The Cost of Internet Marketing
Internet Marketing services are expected to become a billion dollar industry in the very near future. Many people are confused by the offerings, however, and aren't sure what's a good price to pay. Understandably so since the price for these services seems to be all over the board.

What are you actually paying for?
First, let's break down the various facets of Internet marketing starting with Search Engine Optimization and/or Marketing (SEM). This service is the one where everyone claims to get your site ranked high with the search engines. For this service, you're paying for labor, not results. Those companies that get good results for their clients get to stay in business. Those that don't soon close their doors.

Okay, so if you're paying for labor how much labor is involved? I can't speak for other firms, but at Web-Kare every SEM client has three people working on their site throughout the year. First, there is the account executive whose job is to ensure that the results are satisfactory with the client and keep production abreast of any concerns a client may have about their site's results. The account executive has a bit more of a client's perspective than the actual production people and it's in his best interest to keep a client happy. He is a valuable and necessary part of our labor force.

Next, each account has two production workers. One optimizes the site, makes changes to the site design and/or copy, submits the site, and prepares the monthly and quarterly reports. This is the senior account manager. Their position is to oversee production to ensure that the site is submitted to all of the search channels, industry-specific directories, and other relevant resources. A researcher, on the other hand, monitors the sites ranking position each and every week, helps with backup data for quarterly and monthly reports and researches online resources that might be useful for a client listing.

The other part of our service is Sponsored Ad Placement (aka Pay-per-Click). With this service you are paying for traffic and labor. For labor, this service requires at minimum two people. Once again we need our account executive to research keyword terms and work with the client to come up with a viable ad budget. Whether you have $1 to spend on ads or $1million, he gets paid the same. At Web-Kare our management fee is separate from the advertising budget and no one except the advertising venues (Google and Overture) get a part of the ad budget.

Then, of course, we need the senior account manager who will write the ads, bid on the terms, track the budget and results, and prepare monthly reports. It is this person's objective to get the client the most exposure possible for the given budget. This does not mean that every client will have every ad for every keyword available on the Internet 24 hours per day, seven days-a-week for 365 days. The client is paying for traffic so he only pays for those who actually click on the ad and visit his site and he is paying for someone to manage this program for him.

Compare Internet Marketing to other Marketing Channels
Compared to print advertising and media broadcast advertising (television or radio), Internet marketing is a steal and your potential audience is worldwide numbering in the billions. None of these other advertising channels guarantee results of any kind -- just exposure. You are paying for production costs (including labor) and, in the case of broadcast media, you are paying for production of a particular program that you are sponsoring. It is up to the client to track leads that may come from these avenues of advertising or the client has an ad agency to track the results for him, prepare the media, and place the ads. Most agencies won't even bother with a client that has less than $100,000 to spend (including the agency's fees).

Web-Kare, on the other hand, can offer a complete Internet marketing program for $7995 management fee (combined program) plus whatever ad budget the client wants to spend and the program can start immediately. No waiting for publication dates. A client's site can start receiving traffic within a week after signing up with us.