With the insights and expertise that these agencies provide, it makes perfect sense to hire them to come up with an effective digital marketing strategy. 

As an aspiring digital hub, the abundance of digital marketing agencies in Malaysia is no surprise. Unfortunately, this makes the process of choosing the right agency for your brand much more tedious. 

With that said, here are three questions you need to ask before choosing a digital marketing agency.

1) Is the agency credible?

Apart from the usual client references and case studies, reputable companies will display their certifications and badges on their website. 

For example, a Google Partner badge serves as a strong recognition of an agency’s expertise in Google Ads. To be recognised by Google, these agencies must undergo strict performance assessment, product certification exams and various training sessions.

Thus, such certifications are great indicators to assess if an agency is reliable.

Transparency is another factor in determining the credibility of your digital agency. The agency should be clear about their practices so that you know what to expect from your partnership.

It is thus vital to lay down all the terms and conditions in a contract before commencing anything.

2) What kind of experience does the agency have?

Being credible is not enough – digital marketing agencies should also be experienced in their field.

If they don’t have any experience in your industry, they may not be aware of the latest trends and needs. Ask how they’ll venture into a new industry and ensure that they know what it takes to achieve your expected goals.

Now is the time to put them to the test. Request for a pitch, and see if their ideas satisfy you.

While agencies who specialise in your niche can be a good choice, versatile agencies can also be beneficial. 

They may not be experts in your industry at the start, but their varied experience shows that they are quick to understand different businesses, industries and goals. 

Browse through their past works and see if they are adaptable to your brand. Their fresh set of eyes can introduce ideas from other industries and uncover new approaches to improve your digital marketing strategy. 

Looking for a flexible digital agency in Malaysia to execute a digital marketing campaign? Reach out to our team for an effective solution now.

3) How does the agency communicate?

Engaging a digital marketing agency means you are establishing a new relationship, which requires constant feedback and communication. It is vital for the agency to follow up with you quickly so that you’ll always be on the same page.

Hence, prospective agencies should allocate you with a primary contact person. You want to discuss how often you’ll get a progress update, and how you can assess the effectiveness of your digital marketing campaigns. 

Open communication leads to mutual respect and understanding, which will benefit your relationship with the agency. When the agency understands your views and goals, you’ll be able to work together to achieve the best results.

Ultimately, good communication will lead to a consistent digital marketing strategy throughout all channels.  

Get in touch and listen to their ideas.

Failing to align expectations with digital marketing agencies have caused brands to face unpleasant experiences. Thus, you should always contact agencies to discuss your goals and needs before partnering up with them. 

Once you’ve done your research and understand what they can bring to the table, you’ll be able to properly evaluate whether they are the right agency for you.

If you’re ready to partner up with a digital marketing agency to achieve effective results, you can talk to our dedicated team today.

Given that UI and UX design are closely interlinked, it can be hard to differentiate one from the other. However, it is vital to understand that they handle two different parts of the design process.

To help you incorporate them into your website design, here is a simple guide on UI and UX design.

What is UI design?

UI design is about the graphic style of your website. It also considers how your users will interact with it, be it through text, images or other visual elements. You need to ensure that your website is legible and easy to read, and not just aesthetically pleasing.

What is UX design?

On the other hand, UX design focuses on the entire experience of the users whilst they are on your site. Having a good UX design means that every feature on your website should be relevant, useful and functional. Thus, you should be involved in the entire design process, from creating prototypes to testing the site’s functionality. 

Keen to get a good UI and UX website design? Consult a professional web design agency to develop a smooth and visually-appealing website for your brand. 

What are the key differences between UI & UX design?

Although people often mix them up, they are two distinct terms in the design process. The main differences between them are:

• UX design deals with the functionality and purpose of your website, whereas UI design handles the visual and the appeal of the interface. 
• UX design looks at the user flow and journey of your website design. Meanwhile, UI considers the design of the interactions in each step of the user journey.

What are the design principles of UI?

#1 Clarity

Users should be able to use your website effectively while facing little to no trouble. Users should understand your website design’s interface and content so that they won’t take any incorrect steps and actions.

Clarity also refers to the legibility and readability of the website’s content, including the images and visual elements.

#2 Flexibility

Maintain consistency in your website design, but keep a flexible design system so that you can adapt and scale to different interfaces. If you’re adding a new element to your website, ensure that it has more than just one variation and use. This applies to buttons, menus and screen sizes.

At the end of the day, this will mean that your website can last for a long time.

#3 Structure

When you create a visual hierarchy of elements, you can direct users to click on specific parts of the webpage. Typically, the most important information should be placed at the top, bolded and centred to attract users immediately.

This includes key elements such as your brand name, logo, titles, important key messages and Call-To-Action buttons. 

What are the design principles of UX?

#1 Consistency

Keeping a standard navigational and interface design throughout your website can make it easy for users to intuitively find what they want with ease. This will give users a sense of familiarity and control, which leads to a better experience.so

It is also important to keep up with any current website trends that users are often familiar with. By utilising flows and logics that users are accustomed to, they are more capable of navigating through the entire user journey without assistance. That is a true mark of a good application of design. 

#2 User Control

When users have control over what they’re doing on your website, they will have a better UX for sure. This is accomplished by providing them with back, cancel or undo buttons to return from or undo an accidental click.

Improving users’ navigational experience creates a more efficient process, thus increasing their overall satisfaction throughout your website. 

#3 Usability

UX also involves simplifying the user journey to make your website easy for everyone to use. Ensure that each button and piece of content within your website design comes with a purpose, and highlight the most important elements to bring them to your users’ attention. 

Ultimately, you want to create a usable design that will improve the overall user experience.

Concluding Thoughts

A website with poor UI and UX design will frustrate customers and drive them away, so always prioritise them to achieve your website goals. Now that you understand how they contribute to your audience’s experience, you can start applying these learning points in your website design or revamp. 

If you need more help leveraging on UI and UX to develop an engaging website, get in touch with a UI/UX proficient team of web developers today.

Given the saturation of the digital marketing industry, it is not difficult to find a digital marketing agency nowadays. The challenge is finding the right agency to do it.

With the abundance of choices, it may seem difficult to narrow it down to one and that’s understandable. In the spirit of giving during this festive season, here are 3 ways to choose the right digital marketing agency for your business:

Know Your Budget & Goal

To find the right agency, you need to do your own homework first and be able to answer the following questions:

How much are you willing to spend? What’s your budget?

By planning your marketing budget, you will be able to get quotations that are more tailored to your needs. It will be easy to weed out the agencies that are unable to fit into your budget.

Understand and set your marketing goals before approaching various agencies and subsequently, look at their proposed strategy.

Are they aligned with your goals? Do they aim to achieve the goals you have set?

It’s easier to work with an agency that has the same goals as you. From there, you can determine which agency is more suited for your brand.

Vet Their Creatives & Portfolio

Have you seen their creatives? If not, it’s time to take a look at their portfolio. A good digital marketing agency often boasts an extensive portfolio of design deliverables.

Do they have a design style that you like? Do they have a wide range of style that caters to your brand? Are their creatives actually creative?

Creatives and creativity are important aspects of digital marketing, as it is what makes your brand stand out. Hence, these are vital questions to consider as you choose the right digital marketing agency.

While you are looking at their portfolio, look at the clientele they have. Are there any notable brands that you wish to emulate or learn from?

If so, it bodes well for your potential partnership as they can achieve the brand you desire.

The Right Personnel

At the end of the day, when you are collaborating with an agency, you are working with people. Similar to hiring the right person, it is important that you are working with the right people.

Do they meet the deadlines agreed upon in the initial phase? How are your communications with them? Do they feel genuine? And most importantly, do you like them?

These are points to consider in deciding an agency, as you will be working with them extensively. Digital marketing is fun, so you should be able to enjoy the process. Hence, it is paramount that you like the people from the agency, to ensure that your partnership will be smooth and a happy one.

It can be difficult to find an agency that checks most of the points in this list, but I Concept is a budding digital marketing agency that strives to do so.

Speak to our professional and friendly team to find out if we are the digital marketing agency for your brand.