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The UK is one of the leading countries in the field of digital marketing - there are more than 250,000 marketing agencies competing for business, whether it's a freelance designer or web design agency employing 10+ employees. It's such a crowded market!
The reason then why I launched Jason Liu Marketing is because I really could not find an existing UK marketing agency that was able to provide good affordable value to construction companies / contractors. Of course you may say that it's impossible for me to have come across every marketing agency!
True - BUT I did do my research! I visited thousands of construction business websites over the Summer of 2019, visiting the web design agencies who already work with some of the major players/contractors, visiting local web design agencies who have a good portfolio of local traders. My findings were:
1. How do you find good value and not be taken for a 'costly' ride?
There are simply too many 'bad' experiences of working with UK and overseas marketing agencies. Common perception is that web design, websites done on WordPress, SEO services, social media management, digital advertising are all expensive services that only 'marketing specialists' understand. You need to pay a premium and you get coerced into paying until you realise one day you've been taken for a ride, or you simply did not get what you're promised. Some business owners have paid £thousands for a website that is simply not worth that value. Same goes with SEO services, social media management, digital advertising...
2. How do you ensure you don't just get a 'template' website?
Face it! Web design agencies and freelance web designers all use templates. It's sensible because its more time efficient, it helps provide a structure and layout that makes a good website. The problem is when web design agencies maximise profits by doing very limited editing to a template website, providing you with the 'minimum' standard, a website that is simply a re-badge of what the previous customer just got.
3. How do you ensure that you are not tied into an expensive yearly subscription?
Most web design agencies will provide the complete package, it's easy to get your business email accounts, new website and SEO services all in one package. But once you are locked in, you are faced with no other choice but to renew each year. You want updates but they will be costly, often charged at half-hourly rates. You want to revamp your website but it's limited what your web design agency can do because they use the same templates, the same free stock photos for all their websites. Even if you want to leave, you don't want to lose your domain and your business email accounts.
4. How do you ensure that you find one that actually understands construction?
There are a small number of design agencies that focus on Construction and they understand the industry, they work with the major players/contractors. But they are out of reach for the smaller contractors and tradesmen because they are just too costly. So what then of other design agencies - surely it's not too difficult to understand Construction? You can tell when a web design agency simply uses language that we don't use in our industry, or when the website sounds very much like it could be written for any industry.
Read my next post to find out what you can do.
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