Why Local Is Lekker When Choosing Your Digital Agency
The internet has shrunk the world to one tiny, global village. It has made it possible to connect with people in other countries and on other continents. But when it comes to choosing a digital agency to harness the internet for your business, it still is a good idea to think locally instead of globally.
Enlisting the services of a local digital agency, one that’s in your city or country will benefit your business and online strategy in four ways:
Communication Is Instant
If you work with a local agency, your communication is not subject to time differences. This means all contact with your agency happens in real time. If you have a query, you can pick up the phone and get instant feedback. This would not be the case if you work with an agency in a different time zone. Communication in this instance will be delayed and a time difference as slight as two or three hours has the power to hamper projects. Longer variances in time could mean the difference between meeting and missing important deadlines. In a world where time equals money, this is something you quite literally cannot afford.
Relationships Are Built And Nurtured More Easily
Being able to make personal contact in business is crucial for establishing trust in a partnership. Only ever meeting over the phone introduces two parties to each other, but they’ll never really get to know each other. They’ll never be able to build a truly reciprocal relationship where both parties are equally invested in the success of the work being done. This is only likely to happen if the partners meet face-to-face on a regular basis, which is easy when your agency is only a drive or short flight away.
Knowledge Of The Local Market
Every country or city has its own idiosyncrasies that are determined by the experiences and attitudes of its residents. People living within the boundaries of that country or city have the best knowledge of what makes their fellow citizens tick. A local agency will thus be better suited to find the human truths for your market, guaranteeing a much higher probability of success than an international agency that doesn’t understand the customers you are talking to. Something as simple as using “trunk” as opposed to “boot” could make a huge difference to your company. These words are the American and South African variants of the same object, and while both are understood by most, each one is still particular to their country.
Information Is At Hand
It has already been mentioned that it is easier to meet up and build a rapport with a local agency. These factors are critical if you are a business owner who prefers to stay on top of what’s happening in all areas of their company. Whenever you feel that there is an area of concern, or if you need something to be explained in person, a meeting can be arranged to facilitate a face-to-face discussion. Even with the help of Skype, these are not as effective when business partners are on different continents.
The other obvious benefit to keeping your search local, would be that the number of options will be kept relatively low. Too many options from all over the world and you could become confused and make the wrong choice.
So start small – if you’re in the Western Cape, look for digital agencies in Cape Town. If your business is in Gauteng, research agencies in Johannesburg. Broaden your search if you can’t find a suitable agency in your area. Most important is still that you find an agency that can offer you the best service for your specific business needs.
The content in this article was provided by Rogerwilco – a South African marketing agency based in Cape Town.
