Selecting the best for your business could be confusing, frustrating and very difficult.
Most business owners want a trustworthy and competent digital partner to manage their online marketing needs. The increase in the number of digital agencies in recent years has made selecting the best one a difficult task.
Choosing the best digital marketing agency is crucial to your bottom line. The wrong one can quickly waste your resources and negatively impact your branding. So, here is my recommended strategy for finding a digital marketing agency that can help your business grow.
Understand your needs and your budget.
Firstly, you need to understand your needs and budget. The better you can describe your business needs in terms of website, search engine optimization (SEO), advertising, social media and graphic design, the better your conversations will be with prospective digital agencies.
You should set a budget and work according to your budget reasonably.
Understanding your needs and budget is the first step in choosing the right digital marketing agency.
Demand full transparency.
Lack of transparency is the most fundamental and also the most overlooked warnings. Review an agency’s website and, if you don’t see an address, bios and a client list, then this agency is likely not worth your time. If an agency looks like it is hiding something, then it probably is. It’s that simple. For example, there are many amateur agencies making big promises with cheap rates.
Most of our customers come to us immediately after a negative experience, and more often than not, there is little or no information on the websites of their past agencies. Full transparency should be the first criterion when choosing the right digital agency for your business.
Credibility is important.
Ensure you find out the agency’s credibility and experience. Read through client testimonials on its website and review sites like Craigslist and Yellow pages. Check if the testimonials are authentic.
Ask for client references, including one from an account that did not perform better. All agencies have had engagements that aren’t perfect. And it’s important to get an idea of how they dealt with them in addition to recommendations from the good ones. Call these references instead of sending an email — you will be surprised by how much more information you can obtain from a phone call.
Finally, does the agency have a decent website? Does the website appear high in search results, indicating its SEO acumen? Are its social media pages properly maintained and with quality content?
Industry experience can be misleading.
Does the agency have experience in your industry? If yes, then ask about those engagements, what went well and what was challenging. If No, this is not a red flag. Instead, ask how it approaches a new industry.
We have seen many industry-specific agencies go with a cookie-cutter approach, and we often see this in remnants of code and content indicating use for other businesses. Many times, a fresh set of eyes and a new approach is needed to unlock a stagnant marketing strategy. A good marketer can evaluate a client’s industry, online presence and competitors and devise an effective plan.
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