How to vet a digital marketing agency before you sign
Ask what they report on, who does the day-to-day work, how flexible the contract is, for a specific example from a similar client, and what happens if the first few months underperform. No ethical agency guarantees rankings, but a good one has a plan for underperformance.
S. Whitfield
Performance Director
Ask what they report on, who does the day-to-day work, how flexible the contract is, for a specific example from a similar client, and what happens if the first few months underperform. No ethical agency guarantees rankings, but a good one has a plan for underperformance.
Ask what they actually report on
Reporting should cover leads, cost per lead, and pipeline value — not just traffic and position tracking. Surface metrics are the easiest thing to make look good while the numbers that matter stay flat.
Ask who actually does the work
Some agencies sell a senior strategist in the pitch meeting and hand execution to a junior team or subcontractor. Ask who manages your account day to day, by name.
Ask about contract flexibility
Long lock-in contracts with no early exit option are a red flag, especially from an agency confident in its own results.
Ask for real examples, not just testimonials
Request a specific example of a client in a similar industry and what actually changed in their numbers. A testimonial says someone was happy; a number says something worked.
Ask what happens if results don't show up
No ethical agency can guarantee rankings, but a good one should have a clear plan for what happens if the first few months underperform.
Frequently asked
How do we apply this in our own business?
Start by documenting your current baseline before changing anything. Most of the value in this approach comes from being able to prove what changed and why.
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