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With the current trends of White Label companies and their partners, there is always room for new strategies and time to trim out the bad habits. These co-dependent relationships need constant maintenance to maintain a stable line of communication, and frequent analysis to make sure the partners are on the same page. However, it is easy for this relationship to go awry for many different reasons. Whether it is neglect of the client from white labels and partners, miscommunication with contracts, or any other negative aspect of the partnership, the relationship is fragile and can dissemble without monitoring and maintenance. Just be careful, because there is such a thing as “too much maintenance”.
In the world of White Label SEO there is an initial period in the relationship where trust is being built and terms are being set. The idea is that the white label will gain a new client, and the partners of the white label would handle the work of said client. Being that the partners are “brand less” and work on behalf of the white label, a certain level of trust must be built, because the client, their expectations, and the responsibilities belong to the white label. The partners represent the white label in every task, report, meeting, and any other communication authorized by the white label. And while the partners can make mistakes, or not meet the expectations of the client, only the white label will take on those consequences. So, for that reason, trust becomes the first major factor in the relationship between a partner and a white label. Trust is very important to the white label, but why is it important to the partner?
The partner has a unique position in this triangular relationship. When a white label in the SEO industry promote servers to their clients, they are essentially selling the services of the partner. However, since it is a partnership, they have the right to sell these services as their own. Yet, once the partner takes on the task the client has proposed, they BECOME the white label.
In every communication, phone call, label, and author, they brand themselves as the white label’s brand and complete projects for the client on their behalf. The reputation of the white label is made or unmade by the output from the partners, and they are very selective on whom to share customer credentials and expectations with. Usually these relationships are bonded with contracts and non-compete clauses in case the partnership fails. Even with trust at a maximum, these are essential pieces of the relationship.
Complete Trust
Now, to the part where we explain why partners need the complete trust of their white labels. Think of it as acting. For some of the best actors to date, the usual strategy of “getting into the role” is for the actor to completely immerse themselves into the character they are playing. This is also sort of true with the partners. To do the job to the best of the white label’s abilities, they have to become a white label employee. The client should always feel that their expectations are being handled by the person they set up their contract with. So, when they call for reports they want to speak to the white label, not a 3rd party company they never heard of. When partners are more involved with the clients, tasks are completed at a more efficient rate as communication is not filtered through a “middleman” before it is handed to the partner.
The most important factor of the partner’s need for trust in this kind of union is that the partner can then work on building a relationship with the client. Once the white label has enough trust to “let go” of the client, a clear channel is created between client and partner. The white label can then focus on growing their own business and bringing in new prospects. However, this is not always the case, and some white labels will never let go. That is fine as well. Success can still be found this way, yet the need for trust is still there. Managing of the clients account and communication should be arranged in as painless a manner as possible for the whole triangle.
So, when the white label company decides they want to monitor client accounts themselves, be present at phone and conference meetings, and be included in emails to clients, then it is obvious it’s a “middleman” situation. This can still work as long as guidelines are set before the first client task begins. The worst a white label can do is to try and “micromanage” every aspect of the relationship and over-task every project to the dismay of partners. Before this liaison can even exist, the white label should have researched and at least know enough to be confident that the partner can handle the tasks assigned them. While initial analysis might be understandable at the beginning of the partnership, it is inefficient to believe every task needs constant monitoring to ensure timely completion and delivery.
Having the white label present at every communication can also be a drawback to the business. The clearest form of contact is between two individuals. Phone calls, conference meetings, and even emails can become more complex when communication must go through a middleman to reach its destination. If this needs to happen, it should be a scheduled setup instead of spontaneous appointments. A successful white label or partner should have a lot more than just one client, so both parties must share the same calendar to be on time and available to the client when scheduled.
Another point to note, when white labels are involved in the everyday tasks performed by the partners, the white labels cannot choose the workflow of the project. The partners will have more clients that they are constantly optimizing every workday. Some of their partners have let go of their clients and some haven’t. The partners must organize their daily tasks to fit their business goals and one white label cannot interrupt that pattern for the sole sake of their client. Therefore, the projects taken on by the partners, for the client, cannot be expedited or given precedence over others at a whim. When a partner has earned the trust of the white label this process is rarely seen, because all that matters to the white label are the results…. or lack of.
The relationship between a white label SEO company and its partner does NOT rely on trust. Meeting the expectations of the client is not dependent on the connection between the two, and a white label letting go of a client and trusting their satisfaction to the partner is not a requirement for success. However, it has statistically proven time and time again to be a great recipe for white label SEO growth; and the process has left a trail of satisfied and successful clients and companies wherever trust was included and micro-managing was reduced. The difference is – only by including trust can a partnership turn into a family. And, truthfully, who doesn’t want that?
