Why Hire an Internet Consultant in 2012

On every street corner there are 10 social media experts. Toss a dart into any local bar crowd and you are likely to find a 23 year old IT consultant. They all talk a great game of techno babble. But, how do you sort through this mirage of hooey? Start by asking yourself why you need an internet consultant.

Here are 10 reasons why you need to hire an internet consultant.

1.Web trends and topics change every day. There is no way you can keep up and run your own business. So, set up a monthly tech call with your internet consultant to keep up with the tools and trends.

2.A Facebook page is not a social media strategy. Perhaps your kid is a Facebook genius. Great for you. But, true social media strategies that bring in new customers are most often 5-10 tiered systems for success. Most business owners need help. An internet consultant can help.

3.A good internet consultant is like an apple tree. Pick and eat what you want. Let the rest fall to ground. You do not have to act on every idea. If that ticks them off, find a new internet consultant.

4.What plan do you have in place to retain your current customers using your website? If the answer is none, you need an internet consultant to help you devise a plan for success.

5.Tablet use is taking over the world. It is expected that every white collar household will have at least one tablet device by 2015. An internet consultant will help you plan and take advantage of this trend.

6.Your old website needs help. There are more than 25 things an internet consultant should be able to help you identify on your website that are wrong. If you think you site is great...Think again.

7.Each month you should be reviewing your SEO ranking. Great, so your SEO company is doing this for you? Watch out. Your SEO company will always paint you a pretty picture. Hire a third party internet consultant to give you a second opinion.  

8.What plan do you have in place to draw in new customers using your website? If the answer is none, you need an internet consultant to help you devise a plan for success.

9.What did you do today on your Twitter account to draw recognition to your company or point people to your website? Did it work? If not, an internet consultant can help you better use hash tags and user grouping to draw in a bigger and better crowd.  

10.Return on Investment. What measure do you place on the ROI of your total internet strategy? An internet consultant will help you monitor your success online each month.

Make a list of four things from above where you feel you are weak. Don’t just focus on social media. Then, set out to find a quality internet consultant with a deep client base. Choosing an internet consultant is actually very easy. Ask them for 10 examples of happy clients. Ask for permission to email those clients. Then, ask them to prove to you how long they have been an internet consultant. Proof. Recent college grads are not qualified to be an internet consultant. Don’t be fooled.

Ryan Dohrn has been an internet consultant since 1996. He has worked for three major media companies in marketing and online promotions and now runs one of the premier internet consulting firms in the USA. His work as an internet consultant has expanded to Australia, Spain and Holland as well. He can be reached at ryan@ryandohrn.com or www.ryandohrn.com