Last week, a café proprietor in Riyadh expressed frustration that his establishment wasn't visible in Google listings despite being highly rated by customers. This is a frequent challenge I see with Saudi establishments throughout the Kingdom.
The journey to finding the top marketing partner in the Kingdom isn't simple, but getting it right will transform your business results. Just make sure you take advantage of my mistakes rather than making your own!
Key improvements included:
- Clear delivery estimates for diverse locations of the Kingdom
- Various shipping choices including expedited delivery in major cities
- Detailed tracking with native updates
- Flexible rescheduling for deliveries
For a high-end retailer, we discovered that Snapchat and Instagram substantially outperformed traditional networks for engagement and conversion, leading to a focused redistribution of effort that increased total results by over one hundred fifty percent.
Essential features included:
- Right-to-left interface conversion that maintained functionality
- Language-specific typography
- Application enhancement for both language versions
- Instant linguistic changing without app restart
- Proven local success stories - Not just generic case studies, but actual results with Saudi businesses in your exact sector. When I met with our current agency, they showed me exactly how they helped a company like ours increase their Riyadh customer base by 215% in less than a year.
Using extensive testing for a store chain, we identified that material shared between evening hours substantially surpassed those shared during traditional prime times, bigdatahiring.Com generating 143% greater engagement.
Twelve months ago, my family-owned business was fighting to find new customers. Our online presence was nowhere to be found in Google listings. That's when I made the decision to explore specialized SEO services in Jeddah.
Essential capabilities included:
- Disconnected information saving
- Automatic refreshing when network accessible
- Visible notification of network availability
- Sensible limitations of particular functions when disconnected
Let me tell you, I've been through the challenging experience of hiring the unsuitable marketing agency TWICE before eventually finding one that generated results. Believe me, it's a blunder you don't want to make when building your brand in Saudi Arabia's competitive market.
I'm running a small business meetup in Riyadh next month where we'll be talking about more about finding and working with marketing partners. If you're finding it difficult with this too, drop me a message - always happy to share experiences over some good Saudi coffee!
For a banking institution, we created a advanced bilingual system that seamlessly modified design, controls, and content flow based on the selected language. This approach increased their user engagement by one hundred eighty-three percent.
During a marketing workshop in Khobar last month, I was surprised when a business owner told me he was paying 5K SAR monthly to his "digital expert" who turned out to be a college student running campaigns from his bedroom! No judgment on hardworking students, but formal training and education matter enormously in this field.
For a commerce brand, we implemented an software that carefully combined international standards with culturally appropriate visual components. This approach increased their installation frequency by over one hundred twenty percent and engagement by over ninety percent.
- Team members with professional digital marketing credentials
- Focused departments (not one person doing everything)
- Proper project management systems
- Experience with Saudi regulations and regulatory standards
Successful approaches included:
- Featuring products aligned with Saudi expectations
- Adjusting item information to highlight aspects significant for Saudi shoppers
- Special assortments for Ramadan
- Size adaptations for Saudi norms
After my pricey education in what DOESN'T work, I've realized that finding the best digital marketing agency isn't about who has the fanciest office or the slickest presentation. It's about outcomes, communication, and grasping the unique Saudi market.
- Honest reporting systems - My biggest frustration with my previous agency was the lack of clarity around results. Now we get regular reports that actually make sense, showing exactly what's succeeding and what isn't.
When evaluating online marketing options, don't be afraid to ask difficult questions. I've learned to directly ask: "Can I speak to your unhappiest client?" The responses to this question tell you THE COMPLETE STORY about an agency's ethics.
- Regional understanding - This is CRITICAL and often disregarded. Saudi consumers engage with completely different approaches than Western audiences. The leading digital company will understand nuances like the importance of Ramadan campaigns, regional preferences across different Saudi cities, and how to engage effectively with the Saudi demographic you're targeting.