Are you considering hiring a marketing agency for your lighting design business? If so, this article is for you.
In this comprehensive guide, I’ll go over everything you need to know before deciding on a marketing agency. We’ll cover what you should be looking for, what questions to ask, how much you should spend, and whether a marketing agency is the right solution for you.
My name is Lior Vaknin, and I’ve been a business coach and marketer for 13+ years.
Over the last few years, I’ve helped hundreds of local service business owners and contractors generate tens of millions of dollars by mastering lead generation and generating their own leads using our Local Service Mastery Program.
My mission is empower every business owner in the world by helping them become self reliant and not having to trust anyone else for the success of their business.
When a marketing agency approaches you, they typically offer services focused on SEO (Search Engine Optimization), paid ads, and content management. Here’s a breakdown of what to look for in each of these areas.
The platform your website is built on is crucial. I highly recommend using WordPress. It’s open source, meaning you own your website and can easily switch providers if needed. Avoid proprietary platforms like Wix, Squarespace, and Shopify, which can lock you into working with the agency.
Keep your website hosting separate from your marketing agency. Purchase your own hosting plan from providers like Bluehost, HostGator, or GoDaddy. This ensures you maintain control over your site.
Backlinks are links from other websites to yours and are a significant ranking factor for Google. Ask your agency:
Poor-quality backlinks can harm your site’s ranking, so ensure they are from reputable sources.
Website optimization involves enhancing your site to rank better in search engines. This includes:
Ensure the agency provides detailed information on their optimization process.
Content management can include creating blog posts, social media updates, and managing your Google My Business profile. Ask the agency:
Reputation management involves responding to reviews and managing your online presence. Verify if the agency will:
*IF YOU DO NOT ALREADY HAVE A RUNNING SERVICE BUSINESS DO NOT CLICK THIS BUTTON*
If you have the budget for paid ads, it’s a quick way to generate lighting design leads. However, ensure the ads are managed correctly.
Ensure the ads are run on your account, not the agency’s. This way, you retain all data and ad history. If the agency runs ads on their account, you’ll lose everything if you part ways.
Split costs between setup fees and ongoing management fees. Setting up Google Ads campaigns takes a few hours, while maintenance requires less time. Negotiate a fair rate based on the actual work involved.
Some agencies promise cheap leads but deliver low-quality prospects. Ensure the leads generated are relevant and valuable for your business.
Before hiring a marketing agency, consider learning how to manage lead generation yourself. No one cares about your business as much as you do.
Invest time in learning digital marketing basics. The knowledge will help you make informed decisions and potentially save money.
Join a coaching program like Local Service Mastery to gain structured knowledge and support. These programs can fast-track your learning and provide you with proven strategies.
Once you’re knowledgeable, hire virtual assistants to handle maintenance tasks. This ensures dedicated support for your business without the high costs of an agency.
Mastering lead generation and marketing is crucial for your lighting design business’s success. While hiring a marketing agency can be beneficial, it’s essential to understand the process and ask the right questions. Consider learning how to do it yourself first, then delegate tasks to trained assistants. This approach ensures you maintain control and maximize your investment.
For more information and to see testimonials from business owners like you, visit Local Service Mastery. If you understand the importance of mastering your marketing, book a call today, and let’s grow your business together.
On this episode of The Local Service Mastery podcast, I’m interviewing Siavosh Noruziaan, founder and CEO of Empire Deck & Interlock, an award-winning construction company from Ottawa, Canada, and a student of mine at our Local Service Mastery program, to share about his experience working with LSM and the impact it had on his business.
Raz has a successful locksmith business in Vancouver, CA.
Realizing he needed to master lead generation to grow his business beyond relying on contractors, he joined Local Service Mastery. Now, his Google Business Profile ranks at the top organically, his Google Ads boast a 29% conversion rate, and he envisions expanding his locksmith company to a $10M/year business.
In this video, I interviewed Mike Medved, one of my students. He shares his personal story, which is as remarkable, exciting, and empowering as his business. Mike is building a $100M locksmith business.
When Yam and Merav joined LSM, they were struggling to generate leads for their Garage Door Service business. Now they are not only equipped with the tools and understanding of how to generate leads and how the marketing game works, but have a much bigger vision for themselves and are working on building an 8-Figure Service company.
In this video, I interviewed Elinor Miller, one of my graduate student, whos also a life coach and own locksmith company as she share his personal success story through the program, who’s as remarkable, exciting and empowering as her business.
When Denis joined Local Service Mastery, he was still working with marketing agencies focused only on their fees. Now, he has an in-house marketing team, ranks at the top on Google, and believes the skills from LSM will help him grow his cleaning business to $100M.