How to Choose the Right Digital Marketing Agency: 11 Key Factors to Consider
So you want to hire a digital marketing agency who can guide your company when it comes to marketing, boost your sales, and help you grow your business. That’s the goal, right?
But in reality, you often find yourself having a difficult time settling on the right one. With so many options to choose from, it is understandable that this decision has become so tricky.
And then there’s the horror stories. The missed deadlines. The ballooning budgets. The poor results. Trust us when we say we get it.
So, what can you do to qualify the right digital marketing partner who offers the right services for your local business? An agency that understands your business, it’s goals, and has a team of digital marketing experts that are ready to handle your digital marketing campaigns, whether that’s
email marketing,
SEO,
search engine marketing, content marketing,
web design, or something else.
This guide will help simplify the decision-making process and steer you in the right direction with 11 key factors you should consider when choosing your next digital marketing agency.
Results & Performance
You want your digital marketing firm who can help you achieve your business objectives and increase your online visibility. Choosing an agency that says they can deliver desirable outcomes without breaking your budget is what sets the great candidates apart from the good ones.
Success metrics help prove this. Examples include:
- Over 125 million visitors to websites built by us
- Two billion ad impressions for client campaigns
- Four million clicks on search campaigns
- Over 300 thousand local leads for our clients
Key Questions to Consider:
- How long does it take to build a website?
- How long is a typical project?
- How long before I start seeing results from organic SEO?
- When should I expect to see results?
The goal is to see if the digital marketing agency knows how to measure success based on your unique needs. No two industries or products are the same, so it’s important to benchmark success using the right metrics.
Specialization
Prospective marketing agencies need to demonstrate that they can evolve and thrive with the ever-changing landscape of the digital space. While it’s important to have specialized services, being able to adapt to shifting dynamics, algorithms, and user behaviors across the internet and ecommerce markets is a vital trait in digital marketing agencies.
Key Questions to Consider:
- What types of digital marketing services does this agency offer?
- How well versed are they in the services I am looking for?
- Can they create new, innovative marketing strategies with this specialization?
The goal is to find out if the agency is specialized in what they do. A true, end-to-end marketing partner can provide a lot of value, put your brand in front of potential customers, and help you prioritize your growth.
Company Culture & Values
The culture and values that drive a company are often hard to measure. But they make a big difference in the final results.
It’s important that you work with a value-driven, culture-focused company that fits your dynamic. What does that mean exactly? It means working with likeminded people who get your vision, your goals, and the path you need to take to achieve them.
Key Questions to Consider:
- How does the agency describe their culture?
- What kind of values do they live by?
- Can you see that culture throughout the website or initial interactions?
The goal is to see if the company is a good fit overall. After all, if you plan to work with this agency over the long-term, you need them to understand where you are heading to.
Costs and Fees
One of the major factors to contemplate in any exchange of goods and services is the established pricing of the service provider, or in this case, the marketing agency.
Make sure you understand what you are paying for and what you are willing to spend more on for the desired outcome of your marketing campaign.
Key Questions to Consider:
- What pricing models do they offer? Are they fixed or metric-based?
- Do they offer monthly retainers?
- How will they charge for one-off projects?
The goal is to determine exactly what your costs will be, how they charge, and what you will receive at completion.
Experience and Capabilities
To properly launch the ideal marketing campaign for your business or company, it’s crucial that you vet prospective digital marketing agencies. Proper and thorough research into a specific company helps build confidence so you know you are getting premium service as advertised.
Ensuring that the agencies you work with are fully certified builds more trust in you as the client as to how well your proposed marketing strategy and plan will pan out once it is executed.
Key Questions to Consider:
- Can they work with industry-recognized platforms?
- Do they only work with templates? Can they offer highly customized designs?
- Do they have an in-house team of digital marketing experts? Or do they outsource?
The goal is to qualify the marketing agency. You want to see that they have the experience and capabilities to complete your project—both creatively and technically.
Industry Recognition
Reputation is everything in the marketing business. Industry recognition can be amplified considerably when agencies showcase various awards they’ve won for the work and dedication they show for their craft.
Key Questions to Consider:
- What partnerships do they have?
- Have they won any awards?
- Does their portfolio highlight client success?
The goal is to identify if they’ve been recognized in the past. While not all industry awards are created equally, measurable client success is a great benchmark that an agency knows what it is doing.
Reputation
Building off the industry recognition factor, a good reputation from direct clients who have worked with this agency can tell what type of operation they run and if it fits your marketing goals. This factor can involve the agency’s rating on review sites, their track record in the business sphere, and how long they’ve been helping clients in the realm of marketing.
Working with digital marketing agencies with excellent reputations and
positive client testimonials to back it up can be a great indicator that they might be an ideal candidate to partner with.
Key Questions to Consider:
- What types of clients do they work with?
- How satisfied are their real clients?
- Are they hiding any negative reviews?
The goal is to see if the marketing agency has a solid reputation. Look to see if past clients are happy to praise them and highlight the positive experience they’ve had.
Customization
With so many companies switching to online avenues of business, you’ll need a marketing team to help you stand out in a competitive market, while ensuring you stay on top. This work involves collaborating directly with you to curate and construct the perfect marketing campaign that utilizes extensive research to reach your target audience and convey your distinct brand identity.
Key Questions to Consider:
- Do they use templates?
- How robust will my marketing campaign be?
- How does this agency work to fit my needs?
The goal is to see if your potential agency allows you to customize your services. See if they will allow you to make changes within the realm of reason.
Dedication to Your Digital Marketing Campaign
An experienced team focuses on sustainable strategies and growth for each individual client. If the agency demonstrates they do not have time to discuss your concerns or are consistently challenging to reach, it’s time to shop for a different marketing team.
Key Questions to Consider:
- How many clients are they juggling at once?
- Will I be appointed a dedicated project manager?
- How accessible is this agency?
The goal is to determine if a potential agency is all-in on your mission. After all, it’s your campaign and it’s important that you achieve meaningful results and the right ROI.
Turnkey & Growth-Focused Solutions
When choosing a digital marketing agency, look for a partner who understands your brand identity and creates successful marketing campaigns that appeals to your company culture and seamlessly fits into how you conduct business. Ideal turnkey solutions that integrate with the rest of your business model mean a cohesive outward image across various platforms.
Key Questions to Consider:
- Do they offer all of the marketing services you need?
- Will you need to splinter off to multiple companies?
- Do these digital strategies align with my business model?
The goal is to establish whether the agency provides you with go-live results. Mockups and creative work is great, but published results are even better.
Work With a Value-Driven Digital Marketing Agency
At the end of the day, you want to partner with a digital marketing agency that has industry experience. A company that understands your unique company objectives and brand image. Someone who can create meaningful and integrated marketing campaigns that last more than a news cycle, and provide a cohesive customer experience.
With these 11 factors to consider and a list of questions to ask prospective agencies, you are ready to find the right marketing partner that’ll help you solidify your spot in the digital space.
Are you ready to accelerate your growth with a proven marketing agency partner?
Get in touch with a CCC digital marketing specialist today to get started.
