from the SEO firm perspective 

from the SEO firm perspective

1. How much would you pay eg. a travel agent as a booking commission for a customer referred by the agent, who stays at your resort?

Bar Graph software
Headlines software
Data management
Data grouping software
Download GRML Pioneer

2. How much would you pay for eg. a bus company that brings 40 people to your resort for lunch and a look around?

3. How much did you spend in off line marketing and promotion last year? What was that as a percentage of your turnover?

4. How much average profit do you make per customer transaction?

Pioneer Report MDI
GRML web browsers
Tree MDI GRML
Headlines MDI GRML
GRML Bar Graphs

5. Whats the annual or lifetime value of a new customer to your business?.

6. How many new customers have you budgeted to buy?

You don't have to post your answers here - but these are some of the questions I generally ask my prospective customers.

GRML Intranet Software
GRML Browsers
Intranet Software
Graphs
Headlines MDI Web Browsers

I've found that if a prospective customer doen't know what his current customers are worth, or how much he is currently spending acquiring and managing new customers - then how will he have any idea of the value I'm adding to his business? Is 2 new clients/ week @$500 each a good result? Is 100 new clients/ week @$10 each good? The answer depends on whether you sell real estate or bunches of flowers.

SEO is new client acquisition. There are loads of ways to acquire new customers - some ways cost more than others - and different industries will have different cost structures.

Pioneer Report MDI GRML Browsers
Tree GRML Web Browsers
Bar Pie Graphs Charts
Graphing software
Headlines Browsers

So if a prospective customer of mine can't get close to answers for these 6 questions, then how will either of us know if I'm adding value to your business? - and how will I know if this prospect is a good businessman - whose business I can make better? Are your goals realistic?

And how will we measure the success of the project?

If its not a win - win - then someone's gonna lose. If we are both professional, and know what we are trying to achieve - and have goals that are realistic & defined - then everyone will win.

GRML web browsers
Pioneer Report
MDI GMRL web browsers
Tree MDI Browsers
GRML Browsers

The 'mechanics' of SEO are important - but IMHO you look even harder at the business proposition.