It has only been this past year, since the economy lost its wig, that we have noticed that some people hire us and are thrilled to get projects going, but then there is a change. Somewhere along the way these clients decide they know more than we do about the Web, websites, website design SEO and Internet Marketing. They get agitated and are determined to be right. Sadly, they make or insist on some bad decisions that will hurt them in the long run.

When you hire a consultant that is good at what they do you have to have some faith and take their advice, just like you would expect your clients/customers to take your advice. There is nothing wrong with questioning ideas you do not agree with, but if you hear a solid response you might want to listen. You have to also make sure you are not thinking about what “you” want as much as you are thinking about what they web visitor needs to see and read to invest in your company. A good consultant will have customer conversion as their #1 priority.  Think about your website and SEO goals and how you can meet those goals.

More Cowbell!

My Web developer, Diane Kinney, and I use this term a lot. More “cowbell”  is our term for clients asking for ridiculous amounts of anything – more green, more swirls, more graphics, more words, more useless tweets, more something…The sad thing is too much of anything doesn’t make sense and it doesn’t help the overall goals of your marketing and/or website.

(The term “more Cowbell” come from the Saturday Night Live skit with Christopher Walken. <– a must see video)

Are You Focused On What You Want Personally or What is Best For Grabbing Visitors and Increasing Conversion?

The question we have about more cowbell is why? What benefit will there be to have too much of a design feature or any other thing? Do you need more cowbell because you are thinking about what you like? What you like is fine; we are all entitled to opinions, but our job is to help you develop a web presence that will help your business do better online.

When you pay a consultant you are paying them to “consult” on matters they are experts on. I know when we offer advice or options it is because we want what is best for our clients. When we kindly suggest not so much cowbell we are not trying to refuse what the client wants; we are trying to help them obtain the professional site they need to be successful.

Be Open to Listening

People often don’t like to hear that their ideas or opinions are not the absolute best. Web consultants are never trying to offend or hurt feelings; they are trying to do their jobs and this means looking at things from all angles and making sure every decision is what is best for the client, the client’s business and the ability to convert. If a consultant differs with your opinion ask them why and be open to listening.

lastly, remember often in life, SEO, Internet Marketing, Social Media and Web Design less is more.

Melissa Fach – SEO Aware

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