Inbound marketing is all the rave these days, and if your organization is in the market for a new solution, there are plenty of providers competing for your time and money. So how do you find the right inbound marketing agency for your business? Just consider these three key factors, weighing each carefully against your own needs and expectations, and you should find your ideal inbound marketing match.

Love the Look and Feel

The things that attract you to an agency that handles inbound marketing should be the best examples of their own work – if their inbound marketing tricks don’t work for them, how can they work for you? As in other markets, inbound marketing is a series of well-planned moves smoothly executed to lead clients to your door before they know they need you. But even the most sophisticated inbound marketing campaign is nothing without good design and smashing prose.

In short, if the content that generates the links that lead you to the site doesn’t keep you there for more than a few minutes, the odds are the same will be done for your site. So favor agencies that put their effort into best practices for themselves, including:

• Clean design with easy-to-follow links and relevant images;
• Well-written articles that provide dense information in simple, quick bytes for readers; and
• A modern interface for users – all those blinking, pop-up, scroll-by ads are so five years ago – accessible design features that honor user preferences are ideal.

Strategic Thinking Matters

As a follow-on from how the inbound marketing sites you’re perusing make you feel, consider the strategy they’re employing to bring you in and keep you there. Pair this with their suggestions for your own campaign and see how they compare. Ask yourself:

• Is it the same regurgitated strategy or is it tailored to your specific requirements?
• Are there multiple facets to their approach; integrating social media, your own website, “real world” promotions, or other creative elements that foster interaction with your potential and existing clients?
• How will feedback or other input be used to optimize our campaign(s)?
• What parts of this process are automated?

Knowing the inbound marketing agency you’re working with is capable of seeing the big picture for your business on an individual level is a huge bonus. Their ability to compile user data, analyze feedback and continue to grow your inbound marketing campaign for the better is a recipe for success.

Look At Their Clients

Take a look at the companies they work with. Do you like what you see? Does it look like they can work with your industry? If you are feeling really bold and want to do as much homework as possible, ask for a reference, or call them yourself.

By considering these three areas making the most of your inbound marketing decision should be a snap.