Big Companies or Small Companies the on-line problems are the same.

When I first became an internet marketing consultant I thought my skills would be applicable to smaller companies because I was sure the larger the company the more attention they would pay to their on-line marketing. I assumed they would have highly paid firms that were getting every detail taken care of. They would be making sure all portals were covered and through due diligence by their marketing department, larger companies would look and perform better on-line. This is true for many large companies and yet for many it is NOT. I have found examples of large multi-million dollar companies that don't have a local presence for their business or worse the information is wrong including the phone number. I am finding a great niche market in helping small and large companies accomplish the same goal.
#1 An impeccable on line presence that shouts your brand and services consistently across all on-line portals.
Hiring experts for short term and long term projects is usually best. I love to hire companies that don't require contracts but have a checks and balances system especially early-on so all parties are happy. Sometimes the people we hire for contractual work don't work out. I refuse to allow my clients to be a long term painful contract with a non-performing vendor. I love working with non-compete vendors. I don't want them sharing my client's creative ideas to help market my client's competitor.
When considering a new brand, a new twist, a new website, an update, integrating on line market, SEO, SEM, whatever you are considering, hire a marketing manager and let them take the headache out of the process. Just like building a house, you need a general contractor to bring all the professionals including the blueprint to the table. A great marketing manager can provide that guidance.