Internet consultants help people use the web more effectively. They show
clients how to use online tools to improve their profits, sell more goods
or serve their customers better.
Many Internet consultants focus on marketing. All kinds of businesses seek
the assistance of Internet consultants to sell more of their products and
services online.
"To do Internet marketing, it's all about being current with the trends
in social media and blogging and writing," says Internet consultant Allan
Todd.
Consultants have to match the client's needs with the technology. Some
companies may need simple services. Others might need more complex ones.
"Most of them, they're looking for, 'What do I do for my web presence?'"
says Internet consultant John Flanders.
"Number two is the search engines. Then social media, social networking.
And to have a site that's of course mobile, so they can be easily accessed.
Those are the four biggest things that most people are concerned about."
Some Internet consultants combine their technological knowledge with specific
business skills. For instance, besides just showing a client how to set up
a website, a consultant such as Todd also shows the client how to use the
Internet to expand their business or find new buyers for their product.
That means knowing all about how Google ranks websites. "Most often they
want to get found in Google," says Todd.
"That's the main thing -- they want a website to get found in Google. A
typical person doesn't always understand or know what's involved with that.
They just go, 'I want to be found in Google.' Then I kind of have to spend
some time explaining to them the different options and ways for doing that."
Internet marketing consultant Kimberly Nichols finds the same is true for
most of her clients. "They're really looking to either have a website built
that they can manage themselves or they're looking to have a site that is
more easily found in the search engines," she says.
Many consultants design and manage websites for their clients. That often
includes providing content, such as staff profiles, company descriptions and
blog entries.
Todd used to do all of the writing for his clients himself. At one point,
he was writing 150 blog articles a month. Now, he hires freelancers to do
the writing.
"There are a lot of great writers out there that are freelancing," says
Todd. "To be an Internet marketer, you don't want to be doing the writing.
You want to hire great writers... I've got freelance writers that specialize
in [various business] areas, so I hire them to write and they're happy. That's
what they love doing. They like to write, and I like to pull everything together."
Internet consultants can work in an office or out of their home. They can
attract clients from around the world. That also means they have competition
around the world.
Internet consultants on contract can work as little or as much as they
like. Small consulting firms will often work extra hours in order to drum
up business or meet deadlines. Those who work for a firm are more likely to
work on a fixed schedule during regular business hours.
Consultants have to be prepared to keep up with change. And even though
this is a computer job, consultants need strong people skills.
"You need to communicate, and you need to communicate well with your client,"
says Flanders. "And everything done with a happy mood, everything done with
a smile."