Author: Shefali Pandey

The founder and partner of Flora Fountain, Shefali leads the Content and Technology divisions. A one-time engineer who started her career writing front-end code, she took a detour sometime during her 9 years in New York, studied journalism and started writing prose, poetry and sometimes jokes. She now has 15 years of experience in various segments of digital media and writing.  A lover of all things Bollywood, horror, good food and comedy, she curates #RickPick on Instagram to celebrate everyday kitsch, especially in auto-rickshaws. Her lifelong fascination with Bombay inspired the company's name, serving as its initial home and attracting valued clients. Evolving from a website and content-focused agency with renowned clients like National Geographic Traveller, Flora Fountain has now flourished into a 360-degree digital agency in Ahmedabad. Beyond her entrepreneurial pursuits, Shefali is also a stand-up artist and a co-founder of the comedy collective named Mahila Manch in Ahmedabad. Her creative pursuits in comedy is her way of showcasing her versatility and dedication to exploring new avenues of artistic expression.

Categories
Digital Marketing Agency

Why Community Building = Visionary Marketing

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Community building is the ultimate dream of every digital strategy agency that lives under the sun! Imagine having a loyal and informed audience base that defends and promotes your brand’s objective, vision, goals and products.

Digital marketing, via various online channels, allows businesses to promote themselves and fortify themselves with a loyal customer base.

That is why visionary marketers have always focused on community building for their clients. And as the terms indicate, it is the process of engaging with a group of people who share a common interest, creating a sense of belonging and loyalty.

Community plays an important role in brand building
Community plays an important role in brand building

As we stand at the turn of another year, it becomes vital for brands and businesses to shift their branding strategy towards establishing a strong community that aspires their audience to form a deeper connection with them.

But, HOW?

We at Flora Fountain, the top digital marketing company in Ahmedabad, have compiled all you need to know!

What is a brand community?

In one line, a brand’s digital community is a digital meeting space where brand consumers and fans interact among themselves and with the brand. Often the members share a common lifestyle, values, aspirations and have similar expectations from the brand.

The Red Bull gaming community and the Royal Enfield forum are just two examples from the web.

Why do visionary marketers focus on community building

Community building is a crucial aspect of digital marketing because it helps businesses create a loyal customer base. By engaging with a group of people who share a common interest, businesses can establish trust that in turn, leads to increased brand awareness and customer loyalty.

Visionary marketers understand the impact a well-established community can have on the brand’s reputation and reach, therefore they prioritise it in their marketing strategies.

Since information, experiences and narratives shared by existing consumers are more trustworthy, brands effectively apply the word-of-mouth strategy to reach out to newer consumers.

Secondly, online communities also provide brands with valuable feedback and engagement for product development. With a deeper understanding of the customer’s psyche, needs and desires, marketers can put out more practical campaigns.

Why-do-visionary-marketers-focus-on-community-building
A happy community adds to the brand’s market value

Another factor that attracts visionary marketers towards it is authenticity. The trust in a brand increases with the user-generated content of the community.

These are the top reasons why visionary marketers focus on community building, the next segment focuses on how this can be fulfilled.

Community building strategies for digital marketing companies in Ahmedabad

As the top digital strategy agency in Ahmedabad, we share a few strategies to help businesses connect with their customers over online communities:

Identify the right platform

The right platform helps you reach the right people
The right platform helps you reach the right people

First and foremost consider the platform you want to utilise for building your online community. To unravel this mystery, study your audience: Who are they? What platforms are they most available on? What features attract them?

Then analyse the platforms you can deliver on. Do you want to develop a web app? Or build a community on social media groups? In social media groups, do you want more engagement or more reach? What is the demographic you want to engage first?

Strengthen social media presence

Building a social media presence is one of the most effective ways to build a community around a brand. By consistently posting relevant and engaging content, businesses can attract and retain followers.

Moreover, experts suggest engaging with your audience. This provides them with accurate information which they will later share and avoid miscommunication. Engagement can also be seen in offering membership, guidance, exclusive discounts and early information on plans.

Use your website

Drive more traffic to your website by developing a specific page for your community. This at the same time ensures that your consumer engages with the authentic community and makes it accessible. Additionally, it benefits your SEO strategy as all the loyal consumers search for your website each time they want to interact with the community.

Your website can be an important tool for community marketing strategy
Your website can be an important tool for community marketing strategy

Have a content marketing strategy

Developing a content marketing strategy is another way to build a community around a brand. By creating valuable and informative content, businesses can establish themselves as thought leaders in their industry.

Creating engaging online events and campaigns is also an effective community-building strategy. By hosting online events, businesses can unite their followers and create a sense of community.

Why hire a digital marketing company for community building

Partnering with a digital marketing company can provide businesses with specialised expertise and resources for community building. Since they have the necessary knowledge and experience they can seamlessly help companies to create a loyal customer base and increase brand awareness.

They can tailor strategies to suit local audiences, ensuring that businesses connect with their customers effectively over the communities. Additionally, partnering with a digital marketing company in Ahmedabad can structure all your community-building efforts.

In Conclusion

Visionary marketers always prioritise community building in their marketing strategies because it helps businesses create a loyal customer base and increase brand awareness.

Flora Fountain, a digital strategy agency in Ahmedabad, is an expert in community building, aiding businesses to leverage their expertise and resources to create a loyal customer base and increase brand awareness. So drop a hello at hello@flora.ffteam.in today!

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Uncategorized

Top 10 things to know before hiring a Web Design Agency

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Hey Alexa, find me the top web designers in Ahmedabad for my new website!

Whether you ask an AI assistant or browse the net yourself, there are certain things that YOU MUST KNOW when looking for a good web design agency that fits your requirements.

Having a professional and effective online presence is crucial for businesses to flourish today. A web design agency can help one create a website that looks great, functions well and meets every specific need of the brand

With their knowledge, expertise, and experience, a website design company can create a website that not only showcases a brand but also helps it reach marketing goals. From designing a user-friendly interface to implementing the latest technologies, a web design agency can help you create a website that stands out from the competition and attracts potential customers.

Additionally, a web design agency can help you with ongoing website maintenance and support to ensure that your website remains up-to-date and fully functional. By partnering with the best web design company in Ahmedabad, you can relax in peace knowing that your online presence is in the hands of professionals who are dedicated to helping you achieve success.

The wizards of web design at Flora Fountain, a website design company in Gujarat, are here to guide you in remembering a few points, including website design cost in Ahmedabad, before you hire a web design agency!

So, let’s go!

Things you must consider before hiring a web design agency

Before you finalise a web development company for your website, look out for the following points to ease up your search!

1) Define your needs & budget

Define your needs & budget!

Always start by defining your needs and goals for the website. What is the primary goal of your website? Is it to sell products or services, to provide information, or to build a community? Who is your website’s target audience? What are their needs and preferences? Will you be using a website builder, or do you need a custom-designed website? (the agency can help you figure this out).

Clarifying the purpose of your website will help you determine what features and functionalities it will need and knowing your audience will help the agency create content that is relevant and useful to them.

Once you are done defining the goals, set a budget. How much are you willing to spend on your website? This will depend on the complexity of the website and the features and functionalities you require. Make sure the agency’s pricing aligns with your budget. Ask for a detailed breakdown of the costs involved and any ongoing fees. Be realistic about your budget, but also keep in mind that investing in a high-quality website can pay off in the long run.

2) Do your research

Do your research?

To make an informed decision about which web design agency is the best fit for your business, start researching. Use search engines to find web design agencies in your area. For this use specific keywords like ‘website design company in Gujarat’ or ‘website design cost in Ahmedabad’. Doing so helps you focus on filtered results and save time.

Check their online profiles to learn more about their services and get a sense of the type of content they share. This can give you an idea of their approach to working with clients and whether they are a good fit for your needs.

3) Check their portfolio

Most web design agencies have a portfolio of their past work that you can review. Always take a hard look at it and spend some time browsing websites they have produced. It starts with looking at style and design. Do you like what you see? Is their design striking and appealing to you or does it leave much to be desired? Are their websites custom, or do they simply use pre-built themes that they tailor for each client? By looking at the agency’s portfolio, you can see examples of their work and get an idea of their style, capabilities and quality of work.

Check their portfolio

Don’t just look at the design, you’ll also want to consider other aspects such as user experience, functionality, mobile responsiveness, lead generation and site performance.

Here consider these questions: are their websites easy to navigate?What is the user experience like? Do they use some creative and innovative functionality? Do they perform well on mobile devices? While a good agency is always improving and evolving, past websites are certainly an indication of their potential and thought process.

4) Look for Experience

Overall, experience matters when hiring a website design company in Gujarat because it can impact the quality of the final product and the success of your website. An experienced web design agency can provide valuable knowledge, expertise, problem-solving skills, quality work, professionalism and industry connections.

So always check if the agency has experience in creating websites similar to what you are looking for.

5) Check for Communication Skills

Check for Communication Skill

Another factor that is often sidelined is communication. Good communication allows the design agency to understand your needs and goals for the website. This includes understanding your target audience, branding, marketing goals, and any specific features or functionality you require.

It is very necessary for a collaborative relationship between you and the agency. This allows for feedback, brainstorming and problem-solving during the design process.

Moreover,  the best web design companies in Ahmedabad with good communication usually ensure that you are kept informed of the progress of the project, any changes in scope or industry standards and any other issues that may arise. This allows you to make informed decisions and make changes if necessary.

6) Ask for a Quote

Reach out to the web design agencies that you are interested in and ask them questions about their process, pricing, and communication style. By getting quotes from multiple agencies, you can compare the costs of their services and find the agency that offers the best value for your budget.

Also, conduct a general search online about the website design cost in Ahmedabad, Gujarat and other parts of India. It ensures that you are aware of the present market rates and are getting a fair price for your project.

However, it’s also important to consider factors such as the agency’s experience, expertise and reputation when choosing an agency, as these factors can impact the quality of the work you receive.

7) Look for Flexibility

The digital landscape is constantly changing, and a flexible web design agency should be able to stay current with the latest design trends and best practices. This can help to ensure that your website is modern, engaging, and effective at meeting your business goals.

Every business is unique, and a flexible web design agency should be able to customise its solutions to meet the specific needs and goals of each client. A flexible web design agency can adapt to the specific needs and requirements of each client.

They should be willing to listen to your feedback and make changes to the design and functionality of your website as needed.

8) Check for Technical Skills

Check for Technical Skills

A web design agency can provide technical expertise in areas like website development, hosting, security, and maintenance, ensuring that your website is up-to-date and running smoothly. But how do you check it? By asking!

Ask the agency about their coding standards and how they ensure that their code is clean, optimised, and compliant with industry standards. The best web design companies in Ahmedabad will likely follow best practices for coding and this will usually mean they deliver a website that is efficient, secure and easy to maintain.

You can even ask them about the technologies they use to build websites and their testing and quality assurance processes.

9) Ask for a Contract

Asking for a contract from a web design agency, even one with some of the top web designers in Ahmedabad, is important because it sets out the terms and conditions of the project, protects your interests and ensures that both you and the agency are on the same page.

It can protect both parties by outlining the scope of the project, deliverables, timeline and budget. It’s important to review the contract carefully and ask any questions you may have before signing to ensure that you understand the terms and conditions.

10) Check for Customer Reviews

Check for Customer Reviews

Always check how many clients the web designing company has delivered and work successfully with. Reading reviews and getting testimonials from past clients will give you an idea of the agency’s reputation and level of customer satisfaction. The top web designers in Ahmedabad will usually have good reviews too.

How much the website will cost you depends on various factors such as – functional requirements, framework or technology, delivery time and the agency you are choosing.

In conclusion, these were our top things to keep in mind while looking for a web developing agency that suits your needs, objectives and requirements.

Still on the hunt for a squad of creative digital wizards or as you say web developers and designers, who can turn your website dreams into reality?

Your website troubles end with Flora Fountain, the best web design company in Ahmedabad. With our host of experienced front and backend engineers, UX experts, UI designers, website content writers and project managers we are your full-stack solution for all things web! Drop a hello at hello@flora.ffteam.in to start a conversation.

Categories
Digital Marketing Agency

How to successfully collaborate with a digital marketing agency?

Hiring the best digital marketing agency is not enough!

After all, working with a digital agency is like riding a tandem bicycle! You may team up with the top digital marketing experts but without proper communication and coordinated efforts, building your brand presence may seem a distant dream.

Path to effective collaboration with a digital agency

Many brands and renowned businesses realise that collaboration with a digital marketing agency isn’t always straightforward. Especially when both parties are stuck amidst megabytes of content, creatives, brainstorming, meetings and multifold communications happening between them.

Immensely overwhelming, isn’t it?

Well, it can be simplified. The most brilliant minds at the best digital marketing agency in Ahmedabad have compiled this guide on how businesses can establish a robust partnership and collaborate effectively with their marketing agency.

Read ahead to know more!

What can brands do to collaborate effectively with a digital marketing agency?

The daunting question has kept many business owners wide awake, after all, a small miss from their team can also cost heavily to the brand.

We have compiled a list of things you can do to improve your compatibility with a digital marketing company. They are as follows:

  • Set your marketing goals
  • Communicate your expectations
  • Identify team responsibilities
  • Establish a clear communication process
  • Provide access to relevant information
  • Analyse results and refine strategies as needed

Set marketing goals

Before you dip into the pool of digital marketing agencies, take some time and define what it is that you want to achieve. Because the first step towards an effective collaboration comes with communicating your defined goals and objectives to the marketing agency.

Consider unravelling questions like:

  • what goals you have in mind,
  • how will you measure the performance of the campaign,
  • how will you record the learnings from the campaign.

Making sure that both parties are on the same page helps ensure that all the efforts are directed through a tunnel leading towards the same end goals and prevents any misunderstandings.

Identify your goals

Communicate your expectations

Openly communicate your expected outcomes.

It’s important to set clear timelines, milestones and expectations while hiring an agency for digital marketing in Ahmedabad or Amsterdam. This will allow everyone to understand what’s expected and by when so that teams are held accountable and deliverables are met on time.

Projects should also have a scope or agreement outlining who is responsible for delivering what, as well as any overhead expenses.

The expectations once defined, like the north star, help the agency navigate and sometimes even alter strategies mid-course to deliver the results promised.

Identify team responsibilities

Your second step is to identify who from your team will be responsible for which tasks and make sure everyone understands their roles before starting the project.

As the top digital marketing expert in Ahmedabad, it is clear that having someone from the brand as the point of contact helps keep communication organised and efficient, while also ensuring that all responsibilities are divided appropriately.

This also means deciding who will be the point of contact for the agency to reach out to for project details, images and any kind of resource. Who is responsible for the creative approval, who is next in line in charge if the end authority isn’t present, etc.

Establish a clear communication process

Communication is crucial in any partnership, and the same applies to collaborating with a digital marketing agency.

It is best to establish clear communication channels with the agency to ensure that all parties understand their roles and responsibilities. You should define the frequency and the modes of communication to avoid misunderstandings.

Identify common channels of communication and set the process for the same.

The best way to ensure success is to create open channels of communication and to check in on progress throughout the project. Both parties should establish how often check-ins will bep held, who needs to attend, what topics need to be addressed, and when the next meeting will be scheduled.

With consistent communication the brand can be equally involved in the project, ensure that the teams are on track and help avoid miscommunication or delays. It also provides a space where both teams can discuss any challenges that arise quickly and openly so they can work together towards success.

Provide access to relevant information

Take a look around across the digital marketing agencies in Ahmedabad, and you will realise the pain point for most of them is getting accurate and complete details from brands. This results in unwanted delays, poor images and a less than desirable brand image.

Equip your digital marketing agency with the required account access and brand information.

Your digital agency needs to understand your business to provide customised strategies and solutions. Providing access to relevant information such as your business model, target audience and marketing strategies becomes critical for creating digital strategy. This will enable the agency to provide services that align with your business goals and avoid any mishaps from your side.

Along with this, it is vital that your team provides access to social media accounts so that the posting, boosting work does not get hampered.

Analyse results and refine strategies as needed

Once you are clear with all the mentioned points, analysing the campaign at different stages is essential. Make sure to provide constructive feedback with the right details so that the agency can adjust its strategies.

For instance, share what exactly did not work out for you in the creative, or why you liked a creative.

Providing all these details will help the agency to understand your brand better and ensure future success while keeping up with digital trends and staying ahead of the competition.

Stay in touch with the progress with regular analysis

In Conclusion

Collaborating with a digital agency can be a game-changer for your business. However, to achieve the desired results, you need to establish a robust and respectful partnership with the agency.

Defining your goals, choosing the right agency, establishing transparent communication, setting realistic expectations, providing medium access and relevant information, and finally actively monitoring progress are a few of the key steps towards effective collaboration.

By following these steps, you can achieve your digital marketing goals and take your business to the next level. So now that you are prepared, for your part, we are here to provide you with the best digital marketing service.

Drop a hello at hello@flora.ffteam.in today!

 

Categories
Web Design and Development

It’s 2023. Having a business website is non-negotiable. Here’s why.

152 words on a plain white background, a heading tag, 20+ hyperlinking tags leading to a mesh of interlinked pages and no images.

Today, for a website development company in Ahmedabad, Athens or anywhere in between such a website is a no-no, but back in 1991, it was all the rage as the world saw its first website ever!

So much so that within 3 decades, the internet is now host to over 202,900,724 active websites swaddling millions of data bytes structured much more effectively with thought-out UX and intuitively designed UI.

The exponential rise in the popularity of websites and subsequently website design and development companies are also because of the massive benefits a website brings to businesses.

From reaching the right, wide and new audience base to attaching a sense of credibility to the brand. No wonder, major brands consider their business websites as one of the most essential assets to their business.

And if you are still wondering, why to have a website, have all your answers here.

Why your business needs a website: Insights from a website design company

business-needs
Digital presence and reach severely affect every business, in every industry all across the globe. Especially when there are over 5.16 billion internet users across the globe. Along with this following are the key motivators to have a website by a website design company:

  • Increase visibility
  • Boost credibility
  • Elevate customer experience
  • Control brand image and narrative
  • Provide valuable user insights

Let’s explore every point in detail.

Increased visibility

As a website development company based in Ahmedabad, we are aware of how important reach is for leads and conversions.

With a website, your business is always a click away from the consumers in your targeted locations, 24 hours a day and 365 days a year. This elevated visibility means an “always on” leads-generating mechanism, which results in increased conversions, sales and higher ROI.

Flora Fountain Tip: Just having a website won’t do the magic. To increase visibility, your website must crawl up to the top of searched results (SERP). For this, you need to have a smart SEO strategy in place.

Boosted credibility

Your consumer is expecting you to have a website, and in many ways, it can be one of the main factors of credibility against your brand’s competitors.

Testimonials, case studies, portfolios, showcasing previous clients and details as minute as the services provided can help develop transparency and trust with potential consumers.

In simpler words, having a website is having digital proof, a reflection of your experience, sincerity and expertise about the services you have to offer.

Since a large faction of users looks up the product and service before deciding to buy them, having a website that markets your business 24*7 is a no-brainer.

Refined customer experience

A well-developed and uniquely designed website can add that factor of delight, in return increasing consumer engagement. In terms of a website development company, it boils down to the website’s UI and UX.

Why is it important for a brand?

Well for starters, an elevated user experience adds to the prestige of the brand, it shows that the brand is serious about its customer’s experience and business.

Additionally, having a website effectively impacts consumer service and leads to an increase in organic traffic. For instance, a ChatBot on your website can respond with smart AI-generated messages to resolve the concerns of a consumer even at the oddest non-working hours.

Control of brand image and narrative

Communicating a brand’s personality, identity and story are important factors to create brand loyalty among consumers. This reflects in the tone of communication, colour schemes, design themes and even in details like the use of whitespace.

Tweak-India-digital-media-company-by-Twinkle-Khanna-Tweak-India

With a website, it becomes much easier to curate, circulate and manage your brand’s messaging. If you have an update or have achieved a milestone in your industry, you can highlight this on your website in minutes and share this link across social media for added credibility.

On top of this, your website becomes a means of verification for any miscommunication or wrong information put out by third parties. All this in addition to the branding done by the website, makes it an essential aspect for all businesses.

Flora Fountain Tip: First identify your brand archetype and personality and then design the website theme, layouts and content aligned to this.

Valuable insights

From who is interested in your website to what interests them the most, you can have every detail about your business from website data collection and analytics tools. This is another vital factor to consider websites as an asset.

Armed with this data and an analytical understanding of consumer interactions and product performance, you can plan out smarter business strategies.

Google Analytics, Google Search Console, Hotjar, Smartlook and Open Web Analytics are just some of the web analytics tools that can help get you started.

Now, these were the top reasons as to why businesses must build websites with the help of a website design company. But, for many others, a top concern is how to choose the right web development company. Here’s how!

Choose the right website development company!

website-development
Now that you know that your website is an asset, it is vital to select the right web development company in order to get the best out of your investment. In such case, the following pointers will guide you while choosing the right website development company:

  • Determine what type of website you need
  • Look for expertise and creativity
  • Ask if they provide mobile-first and responsive web designs
  • Check out their website and portfolio
  • If still not convinced, ask for a proof of concept (POC)

Determine what type of website you need

Different platforms and website types have extremely vast requirements. Hence, determining what is best in your interest will help you have clarity. Ask yourself:

  • Am I looking for an ecommerce development company?
  • What features will the website have?
  • What timelines and budgets am I willing to spend on the website?
  • What platform and language will host the website?
  • Do I require specific customised features for the website?
  • Who are my competitors and what are they doing?

With this, you will get more clarity on what are your requirements for the website. Doing so will help you filter out the most suitable website design company.

Flora Fountain Tip: Ask the web development service provider if they provide free consultancy. This will provide some clarity if you have none.

Look for expertise and creativity

Evaluating the experience and ability of a website development company helps you identify what service you want from them.

For more inclusive outcomes, look for a company with expertise not just in front-end and back-end development, but also conducting user experience research, creating Information Architecture (IA), producing wireframes, building user-centric user interface designs, testing for quality assurance and launching the website. It always makes more sense to have these different teams be a part of the same larger group for more accountability and seamless working.

The second parameter is ‘creativity’. Since tech is a futuristic domain, you want your website to be up-to-date and innovative enough to delight the visitor. The more customised the journey for the user, the more delightful!

We at Flora Fountain host an exceptionally strong team of website developers and website designers in Ahmedabad that holds expertise in platforms like WordPress, Shopify and Laravel, as well as, languages like PHP, React, JavaScript, CSS & HTML.

Ask if they provide mobile-first and responsive web designs

In 2022, 54.8 % of global website traffic was from mobile users. This percentage goes even higher for India, where the majority of the population accesses the internet on smartphones. So having a website development company that uses a mobile-first approach is a must-have. This shows the company is sensitive to current trends and has the ability to build as per the user’s needs.

mobile-ai

Check out their website and portfolio

From their client portfolio to even how a website agency maintains its own website, a lot of information can be gathered about a website design company from their past and current work.

This can help you gauge if the developers understand the brand and the industry. Do they maintain the set standards of the industry? How quickly do they rectify bugs and errors? How good are they at maintaining websites?

If the website of the company is down, slow to load, unappealing or full of bugs, you might want to reconsider your choices!

Flora Fountain has successfully developed, designed and maintained websites for brands such as National Geographic Traveller, Tweak India, Ray Ethnic, Vajra Jewels, Heritage Infra Space, Shivashish World School, The Faraway Tree and hundreds of other startups and established brands.

Ask for POC (Proof of Concept)

If you are still confused, before finalising your contract with any web development company ask for a proof of concept.

This will provide you with clarity on whether the website agency understands your vision and goals. In simpler words, a POC will help you test the claims of the developer.

With that in mind, you are all set to choose the right website development company. And if you still have clouds of confusion in your mind, Flora Fountain, as a reliable and reputed web development company in Ahmedabad, can provide high-quality web development & design services aligned with your requirements, budget and timeline.

So wait no more, drop us a hello at hello@flora.ffteam.in and start your digital journey today. And if you are looking for more such interesting insights from experts in web development, branding, content curation and all things related to digital marketing, head to our blog section right away!

Categories
Digital Marketing Agency

5 Things to Keep in Mind while Hiring a Digital Marketing Agency

Once upon a time a brand walked into a digital marketing agency. And realised by 2025, digital ad spending will reach $800 billion!

Evidently, that isn’t a joke, but neither is hiring a digital marketing agency. Because with the rise in digital spending, more brands want a marketing partner who helps in telling their brand story to the right audience, over the right medium, at the right moment to evoke the right response and get the best ROI.

Too overwhelming? Too many metrics to measure? Too …

Worry not, Flora Fountain, the leading social media marketing agency in Ahmedabad and India shares just 5 things that can help you make a better decision while hiring a digital marketing agency.

Top 5 factors to consider before your hire a digital marketing agency

To hire or not to … hire a branding agency, is a question that you must answer after considering the following points:

  • Identify your purpose
  • Look for an agency with experience and expertise
  • Understand the agency’s processes and strategies
  • Evaluate the results promised
  • Value for money and price play
branding-agency

Let’s dive into the details.

Identify your purpose

Before you venture out to hire a digital marketing agency, introspect and ask yourself:
What end goal am I trying to reach?

  • Is it to increase my reach online?
  • Or keep the existing audience more engaged through content?
  • Do I need help creating content?
  • Evaluate the results promised
  • Or help enhancing conversions?

What particular service does my brand require?

  • What services am I expecting the agency to deliver? (Hint: You want to hire a branding agency for things like brand strategy, identity & logo creation and an eCommerce website development company for things like website development or eCommerce management)
  • Will I require one set of services like social media marketing services and then need to expand my scope beyond it? (In such cases you might want to go with a full-service digital marketing agency, which can provide multiple services)

How much am I willing to keep aside as a marketing budget?

  • Will I be dedicating a percentage of my sales to marketing?
  • Or do I want to invest an initial amount and decide based on the results?

By answering these three questions you will be able to pinpoint WHY you need to hire a digital marketing agency and WHAT services you require from them today or in the future.

Look for industry experience and expertise

industry-experience

Once your goal is set, initiate filtering to identify agencies that have an expertise in your particular industry or the services you are looking for.

It is important to make sure the digital agency has relevant expertise and experience. Inquire and research their specialities and previous successes.

Having digital marketing professionals who have a good understanding of your industry and its specific nuances can make all the difference when it comes to achieving success online. Experience in both general digital marketing techniques, as well as those that are specifically relevant to your industry, plays an important role in selecting the right partner for your business.

Additionally, asking about the resources available for client-agency collaborations such as intelligence tools, content platforms, and analytics software is a must-do for those looking to hire a social media marketing agency.

Here are a few things you can do to understand whether or not the agency is a good fit:

  • Review their previous projects
  • Ask for proof of concept (POC)
  • Ask for referral contacts (in your industry and outside)
  • Look at any blogs or case studies the agency has produced
  • Check their reviews on Google My Business, Clutch etc

Understand the agency’s processes and strategies

Before you decide to work with a digital marketing agency, it is essential that you understand and evaluate how they work.This includes their work ethics, strategies used, work framework and methodology, business terms, approach towards the brand, partners, number of meetings required and project management.

Search Engine Page

The tiniest details from the mode of communication to the efficiency in their process can impact your decision to hire a branding agency. Hence, take time to ask questions that can help you understand whether the agency’s ethics, strategies and processes work for your business.

Knowing these details in advance will help you understand whether the agency is the right fit for you.

Evaluate the results promised

Search Engine Page

Big promises of great results can be exciting, but also can be cause to raise an alarm and ask more questions. Sometimes, if it seems too good to be true, it actually might be!Consider what the agency is promising and ask them how they plan to achieve this? See their track record. Have they delivered such impressive results in the past?

Value for money and price play

This one is important for everyone. From small businesses to reputed brands. However, what you should be evaluating is the value for money and the ROI.

Know the industry standards. When setting the price, ask:

  • If the agency works with a fixed scope or customises it as per the brand requirement.
  • How do they document the investments made for any digital strategy or campaign?
  • Why are their prices low/high?
  • How do they allocate the resources for various campaigns and what are the end results of it?

Also, think from an agency viewpoint, with higher funds, the agency would be able to put more effort and seriousness into the project.

And with that, you will be able to identify the right digital marketing agency to hire.

Hire Flora Fountain!

Anchored strongly in the digital world, Flora Fountain holds expertise in every domain that your brand may need. Including eCommerce website development and management, branding, content curation, designing, SEO, concept shoots, video animation and social media marketing.

With a strong team of experts and innovators, we build unique digital solutions and strategies to provide your brand with the visibility it requires with an exclusively curated scope as per your needs. Cut through the noise with effective strategies and tell your brand story with us. Drop us a hello at hello@flora.ffteam.in and start a conversation.

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Digital Marketing Agency

Top 10 Digital Marketing Myths Busted

Digital marketing Myths

“I have a small business; so I don’t need digital marketing services right now”

“Email marketing? Does it even work today?”

I don’t need a website design and development service for better digital marketing

These are some of the most commonly used rebuttals by entrepreneurs when they are asked to hire a digital marketing agency for their businesses. Now, they either don’t know what digital marketing is, or have heard and believe in the various misconceptions around it.

But, what are these misconceptions about digital marketing, and how are they detrimental to businesses, if not busted?

Below we have listed the most common digital marketing myths:

  • Small businesses don’t need digital marketing services
  • Investing in social media is unnecessary
  • A digital marketing strategy is only needed if my competitors are doing it.
  • Email marketing is out of fashion and ineffective
  • SEO is not important for digital marketing strategy
  • Search engines other than Google are irrelevant
  • Conversion is secondary, traffic is more important
  • The website must be revamped in every 6 months
  • Blogging is dead and has no scope in digital marketing
  • Bots and live chat are of no use

Let’s take a look at them in detail.

1. Small businesses don’t need digital marketing services

The biggest myth around digital marketing is that only big, successful and established businesses need it.

Fact

Digital Marketing provides all businesses, big or small, with equal opportunities on the internet. With a well-researched and proven strategy, small businesses can compete with big brands online, allowing them to reach a wider audience despite having a standard marketing budget for it.

A Forrester study states that post-pandemic, businesses should ideally spend around 46% of their total marketing budget on digital marketing now. In today’s day and age, having a digital marketing strategy is indispensable for every business no matter what size it is.

Because whether it is a smartphone or a roll of toilet paper, people are now looking for them online first.

2. Investing in social media is a waste of time

Another mistake a business can make from time to time is to believe that its customers aren’t on social media. This supports the myth that investing in social media is unnecessary.

Fact

When a potential customer looks online for something he/she wants to buy, there are high chances of them clicking on the very first link they see on the search engine page.

According to a study on Statista, over 3.6 billion people were using social media worldwide in the year 2020. These numbers are projected to jump to almost 4.41 billion in 2025.

Having a presence on social media gives businesses the opportunity to promote their products or services to their ideal customer base directly, interact with them more, stay on track with the trends and even sell through these platforms.

The possibilities to attract potential customers and generate leads through targeted ads on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram are endless.

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3. I only need digital marketing if my competitors are doing it

As unreal as it may seem, many local businesses believe in this myth and only avail of digital marketing and website development service until one of their competitors do.

Fact
Now, let us make it very simple here. If your competitors are doing digital marketing, then you should do it too. But, if none of your competitors is online, be the first one to be. Grab that first mover’s advantage and make hay as the sun shines bright.

A brand should stay ahead of the curve when it comes to digital marketing, as not going digital means missing out on a whole new world of new customers a brand can reach. And digital marketing is not just promoting products and services on social media. It includes email marketing, targeted digital ads, SEO and much more.
Here’s a sneak peek into the various activities done by Flora Fountain, a digital marketing company in Ahmedabad India.

4. Email marketing is dead

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This myth is very common, especially with the rise of social media. But in reality, the facts indicate otherwise.

Fact

Let’s clear this misconception with the help of some statistics:

  • There are 4 billion email users worldwide and this is expected to reach 4.6 billion by 2023.
  • 99% of email users check their inboxes every day. Of those, 58% check their email first thing in the morning.
  • 65% of email users check their email at least 3 times a day.
  • 44% of users check their email for a deal from brands.
  • Email marketing has an ROI of 3,800%.

Still, think Email marketing is outdated?

If a business feels that email marketing is not working for them, it is mostly because of the strategy and not the channel.

For a successful email marketing campaign, the promotional emails must have something that provides value, like a coupon or discount, an option for the receiver to unsubscribe and the emails should be sent on a regular basis.

5. SEO is not important for digital marketing strategy

When a potential customer looks online for something he/she wants to buy, there is a high chance of them clicking on the very first link they see on the search engine page. Making this idea nothing more than a myth.

Fact

SEO or Search Engine Optimization means optimizing your website content for higher ranking on search engines like Google. If a business needs improved visibility and regular traffic on its website, SEO is a must.

With the help of a well-strategize SEO plan, businesses can rank in the top 10 results of the search engine. This means their chances of being the first choice of the customer increase exponentially. Check out how Flora Fountain helps businesses with SEO.

6. I only need to focus on Google as other search engines are irrelevant

Another common myth around digital marketing is that search engines like Yahoo and Bing are irrelevant.

Fact

Though it is true that Google is the most popular and preferred search engine worldwide, there still is scope to use other search engines like Yahoo and Bing.

For better and more inclusive reach, using different search engines becomes important. And since different search engines have different algorithms, having a dynamic strategy will give your brand an extra edge over others.

This specifically helps those brands that have a niche target audience within specific geographical boundaries. For instance, Yandex, a Russian search engine, holds only 2% of the world market shares but is widely used in Russia, even more than Google.

7. Having high traffic to the website is all that matters

It is a common myth to believe that more traffic means more business and hence all the efforts of a website design and development company must go in directing high traffic to the website.

Fact

Most people think that generating enormous traffic can open the door to huge business prospects. Website traffic is not necessarily going to result in a surplus of leads for your business.

Conversion and traffic are two distinct concepts. The amount of visitors to your website is referred to as traffic, whereas conversion refers to the proportion of visitors that used your website to make a purchase or subscribe to a service.

Additionally, translating internet visits into conversions takes a lot of work and interplay of elements like the website’s performance, the website’s UI/UX, offers and discounts, enticing texts, bright CTAs, and high-quality material.

Flora Fountain, a website design and development company has developed websites backed by smart layouts, strong designs and content that converts.

8. You should redesign your website every 6 months

Unlike those who are fixated on not spending time and effort on website development services or web design companies, many businesses hammer on the myth of redesigning the website within a short period of time.

Fact

Though redesigning your website gives it a fresh appeal, it is not required every 6 months. As a website design company, Flora Fountain understands the emotional and psychological impact of various designing elements on visitors. And having the design changed so frequently can lead to a loss of identity for a brand.

It is hence suggested to develop and redesign your website in around 2 years, as it gives you a chance to overcome redundant content, placement issues and counter the bugs that may hamper the user experience.

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10. Bots and live chat only annoy the visitors

As a website development service provider, another myth we face commonly is that having bots and live chat tools is useless. This significantly impacts businesses’ growth and consumer retention time.

Fact

Businesses frequently employ live chat and chatbots to assist and communicate with customers. These tools can work efficiently when consumers have business queries and increase their engagement with the website.

Apart from enhancing the consumer experience, chatbots are cost-effective as they help businesses manage the massive inflow of queries in a shorter time at any given hour of the day. Now with the help of chatbot analytics, businesses can measure their performance and develop more efficient website strategies.

These were the top digital marketing 10 myths you need to leave behind this year to take your business a notch above others.

How Can Flora Fountain Boost Your Digital Presence?

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Give your brand the visibility it deserves with the best social media agency in Ahmedabad, Flora Fountain.

With a team of leading marketers, tech experts, strategists, copywriters and designers, we provide expertise and customised digital solutions ranging from branding, website design and development service, content curation, social media marketing, SEO and many more,

Make a difference in your business by embracing the digital and getting online. And let the best digital agency in Ahmedabad, Flora Fountain, be your launch pad for success. Get in touch with us via hello@flora.ffteam.in to know how we can help you with your digital marketing strategy.