We are working in a world where there are more options, in every aspect of every industry, than ever before — digital marketing is no exception. While trying to choose the right digital marketing agency for you may be overwhelming, we’ve created some tips and tricks to streamline and simplify the decision process.
The most critical part of your search revolves around knowing your goals and projects, inside and out. While many agencies may market themselves as “full service” businesses, they tend to narrow their focus to one or two more specialized areas. Once you’ve organized and acknowledged your own deliverables, you can successfully evaluate agencies based on their abilities to help you achieve them.
Some other important qualities to keep your eye out for include:
- A strong portfolio and sizable client list: Strong digital marketing agencies are proud and passionate about their past projects and partnerships. Typically, these experiences will either be publicly displayed or easily accessible. Published client reviews are also a great way to gain a sense of an agency’s abilities to accomplish the tasks presented to them.
- An experienced and specialized team: An agency’s success is a direct result of its team. Take the time to look through a prospective agency’s directory and see if they possess the right people with the right skills for you. An easy way to do this is through LinkedIn!
- Positive industry reputation: You can get usually get an accurate sense of an agency’s work ethic and creative process through client and professional reviews. If a potential agency isn’t displaying their reviews, and if a Google search can’t garner your desired results, it may be a sign to keep your options open.
- Shared values: Your company’s core values and the culture you’ve created are important to you, your team, and your success. As the digital marketing agency you choose will ultimately function an extension of your own business, it’s important that you choose one that operates in a way you can understand and aligns well with the values you work to uphold.
- A well-designed website: Webpages are responsible for some of the most important first impressions of the twenty-first century. If a digital marketing agency has a less than impressive company site, it wouldn’t be a stretch to assume that your deliverables will have the same lack-luster effect.
Reasonable promises: Transparency is key, especially when tasking out a project to external entities. An agency that knows their abilities, and is realistic about their timelines, will be one that will meet their deliverables and satisfy your expectations.
Communication is critical: Above all, make sure you choose an agency that is easy to get a hold of and painfully clear in their responses. Keeping lines of communication open with your digital marketing agency will not only give you give you an accurate sense of the timing and completion of your job, but will create a strong business relationship that can only benefit you in future joint-ventures.