It’s not easy to find the right digital marketing agency, but fortunately for you, we’ve done all the hard work. After researching and comparing dozens of agencies in your area, we found that many campanies. They’ve worked with many clients just like yours and understand exactly what it takes to grow your business online. We’re confident they can help you reach your goals!
| Takeaways |
|---|
| 1. Understand the Agency’s Experience and Expertise |
| 2. Inquire About Their Client Portfolio and Case Studies |
| 3. Ask About Their Digital Marketing Strategies and Approaches |
| 4. Discuss the Measurement and Reporting of Results |
| 5. Inquire About Their Understanding of Your Industry and Target Audience |
| 6. Clarify Their Communication and Reporting Processes |
| 7. Discuss Their Approach to Handling Crisis and Challenges |
| 8. Ask About Their Team and Expertise in Relevant Areas |
| 9. Understand Their Pricing Structure and Contract Terms |
| 10. Inquire About Their Ability to Adapt and Stay Updated with Trends |
How Long Have You Been In Business?
You should be asking a lot of questions. You will want to know as much about the agency as possible before making a decision, and one of the most important things is how long they have been in business.
The longer they have been in business, the more likely it is that your company will get great results from them. This is something that you should ask about whenever you are interviewing potential digital marketing agencies for your business.
You’ll also want to find out how long they’ve been on their current premises and who owns the building where their offices are located. There’s nothing worse than having an office lease expire with no warning from your agency!
Wondering about the services offered by digital marketing agencies? Explore our guide on What Services Do Digital Marketing Agencies Offer? to discover the key offerings and how they can benefit your business.
What Type Of Clients Do You Work With Most Frequently?
It’s important to know what type of clients your agency works with most frequently, as well as those they work with least frequently. This will help you understand if their experience is in line with your business needs, and it will also give you an idea of how likely they are to succeed in bringing in new clients of a similar size and scope.
You’ll also want to ask them what types of companies they’ve worked with between the “baby giant” and “small business” extremes that typically make up the majority of businesses we serve at HubSpot.
It pays off to think about this one before you speak with any potential agencies because it saves everyone time later on: If an agency specializes in enterprise-level clients but isn’t actively working on any projects for small businesses, then why would they be interested in working on yours?
Can You Show Me Examples Of Your Work As It Relates To My Industry?
This is a great question to ask because it shows that you’re not only looking at the agency and its services, but also its experience in the industry.
You want to see examples of the type of work they do. For example, if you’re thinking about hiring an SEO agency, look for examples of their SEO projects on their website. Are there any blog posts about how to get more traffic for a site?
Do they have case studies showing how they increased sales? Do they have videos on YouTube explaining how search engines work and what kinds of things affect rankings? These things show that an agency knows what they are doing, and it will help you make sure that you are getting the right kind of digital marketing services.
If the agency doesn’t have anything like this on their website (or even if they do), contact them and ask if they can send over some links or show you examples via Google Drive or Dropbox so that you can take a closer look at them yourself.
You should also ask if these projects were successful or not (if so, why?), as this will give you insight into whether or not this company is effective at achieving goals within your budget constraints.”
In times of crisis, the role of a digital marketing team becomes crucial. Learn more about the significance of their involvement in handling crises in our article on What Role Should a Digital Marketing Team Have in Managing a Crisis?.
Can You Tell Me About Your Design Process For Websites And Digital Marketing Campaigns?
There are many questions that you can ask a digital marketing agency. However, one of the most important things to do is to find out about their design process for websites and digital marketing campaigns.
The design process will help you understand what they mean when they talk about SEO or SEM. It will also help you know how much time it takes them to make changes to your website if there are any mistakes found in the future.
Do I Get To Choose My Designer/Account Manager?
If you get to choose your designer and account manager, ask to speak with two or three of them. Make sure that you are comfortable with the person who will be working on your project. Ask questions like:
Do They Have Experience Working With My Industry?
How do you bill for services?
There are many ways that digital agencies can bill for services. The most common model is an hourly rate, where the agency charges you a certain amount of money per hour, based on what they think will be required to complete the project.
Another common model is a flat rate fee which means that they charge you a set price regardless of how long it takes them to finish. In addition, many companies offer packages that bundle services together and offer discounts on multiple products or services.
For example, if your company wants to create a new website but also wants to increase its social media presence and create more content for its blog and e-newsletter, it would make sense for you to ask about package deals from various agencies before deciding which one is right for you (if any).
Crafting an effective digital marketing strategy requires careful consideration. Discover the essential elements that should be included in your strategy by reading our guide on What Should a Digital Marketing Strategy Include?.
Do I Get To Keep My Website At The End Of The Project (If They Build It)?
The answer to this question is a big deal, so you need to make sure that you understand the terms of your contract. If you are paying a digital marketing agency to build and maintain your website, then they need to be clear about whether or not you get to keep ownership of the site after the project ends.
They should also be willing to tell you how much it would cost for them to transfer ownership from themselves into your name.
This is usually done through transferring over control of both the domain name and hosting package associated with it but some agencies may require that an additional fee is paid for them to do this, so make sure they factor those into their quoted price!
If they say no, well unfortunately there’s nothing else I can say besides “run away as fast as possible”!
How Much Input Do I Have Into The Design And Development Process?
When it comes to your website, you have total control over the design and development process. You can have a lot of input into the design, but not so much in terms of what’s developed. Or maybe you want to give more direction on how your site looks (colors, fonts, and layout), but let someone else worry about how it functions.
If you’re interested in learning all about this side of things and why wouldn’t you be? we’d recommend reaching out to some local developer friends or checking out our list of recommended digital agencies below.
We’ve been working with these guys for years now; they’re awesome! We’ve never had an issue with them at all they’re super friendly and always willing to help us out whenever we need them. Plus they’re pretty affordable too!
Can I View A Live Demo Of Some Projects You Have Worked On?
You should be able to view a live demo of some of the projects your potential agency has worked on. A good digital marketing agency will have a portfolio that displays their work and shows you examples of what they can do for your business.
You should also ask if they are willing to walk you through how they would optimize your website and if they will do it during the demo.
This is something we always do at Aptify because we want our potential clients to see our process in action before signing up with us it demonstrates how we think about our approach.
Allows them to ask questions about things that might be unclear or difficult for them and makes sure there’s still alignment between both parties before moving forward with anything else!
Presenting your digital marketing efforts in a comprehensive report is essential for analysis and decision-making. Find out what key components should be included in your report in our article on What Should Be Included in a Digital Marketing Report?.
What Is Your Experience Working With Clients In My Industry?
As the client, you’ll want to know how experienced your digital marketing agency is with your industry. You don’t want to hire someone who has no idea what they’re doing or someone who has only worked with one or two clients in your field and doesn’t know what they’re doing.
You should also look at the average client retention rate for this company and see how long their clients stay with them. If it’s a low number that means that people are leaving them quickly, which could be a sign of poor customer service or unprofessionalism on behalf of the digital marketing agency.
You should also ask about why former customers left the company because it can give insight into what might have gone wrong in those situations and whether there were any issues more specific to those individuals (that wouldn’t impact other customers).
If most people who leave do so because of specific problems then this could mean that there are problems affecting all clients but if most people leave simply because they want something different than other agencies offer then maybe this isn’t as big an issue as it seems at first glance since everyone gets bored eventually!
Can You Share Some Of Your Client Testimonials Or References With Me?
Client testimonials and references are a great way to get a feel for the agency. If you’ve had a good experience with them, they’ll be more than happy to share it with you.
This is also an opportunity for you to ask any questions that aren’t covered in the initial call or email exchange. And if there were any issues or things that could have gone better, this is where they will tell you (in most cases).
Can you tell me about your company’s retention rate since last year? What are the reasons for leaving the company?
You know that “retention rate” is a measure of how many people are still at your company after a certain period. Well, it’s no different for digital marketing agencies.
A good retention rate means that the agency is doing something right and has clients who feel like they’re part of a team. A bad retention rate may mean that you have an unhappy client or that the agency isn’t doing what you need it to do.
Ask about their average tenure with both employees and clients: these numbers can give you an idea about what kind of culture your prospective partner has created for itself and its work environment (not to mention its employees).
If there’s a high turnover rate, this could be indicative of problems within the company or it could be simply indicative of rapid growth! The latter might be good news if you’re looking for someone who will grow with you as well!
How Will Communication Be Handled Throughout This Project And After Its Completion?
Communication throughout the project and after its completion should be handled in a prompt, clear, and concise manner.
Real-time communication is preferable-you want to know what’s going on right away without having to wait for a response. A great digital marketing agency will have someone available who can answer your questions 24/7.
Written communication is also necessary-emails are an easy way of keeping track of the details of your project, including what was agreed upon and what needs to happen next.
Don’t forget about other forms of written communication such as text messages or instant messaging apps like Facebook Messenger or Whatsapp!
Make sure that everyone involved in this project understands not only what you’re trying to achieve but also why it matters so much for your business’ success at scale!
The more everyone involved has their heads wrapped around these things (including yourself), the greater chance there is for success down the road when working together seamlessly towards meeting those goals!
We hope this article has helped answer some common questions asked by those seeking out new digital marketing agencies while also giving them some tips on how they can find one that fits their needs best!
What makes you different from other digital marketing agencies in [location]? [They should not mention price.]
You’re not just interviewing a digital marketing agency. You’re also interviewing them to be your business partner. They should have a response that shows they understand what you are looking for, and that they can provide it.
They should mention the quality of their work and how they are different from other agencies. They should mention that they are a small agency and can offer a personal touch. They should talk about how they can help you with your needs, or even address specific problems you’ve had with previous agencies (if there were any).
If an agency says something like “we’re better than the rest”, or “we have better results”, ask them why! Find out what makes them different so you know if this is true or not
Are all services charged hourly, or are there flat rates for certain tasks or services like logo design, web copy, etc.?
Are all services charged hourly, or are there flat rates for certain tasks or services like logo design, web copy, etc.?
If you’re a new client and have not worked with other digital marketing agencies before, you might ask this question to get a feel for how this agency works. If they charge hourly, ask them to explain their pricing structure.
Evaluating the success of a digital marketing promotional campaign involves specific criteria. Learn about the essential factors to consider when assessing your campaigns in our guide on What Should Be the Criteria to Evaluate a Digital Marketing Promotional Campaign?.
Conclusion
If you have any questions or need more information, please feel free to reach out. We look forward to hearing from you!
Further Reading
43 Questions to Ask a Prospective Digital Marketing Agency: Explore a comprehensive list of essential questions to ask when considering a digital marketing agency for your business needs.
7 Big Questions to Ask When Evaluating a Digital Marketing Agency: Discover seven crucial questions that can help you assess and evaluate a digital marketing agency’s capabilities and fit for your requirements.
10 Important Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Digital Marketing Agency: Learn about the ten important questions that you should address before making the decision to hire a digital marketing agency.
FAQs
What services do digital marketing agencies typically offer?
Digital marketing agencies may offer a wide range of services, including search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, social media marketing, content marketing, email marketing, and web design.
How do digital marketing agencies handle crisis management?
Digital marketing agencies play a significant role in managing crises by swiftly addressing issues, communicating with stakeholders, and adjusting marketing strategies to mitigate negative impacts.
What key elements should a digital marketing strategy include?
A robust digital marketing strategy should include clear objectives, target audience analysis, competitive analysis, content planning, channel selection, and performance measurement.
How do I evaluate the success of a digital marketing promotional campaign?
The success of a digital marketing promotional campaign can be evaluated based on key performance indicators (KPIs), such as website traffic, conversion rates, lead generation, and return on investment (ROI).
How can I ensure transparency and accountability with a digital marketing agency?
To ensure transparency and accountability, it’s essential to establish clear communication channels, set performance metrics, agree on reporting frequency, and have a detailed contract outlining deliverables and expectations.
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.