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Digital marketing is one of the newest and fastest growing industries out there and has solidified its place in the world of business as the importance of digital platforms skyrockets. A steadily increasing number of businesses are turning towards digital marketing experts to try and gain an advantage in their industry – whether it be through SEO, PPC, or SEM strategies. Companies like First Page are at the forefront of this growth, well poised to capture this newfound interest, and equipped to help businesses develop and nurture their online presence. Founded in 2013, First Page made a name for themselves by offering bespoke digital marketing services that are both fluid and adaptable to the ever-changing digital landscape.
The brainchild of founder Nick Bell, First Page was born as the answer to a growing need for digital services in the Asian market. Hong Kong was quickly identified as the ideal location to complement his already successful Australian agency as there were far fewer obstacles to overcome in terms of both language and company setup. “There were also huge growth opportunities at the time. It also didn’t hurt that I love the food there too,” states Nick.
Understanding that they are in a relatively new and thriving industry, the team at First Page often take a more consultative approach with their clients. By helping them better understand the underlying goals and advantages of a strategic digital campaign, they can better visualize how it plays together inside a digital “eco-system” and promotes results-oriented growth. “We believe that the core of further development relies heavily on the knowledge surrounding the topic of Digital Marketing & its constant ‘evolution’. It’s important to share how facets of the industry are continuously changing and ensure that our clients & prospectus clients understand the impacts of these changes – not just in relation to their digital marketing campaigns, but overall strategies,” asserts Nick.
Despite this, running a business remotely while being in another country was always going to be a challenge. One of the first hurdles was trying to build a connection with the team based in Hong Kong. Only by investing the time necessary to find good people on the ground in Hong Kong could he help foster a deep-rooted team spirit and a culture conducive to growth.
With Nick’s expertise and the versatile Hong Kong-based team, First Page has successfully helped thousands of Hong Kong, Australian, and Singaporean businesses delve into the world of digital marketing. Their efforts were complemented by a network of international offices in California, Australia, Thailand, and Dubai, driven by the desire to be at the cutting edge of digital trends.
With their hard work paying off, First Page is currently APAC’s highest-rated full-service digital agency. They offer a complete suite of digital marketing solutions encompassing SEO, PPC, SEM, and more to help their clients generate more leads and sales through data-driven digital strategies. First Page is also known for their customized approach to each and every business, offering tailor-made strategies that build stronger and more agile organizations primed for success in a modern business climate.
As the company has grown, so has their reach. “When we started out, we were focused more on SMEs, but now we work across a wide range of company sizes including some of the world’s largest organizations including McDonald’s, Google, McLaren, and Microsoft,” says Nick.
As digital marketing became a more well-known and studied niche, tools like ROI calculators alongside comprehensive SEO audits and more started to become more commonplace. First Page uses these techniques to evaluate potential clients’ websites and digital presence before suggesting viable digital strategies. “We do understand that with the sheer mass of tools out there these days and the ambiguity around understanding data in relation to your business (if you’re ‘new’ to digital) can be overwhelming,” says Nick. With a keen understanding of digital marketing and all its intricacies, First Page is able to propose a more simplified approach when it comes to collecting, analyzing, and strategizing with data that relates to a business’ website and digital presence. By doing this, First Page clients are privy to the strategies that provide them with the greatest benefits and return on investment at any point in time.
Originally, First Page was a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) agency. However, as the company started to establish a more mature and sizeable client base, they now offer a more comprehensive portfolio of services that includes everything under the Google portfolio (Google Search Ads, Display Ads, YouTube, etc.), Facebook and Instagram, LinkedIn, and a variety of premium content writing for growth marketing initiatives.
In 2020, side by side with the growth of eCommerce platforms, First Page rolled out Amazon SEO and Ads, as well as a partnership with Tik Tok to reach new audience segments. In 2021, the company has included in their expansion goals Chinese marketing strategies surrounding WeChat content & advertising, as well as programmatic capabilities. “We know that the digital landscape is continuously evolving, which forces us to simply evolve with it to the benefit of our clients,” states Nick.
Nick believes that a company is only as strong as its fundamentals. Especially when it comes to SEO, there are no one-size-fits-all solutions. SEO agencies must take the time necessary to fully understand the nature of the client’s business, as well as which products/services are of the highest priority in terms of revenue growth, brand awareness, and other metrics. Nick further mentions that you cannot run an impactful SEO campaign without an in-depth understanding of how the client’s business runs.
Another important aspect is for the SEO agency to have clear, well-defined, and transparent KPIs and campaign goals. As a long-term solution, it can be hard to track the campaign progress – both on the client’s and agency’s side. If an agency were to have no KPIs to hold them accountable, then what is there to drive the performance of a campaign?
Nick believes that a company is as strong as its fundamentals. Every organization is different from others, especially when it comes to an SEO agency. The agencies take time to ultimately understand the nature of the business and which product/services are of highest priority in terms of revenue growth and opportunity to you as a potential client. Nick further states that you cannot run an impactful SEO campaign without understanding the client’s business in detail. The second point would be guaranteed. If an agency doesn’t have any KPIs to hold them accountable, then ultimately what drives the performance of a campaign? Ultimately, a good SEO agency will provide a transparent reporting process and offer insight into previous campaigns. “Last but not least, I would look into how established an agency is when it comes to online reviews – ultimately reviews do not lie and shed a lot of light on current and previous client experiences with an agency,” states Nick.
COVID-19 has undeniably changed the way we look at the world. Even some of the most stable industries have endured a period of upheaval with businesses struggling to survive. But with light at the end of the tunnel, it’s vital to not only remain as flexible as possible for the present but maintain a vision and strategy for the future. Expressing his views, Nick states, “When it comes to something as ambiguous as COVID – it is important to give your clients flexibility. Shutdowns due to COVID are sporadic and incredibly impactful to industry verticals such as hotel/tourism, F&B, as well as retail (just to name a few).”
COVID-19 can be seen as a microcosm for the wider need of flexible approaches, particularly when clients are experiencing the complexities of ongoing regulatory changes. Companies like First Page are focusing on supporting their clientele during unprecedented periods, such as the recent pandemic. For example, by emphasizing the benefits of a strong digital presence when emerging from the pandemic, First Page has been able to help a variety of brands flourish and excel – all thanks to an agile and adaptable digital marketing strategy.
Digital marketing is growing at a rapid pace, posing plenty of opportunities for companies that cater to the needs of businesses trying to get an edge in the digital age. As APAC’s highest-rated full-service digital agency, First Page is looking to further expand into the US and the UK throughout 2022. As world-leading countries, they hold significant potential for the future of First Page.
Above all, First Page is passionate about cementing their reputation as a thought leader in the digital space, and invites anyone with an interest in digital to join in. The company is continuously pushing the boundaries when it comes to experimenting across channels – something which the vast majority of their clients are highly supportive of.
