the list of keywords means you can review these to see if they are still on the right track. If these have been set up on your behalf – and you have no idea what they are, find out – today. User behaviour constantly changes, things that were trending 5 days ago may not be so popular today. Your keyword map is not set in stone for this very reason. It will evolve and change, just as your business continues to grow and change.
Google My Business Listings
This is another critical component of your online presence that you need access to. Google My Business allows you to update your business details, keep your consumers informed of your business hours and also helps with Local SEO efforts. If a third party manages this for you, add them as a User but make sure the ownership remains with you. Doing this will save you time in trying to get access to it later down the road.
Conclusion
Your website and online presence is important for your business. So why would you give complete control of this asset to someone else? You don’t need to do it all – but you do need to know where and how to access it. Collate and keep these details in a safe and secure place.
If you need some extra digital marketing support in your business, get in touch with me today.