Gearfuse Technology, Science, Culture & More
While marketing has been described as the lifeblood of a business, sometimes that important function is better outsourced than kept in-house.
It can be a game-changer to hire a digital marketing services company — especially if your business does not have an in-house marketing department. Going out and starting one from scratch will probably cost more than retaining a qualified service provider.
Meanwhile, a quality agency can help you with brand development, new customer acquisition, sales growth, and measurable results for your marketing efforts. The wrong partner, however, can leave you with money thrown away, missed opportunities, and a case of buyer’s remorse.
If you want to make the right decision, you must ask the right questions. Here are five questions to ask before making a decision.
1. What Services Do You Offer?
Digital marketing is an umbrella term that includes SEO, social media marketing, content marketing, email campaigns, pay-per-click advertising, web design, and more. Before signing on the dotted line and hiring an agency, your company must first figure out exactly what services they provide and if that aligns with your goals.
You can get answers to this question from the internet. But if you have questions after checking out what different agencies offer, pick up the phone and give them a call.
2. Can You Provide Case Studies or Success Stories?
Good agencies can show you some history and the results they’ve achieved for customers in the past. Ask for case studies, testimonials from clients, or performance reports.
Another option to get some of the answers you want is to check out third-party online review websites where you can get some feedback about agencies on your shortlist. You can figure out how a digital marketing services company is likely to treat you by checking how they’ve treated clients in the past.
The right company can make a huge difference — but you need to find the right fit.
3. What Is Your Experience in Our Industry?
Experience in your specific industry can be a great advantage. A digital marketing services firm with knowledge of your target market, competition, and common pain areas can often deliver results more quickly.
Industry-specific experience can reduce the learning curve and ensure more relevant strategies from the start. You’ll get tangible results sooner than might otherwise be the case.
4. Who Will Be Working on Our Account?
It’s important to know whether your account will be handled by senior strategists, junior team members, or outsourced freelancers. Ask any company you’re considering about who your primary point of contact will be and if you’ll have access to the team doing the work. You need to know whether or not you’ll have access to the decision-makers.
At the very least, you need to know that whoever you have access to can provide answers.
5. How Do You Measure Success?
A good agency will measure success via key performance indicators like website traffic, conversion rate, click-through rate, and return on ad spend. It’s the only way to determine whether or not digital marketing campaigns are working, how well they’re performing, and what may need to be changed to achieve the desired results.
Ask them what they think are the most important metrics and how often they report on them. You need quantifiable outcomes in order to measure ROI.
Selecting the right digital marketing agency is an important decision that has the potential to make a lasting impact on your business. By posing the right questions upfront, you can ensure that you are not only employing a business that understands your goals but also one that communicates well, delivers results, and grows with your company.
