How to Choose the Right Digital Marketing Agency
Editor’s note: published December 2021 and retained for reference. For a more recent take, see our ten overlooked questions to ask before hiring an agency.
According to Salesforce’s State of Marketing research, the top priorities for India’s leading digital marketing agencies are improving collaboration with clients, enabling real-time customer engagement, creating organised customer journeys across channels and devices, and improving marketing ROI. Around two-thirds of marketers surveyed expected significant revenue growth for their clients over the following 12 to 18 months.
Will smaller businesses earn healthy ROI on their marketing investment? Most small and medium companies don’t have the resources for an in-house marketing department. For them, partnering with the right digital marketing agency can change a company’s fortunes; the wrong selection leads to expensive losses. Here are the metrics that matter when choosing.
Niche experience in your field
Digital marketing evolves constantly, but experience still matters, and specifically experience in your niche. If you run a local automobile repair shop, choose an agency that has helped similar companies. Ask for in-depth, industry-specific reports and case studies on their previous work.
A variety of services
Omnichannel marketing means reaching customers across multiple digital platforms. Small businesses may not run expensive omnichannel campaigns, but partnering with an agency that offers a wide spectrum of services means that when one channel succeeds, you can expand to the next without finding a new partner. Look for agencies offering graphic design, SEO, social media, mobile app development, video production, email, content and affiliate marketing.
Qualifications
Free website builders make it easy to set up a professional-looking site, so never judge an agency by its website alone. Check certifications: the Google Partner badge, OMCP, Google’s Fundamentals of Digital Marketing, HubSpot and LinkedIn credentials. Certifications display competency in key skills; every leading agency uses them to judge candidates. Partner with one that employs multiple certified professionals.
Fair pricing
Reliability is critical to every successful client-agency relationship. Check reviews on Google and Glassdoor, contact previous customers for references, and see what people say on social media. Then collect quotes from multiple agencies and make sure they are comprehensive and reflect the actual billing. Discard agencies that use hidden fees. Higher prices don’t guarantee better results; evaluate on transparency and cost-effectiveness.
Customer service
Assess service quality while interviewing agencies. How smooth was the experience on their website? Could you reach a representative as quickly as you wanted? How quickly did they provide a fair quotation? If the answers are positive, the agency has a responsive system. If not, your long-term strategy may struggle from ineffective communication.
Marketing metrics
Agencies communicate in simple language, but their reports feature KPIs, analytics and technical terms. All agencies use KPIs to justify their fees. Make sure they are using the right indicators for your growth: if your aim is more website traffic, ask for the appropriate analytics. Does the agency have the capability to track and analyse your website’s traffic? If not, reporting may be incorrect.
Use these metrics to select the right agency for your company, and be prepared with questions. Our certified experts at Webtales IT Solutions are always available for a free consultation. Contact the team to get your search started.
