What to look for in an interactive marketing partner

Choosing a partner to create interactive marketing materials takes some extra considerations. Here's a checklist that will help you determine whether a prospective partner can deliver what you need:

1. The vendor has the experience needed to ensure a good outcome.
2. The vendor is a stable, proven company that will ensure support down the road.
3. The vendor offers a flexible Content Management System that will allow my site to grow with my business and meet my customers' expectations.
4. The vendor offers training so my staff can confidently use the Content Management System.
5. The vendor understands how site architecture and navigation affects the user experience and adds value to the site.
6. The vendor works with you to organize your information and materials in order to streamline the website production process and get the best outcome from the project.
7. The vendor uses technologies that are not dependent on a single software vendor or a specific hosting environment.
8. The vendor understands the changing needs of companies and how to apply the latest technological innovations to those needs.
9. The vendor can provide additional services like e-commerce, real-time credit card authorization, secure certificates and merchant accounts.
10. The vendor offers value-added services like search engine optimization, visitor tracking and tools that help me see how effective my promotions are.