Remote work and global freelancing have made it convenient for US-based businesses to outsource their SEO Marketing and Web Design Services to offshore companies. However, what looks like a tempting cost-saving alternative, could come with significant long term risks when outsourced overseas.
While cost-savings is a primary consideration for most business owners, you should also keep these five points in mind when hiring a SEO marketing or web design company:
- Intellectual Property Protection
- Legal Protection
- Communication and Collaboration
- Cultural and Language Awareness
- SEO and Localization for US Markets
Many businesses will ignore these key components in favor of low-cost outsourcing to find themselves stuck with incomplete websites or failed marketing campaigns, thus wasting valuable time and investment! When you hire a local US-based marketing company, you get better quality web design and SEO services without the risks that come with outsourcing your project offshore.
Intellectual Property Protection: Keeping Your Digital Assets Safe
Intellectual property theft costs US businesses up to $540 billion dollars annually. So what exactly is intellectual property? In the digital marketing world, your intellectual property includes all the digital assets that your business uses to establish itself online – your website, branding, designs and marketing materials.
When you work with a US-based marketing company your intellectual property is protected under US Law. You benefit from strong IP protections and clear legal contract requirements, meaning your marketing company cannot claim your digital assets as their own and your business ideas, proprietary designs and branding materials remain yours. This protection, however, does not extend to offshore entities and (in the event of an intellectual property theft) enforcing your rights across international borders is often complicated, expensive, or even impossible.
Legal Protection: What Happens If There Is A Dispute?
Let’s say your marketing agency ghosts you before your website goes live or the deliverables aren’t consistent with the terms of your contract. What legal action can you take to recoup your investment?
Well, that depends on the jurisdiction. If it is an overseas company, it is extremely difficult to enforce a contract, track down your marketing team or resolve a dispute.
But if your marketing company is US-based, you are protected under federal and state laws. You can be confident that, in the event of a dispute, you have legal options to resolve issues that are not aligned with the agreement between you and your marketing company.
Communication & Collaboration: Real Time Responsiveness
Your company’s SEO marketing and web design projects can only be successful if you and your marketing team are on the same page constantly and consistently. When you work with an offshore company, time zone differences could lead to longer response times on time-sensitive matters. Language barriers or cultural differences may cause ambiguous brand messaging leading to a final product that doesn’t align with your vision.
Your business needs a marketing company that is your partner in creating your online presence. You need a team that responds to your requests in a timely manner, gets your brand messaging and executes your campaign impeccably. Which is why a local US-based marketing company that understands the US market and your target audience is best suited to help you create a strong, collaborative digital footprint.
Cultural & Language Awareness: Why It Matters for Your Brand
Connecting with your target audience goes deeper than just good aesthetics. A successful digital presence involves brand messaging, user experience, website navigation, visuals, graphics and SEO that resonate with your local US-based audience. A lack of cultural and language awareness is a very common concern with offshore marketing companies.
To ensure that your marketing and website are aligned with American user expectations and consumer behaviors, it is best to hire a local US-based marketing company who can help you with the following:
- Brand Message & Tone: A direct, action driven message is more effective with American audiences than indirect, formal language. Also, various phrases, humor and slang translate differently across cultures and geographies. This is where having a local company work on brand messaging appropriate for local audience will give you an edge over your competitors.
- User Experience (UX): Positive user experiences lead to higher conversion rates. Do your users prefer a clean, easy-to-navigate website with clear CTA (Call-To-Action) placement? Do they like heavily animated sites? Believe it or not, it is a geographical / cultural preference. That is why it is important to hire a US-based marketing company that has a good read on your target audience’s browsing habits.
- Visual Preferences and Design Trends: What lands aesthetically with the audiences varies by culture, geography and time of the year. Where bold colors and loud fonts may be the order of the day in one instance, a more toned down graphic may work miracles in another situation. Using audience appropriate stock images, typography and formatting also require a deep understanding of local American culture.
SEO & Localization for U.S. Markets
Even if an offshore team speaks English, they may not understand how Americans search for information online. SEO strategies vary by location, and failing to optimize for US-based search behaviors can limit your visibility.
Key issues include:
- Keyword Differences: Certain terms or phrases may be common in other English speaking countries but aren’t widely searched in the U.S.
- Local SEO Strategies: If your business relies on local customers, an offshore team may not optimize your site properly for Google My Business, local directories or region-specific search queries.
- Compliance with US SEO Standards: Google prioritizes user experience, site speed and mobile-friendliness, all factors that some offshore developers may overlook.
The Bottom Line? Look At The Big Picture
As a business owner looking to make the most of your marketing spend, it is very tempting to outsource your marketing or web design work to offshore teams. But the reality is that the risks often outweigh the short term savings. Legal issues, cultural differences and communication barriers create long-term problems that impact your brand and your business’ long term success.
By choosing a US-based marketing company, you bypass these risks and ensure greater security, stronger legal protections, audience appropriate branding and a stress-free, collaborative process. This is a win for your business in the long term.
When it comes to building and marketing your brand, local expertise matters. Don’t take chances with your business’s future. Choose EXPRESEO, a US-based New Jersey Web Design and SEO Marketing Company that understands you, your business and your audience.