Choosing the Right Digital Marketing Company for Your Business

Owning a digital marketing company, many people have come to me in regards to growing their business. Often, they are confused about not only what services they need but also how to choose the right agency. Digital marketing can sometimes be at the core of whether a startup has a higher chance of surviving, so it’s important that you bring on the right digital marketing company that stays on top of trends. This is a guide to help you choose the right digital marketing company for your business.

1. Understand: All Digital Marketing Companies Are Different

Digital marketing companies come in all different shapes and sizes. It’s important to find one that fits well with your business goals and, just as important, your budget. What makes digital marketing companies different? First, many have certain specialty services that they excel at. For example, a website design agency might say they offer marketing services in addition. Or a traditional marketing agency will tell you that they have a digital marketing branch. While you shouldn’t immediately dismiss these agencies, you may not want to pull the trigger and go with them. Digital marketing is an incredibly complex, ever-changing industry. You want the agency that handles your business to be up to date on the latest trends and unfortunately, if digital is only a side-service, they might not be.

2. Do Your Homework

The digital marketing industry is full of charlatans – businesses looking to sell you “snake oil”. They’ll promise you the world and when you see no results they’ll try to get you to pay more money. While they don’t represent the vast majority of marketing companies out there, they are still there. To make sure you go with a reputable agency, that has your best interest in mind (instead of just lining their pockets) you’ll want to do the following…

Check potential marketing agencies out on the Better Business Bureau. Be wary of going with marketing agencies overseas. Remember that you get what you pay for – less money usually means lower quality work.

3. Understand Their Pricing

“What do you charge?” seems to be the biggest question people ask when choosing a digital marketing agency. And this is for good reason – most businesses are on a budget. While I like a good deal as much as the next guy, you shouldn’t be bargain hunting when it comes to choosing an agency. Marketing not only takes experience and creativity, it also takes a lot of hard work and dedication. Trying to find someone, let alone a team, to take over your marketing initiatives for only a few hundred to a thousand dollars per month is impossible. If you don’t have the budget to hire a digital marketing company yet, check out Tech.co’s articles on marketing. They have tons of great resources for businesses of all sizes.

4. Ask for Case Studies

One of the best ways to determine if an agency is credible is to check their work. Case studies are the best way to do it. You want to go with a marketing company that is meticulous about tracking and improving their results. So ask for a few different case studies. You’ll especially want to read ones on companies in your industry. If the agency you’re talking to refuses to give them out, this can raise a big red flag.

5. Learn How They Measure/Report Success.

As mentioned above, measuring and reporting success is important so that both parties understand what’s needed to improve even further. Some agencies will purposely keep clients in the dark so they don’t need to prove their results. You’ll want to stay away from these types of agencies. Be sure to ask any marketing company you’re looking at going with how they measure and track their results. Reputable agencies will gladly keep you in the loop with monthly or even weekly reports/check-ins.