So the time has come to employ a digital agency to help you grow your business and support your growth plan.
There are so many agencies out there that claim to be the best in your area, the best in their chosen field and even the best in the world at everything!
So which one do you choose and why?
I’ve been luckily enough to work for top agencies and work to support both global and local brands achieve their goals, but with companies relying more and more on in-house alternatives and loosing trust or faith in outsourced agencies I’ve noticed that the decision making landscape has changed. My advice? Ask yourself these 5 questions to help you make a more informed decision.
1. Does the agency tell the truth on their own site?
Not that I’m saying that agencies lie on their own site, far from it but they may not update their site to harm potential views. Does the agency still work with all the clients they are using on their site as current clients? Some agencies may well have worked with that “impossible to get brand” but it may have been for 1 week 5 years ago at a consultative level not a fully digital partner that they might be claiming…ask the question.
2. Did the agency just agree to everything you said?
You might think that’s a strange question to ask and maybe even expect the agency to agree with your requirements, but do you really want an agency full of yes men or women! A good agency will listen to your requirement but then give an honest opinion on what they think you need and don’t need, after all they are the experts.
3. Does the agency you are speaking with have a good retention rate?
Pretty obvious one when you think about it more and more but still a key indicator on how the agency work with and treat their customers. Venture Stream have yet to lose a customer they signed up to work with but some agencies out there will gladly sacrifice customer service levels to focus on bringing in new business. A good agency will tell you right from the start if they are not the right agency for you, may sound blue sky but a good salesperson knows that bringing in business that is
wrong for both parties will only hurt him or her in the long run.
To take this further ask the question to contact existing customers for recommendations, you will quickly find out from the response of the agency where you stand.
4. Are they a one size fits all agency?
I’ve found that a lot of the times an agency will try and push the potential client down a road that they are the masters of and know can make good ROI from you. There is nothing wrong with listening to the agencies opinion, as I’ve mentioned previously, they are the experts, however there’s a big difference in an agency recommending certain ideas compared to that of an agency not listening to your needs and putting their best money making model in front of you as their proposal.
5. Did you get a good feeling from meeting them?
Quite simply do you like them? You and your colleagues will have constant contact with this agency and their staff so it’s a must that you get on with them. Get to know their workings and structure and see if they match in with the way you want your campaigns to work. This is not an exhaustive list by any stretch but the more questions you ask and the more the agency
listens to your needs, the better decisions you will ultimately make.
For any help or advice on you digital marketing strategy please do not hesitate to contact us here at Venture Stream
