Client expectations for any marketing method are predominantly; astronomic. They expect to see huge returns on their investment. Whilst they should see a decent ROI, their goals and expectations can be too much. Us marketers have expertise and knowledge but not magical powers.
Client Expectation Case Study
I am writing this article due to a recent client cancelling their initial 6-month contract with us for local SEO. It has only been 4 months since the campaign started which has left my colleagues and me dun-founded. The reason why they have cancelled is that they expected to see a lot more customers since the campaign started which has left them ‘disappointed’. Below are some key stats to show how much of an impact the SEO campaign has already had, despite it being only 4 months old.
Clicks and Impressions
Website Health
Referring Pages
Organic Traffic
Goals/Conversions
As we can see, this campaign has been very successful so far, especially after only 4 months as there have been some major improvements (not to pat my back too much). Particularly in one of the most important metrics; conversions. Within 3 and a half months, seeing the number of goal completions increase by 64.52% is what I consider a success.
Setting Expectations
The results above indicate a very healthy campaign, however, the client isn’t happy enough. As an SEO Analyst, we are not involved in the sales process which means that the salespeople are likely to embellish the benefits of our service in order to get the sale. Whilst I was able to get on a call with the client before the campaign started and mention that SEO is a long-term effort, I didn’t reinforce this to the client so it is likely that they forgot about it (as they didn’t look too interested during the call).
It is imperative that client understands what you plan to do for them whilst also letting them know about how SEO works. They can’t be fooled into thinking that they will get instant leads and sales. It should be explained how SEO is a long-term investment in order for the business to grow organically. With clients knowing this information, it will make it easier to communicate with them about progress and to encourage them to continue with you if the time for renewal comes up as they will understand about what to realistically expect.
Are you thinking about some SEO for your business, check out my SEO services and how I can help your business grow.
Harry Buckley 