Often times your website is going to determine your customers’ first impression of your brand. You need to be sure to make a good impression otherwise you’ll be losing some big bucks to your competition. If you’re like most businesses, then you don’t have an in-house team for all things online. Therefore, it’s wise to invest in some help from a digital marketing agency.

It can be hard to determine which agency is the right one for you without some good ole’ trial and error, but here are some tips to make the process a little easier on you.

Pricing

There are many different factors that go into setting prices for digital marketing services, such as how many hours each service takes, how many employees will be involved, what their salaries are, and how difficult it is. For example, highly specialized services like video creation and website development are tough and they require a lot of time, people, software, and equipment – therefore they are going to be more expensive.

Ask about monthly pricing options, lump sum, or whatever would be most comfortable for you. Good agencies will work with you. It’s best to have a budget in mind, but remember, you often get what you pay for. It’s all about what your expectations are and how big of an investment you feel comfortable making.

Services

Not every agency offers the same line of services. Some specialize in website design and development, while others are strictly SEO experts. You should find an agency who specializes in exactly what you are looking for. If you are looking for an all-encompassing agency, those exist, too! If you don’t know what you want or need in terms of digital marketing services, talk to a couple of agencies and they will let you know which areas you are struggling with by performing a needs analysis (but only if they offer it free of charge).

Response & Completion Time

Are you on a time crunch to launch your new site with SEO best practices, corresponding blog posts, and revamped social media pages? These are huge projects that require a lot of time and energy. Sometimes it may cost more to speed up these big assignments for larger firms because of their heavy workload from multiple clients. In this case, searching for a boutique digital marketing agency may be your best route. If you’re not on a time crunch, look into the pros and cons of boutique firms versus the big guys on the block.

You’ll also want to take into account how long it will take between emails or phone calls with your agency. The smaller your agency, the quicker you’ll (usually) hear back. The longer you wait to hear back from your rep, the more drawn out your project will become… which may end up costing you more money, especially from missed sales.

Account Management

A big question you may have is “who will be managing my account?” which is a great question that should be touched on when you’re interviewing potential agencies. Is it the person you are communicating with now? Are you going to have to re-explain your goals and wishes to someone else? It’s important to know who will be managing your projects so you can get a feel for whether or not you can trust their skills and dedication to helping you achieve the results you want.

Performance Guarantees

If an agency is promising you measurable results, it’s better to run away while you’re ahead. There is no way an agency can guarantee you social media results, an increase in SEO ranking, or conversion results. It will sound wonderful while they pitch you the lines, but don’t’ take the bait. You’ll be thanking us later. Results for these services, like many other marketing and advertising practices, can’t be promised. Instead, your agency should work together with you to develop clear goals that they will work towards helping your business achieve (without the empty promises – don’t take it personally).

Transparency and Honesty

Other than the points listed above, it’s important to find an agency that is completely transparent with their intentions and ideas. Your communication should be clear and frequent so everyone remains on the same page with the same goals in mind.

Lastly and most importantly, they should practice what they preach. Hiring a digital marketing agency who can’t even build themselves a good website (keep in mind that a “good” website is relative, however) or who has a terrible ranking, will not be able to effectively provide those services to you. Think of going to a dietitian who enjoys a box of doughnuts and soda in front of you – You’d probably be questioning their legitimacy. Your agency of choice should lead by example.

I hope these tips are helpful and you feel a little more prepared to track down the agency who will deliver you the results you’re hoping for. Good luck!