One of the great debates in the marketing industry – which includes web design, branding, and other related disciplines – comes down to whether industry experience matters for creative firms.
On the one hand, you have some teams that specialize in certain types of projects. For example, certain agencies focus on serving legal firms or financial services providers. And on the other hand, you have marketing firms whose expertise is in generating leads and sales, which could understandably be said to matter for any kind of company.
Which type of vendor is better for your business? In truth, there probably isn’t any one answer, but there are a few things you should consider when choosing a creative team to work with…
Industry Experience Can Be Helpful
First things first: industry experience can be valuable when it comes to web design or outsourced marketing. That’s particularly true if you happen to work in a business with very specific rules, benefits, or legal guidelines.
While we don’t focus all of our energy in any one industry, we have worked with plenty of nonprofit organizations and libraries, just to name a couple of specialties. These types of clients have very strict needs for accessibility, online security, and user confidentiality. They need websites that are fast, responsive, and safe from common cyber attacks.
If your creative team can come into your project having an idea about your needs and competitors, that’s a good starting point.
Don’t Let Your Firm Take Shortcuts
In some rare cases, industry experience can actually be a drawback for a creative team. That’s because they may assume that they already know the ins and outs of your business or take shortcuts when it comes to developing your campaigns.
As an example, there are plenty of firms out there that specialize in working with certain types of businesses, and they can complete projects very quickly and inexpensively. That isn’t because they know so much about these industries, however. Instead, it’s because they use the same templates and settings again and again.
You need to ensure that your creative team is going to take the time needed to learn all about your business, your unique selling propositions, and the market you operate in. You don’t want them settling for generic templates or messing with your profitability line.
The Type of Experience That Matters Most
In the end, there is one type of experience that matters above all others. If a creative team has helped other businesses overcome the kinds of challenges you are facing – and get the sort of results you’re looking for – then they might have the right background.
For example, if you were an accountant trying to rebuild a website, would you rather work with a firm that specialized in dealing with accountants or one that had helped a manufacturer triple the size of his business? In this example, your business might not match up exactly with the manufacturers but you’re trying to achieve the same outcome. That suggests the creative team in question can probably help you.
We constantly advise new potential clients to look at our track record, both within and without the industries they are in. You should do the same when evaluating any creative partner.
Need Additional Insight?
If you’re wondering how to find the right creative partner to work with, or even where to start, the team at Weblinx might be able to help. Not only do we have two decades of experience helping businesses to grow, but we offer all new potential clients a free initial consultation. Contact us today to schedule a time to talk so we can answer your most important questions.