How To Choose The Right Digital Marketing Agency For Your Small Business

updated 6/20/2022 ⎮ 17 min read ⎮ Digital Marketing

In this article you’ll learn:

• What to look for in a digital marketing agency
• How to find a good digital marketing company
• How to evaluate a digital marketing agency
• How to determine the best digital marketing agency
• And you’ll get 26 tips on how to choose the right marketing agency for your small business

Companies looking for digital marketing services: This is the right article for you.

What Is A Digital Marketing Agency?

Digital marketing agency definition:

A digital marketing agency is a company with a number of specialized people and other resources that provides a range of digital marketing services.

Digital marketing agencies are oftentime hired by businesses that don't have an in-house digital marketing expert for all their marketing needs and have realized how cost-efficient it can be to outsource marketing work to an agency instead of building and maintaining an in-house marketing team or relying on freelancers who don't work under one umbrella.

The goal of a digital marketing agency is to help businesses increase their product and service sales as a result of marketing efforts.

How To Hire A Digital Marketing Agency: This Is How Outsourcing To A Digital Marketing Agency Works

You can hire a digital marketing agency by doing research about it and then reaching out to an agency that's a good fit for your small business.

How you know which agency is a good fit for your small business is exactly what you'll learn in this article. So keep on reading and discover the 18 Tips On Choosing The Right Digital Marketing Agency For Your Small Business.

How To Select The Best Small Business Digital Marketing Agency For Your Needs

In order to know which digital marketing agency can serve you best, you need to know your goals and desired outcomes. Every business is different, as is every digital marketing agency. You want to pick an agency that can get you to your desired outcome in an efficient way and makes an effort to get to know your buyer personas.

Some digital agencies specialize in one or two areas and others are full-service. You need to break your goals down into deliverables and determine if the agency offers the digital marketing agency services needed to deliver the required deliverables to reach your goals. Knowing these things helps you communicate what you wish to get.

Why Choose A Digital Marketing Agency And Not A Freelancer?

There are a variety of advantages of outsourcing your small business marketing work to an agency rather than a freelance or even a virtual assistant.

• Range of digital marketing agency services:
  A digital marketing agency can provide you with full-scale solutions because they have a multi-disciplinary team and thus can produce better results than a single person with a niche skill set.
• Availability, reliability & accessibility:
  A digital marketing agency can compensate for the loss of a person due to e.g. illness or family emergencies, and can still meet your deadlines. You have an account manager that is always available and accessible for you and who is your personal contact person. This allows for direct and immediate communication.
• Collaboration & teamwork:
  Even when you'd hire several freelancers or virtual assistants, with a digital agency you can benefit from the structured collaboration and communication and can get a final product that is more consistent and polished than if you were to hire several freelancers that aren't working together as a team.
• Customer service and support:
  A digital marketing agency can be more available and offer more customer support than a freelancer and thus prioritize your small business marketing in a better way with more resources.
• Testing & quality assurance:
  Say goodbye to having to do a lot of the testing yourself.
  
  Good digital agencies make sure to understand all components and interdependencies of the moving parts involved. A professional agency only delivers something, if it has been thoroughly tested and works as it should.
• Expertise and ability to adjust to your small business, brand, industry and market:
  A digital marketing agency is practiced and proficient in learning the ropes of different businesses in different markets and industries and has processes in place to be able to see things from your perspective.
  
  A digital marketing company most likely has internal processes in place that serve as standard operating procedures. The marketing agency team is able to familiarize themselves with your company and brand quickly.
• Speed, experience and efficiency:
  A good digital marketing agency has accumulated invaluable experience to work efficiently and deliver comprehensive, high-quality work. They would have a structured workflow and can leverage the strengths and skills of multiple people.
• Flexibility:
  A digital marketing agency can always have someone working on your needs and build their schedule around your priorities.
• Data security & confidentiality:
  Agencies oftentimes set up a contract, non-disclosure agreement and project plan for each client, so you can be sure all of your intellectual property, personal data and sensitive information stays safe and remains confidential and you know exactly what's in and out of scope.
• Project management:
  A good digital marketing company manages your entire project for you, so you won't have to do a lot of hand-holding and directing. They stay on top of every task with a project management tool and ideally also give you access to it so you can check the progress of work at any given time.
• Trustworthiness & authority:
  A good digital agency may also have been featured in a variety of publications in the marketing space and has a proven track record. An agency most likely also has a variety of content e.g. blog articles, videos, podcast episodes, features, mentions, and value added templates and guides that showcase expertise, authority, trustworthiness and experience.

See a full comparison of Digital Marketing Agency vs Freelancer.

What Digital Marketing Services Can An Agency Offer Your Small Business?

A digital marketing agency can offer you a variety of digital marketing services.

• Digital Marketing Consulting:
  Lend yourself expert knowledge that enables you to act smarter, more efficiently, and allows you to grow and scale your small business.
• Digital Marketing Strategy:
  Get a digital marketing plan for your small business so you can actually reach your digital marketing goals.
• Branding:
  Tell your brand story and show people the quality and value you bring.
• Email Marketing:
  Get brand awareness, website traffic and sales with email campaigns that nurture and convert. Learn more.
• Website Design and Graphic Design:
  Get a beautiful and modern looking website design and custom graphics.
• Website Development:
  Get a custom-made website that is fast, mobile-friendly and wows your customers.
• Marketing Automation:
  Have software do repetitive tasks for you and save precious resources. Learn more.
• Content Marketing:
  Get content for you that is educating, motivating, inspiring, engaging, convincing and makes people stop scrolling.
• Digital Course Development:
  Create interactive digital courses.
• Marketing Analytics:
  Receive detailed insights about your audience, their behavior and engagement.
• Lead Generation:
  Optimize your lead generation and turn your prospects into customers. Learn more.
• SEO (Search Engine Optimization):
  Boost your search engine rankings and get free traffic to your website organically.
• Look and Feel, User Interface and User Experience Design:
  Give your customer the best possible experience at every touch point with your small business.
• Marketing Campaign and Project Management:
  Get a roadmap that enables you to reach and exceed your digital marketing goals.
• Social Media Marketing:
  Delight and engage your audience on social media platforms with amazing content, get discovered, and stay top of mind.
• Mobile Marketing:
  Reach your audience on their smartphones and tablets too.
• Communication:
  Learn marketing communication techniques that get you what you want.
• Copywriting:
  Get copy that translates data and features into customer benefits and values and converts.
• And more...

18 Tips On Choosing The Right Digital Marketing Agency For Your Small Business: Here's What To Look For In An Agency

Tip 1: The Digital Marketing Agency Is Legitimate And Credible

Don't fall for their big words and a beautiful website and do your own homework about an agency you consider hiring. Make sure it's a legit company that's registered. You also want to make sure they actually know what they're talking about and are credible.

Check out their content and search for their name on YouTube or Google. You can also directly ask them for case studies and similar projects they've done before.

Tip 2: The Digital Marketing Agency Offers The Services You Need And Has The Required Expertise

Before you hire a digital marketing agency, ask yourself 'why' do you need a digital marketing agency? What are your needs and what services do you require?

Is it content marketing, SEO, social media marketing, website optimisation? Or do you want someone to handle your email marketing, marketing automation and analytics? It's best to outsource your small business marketing to an agency whose team is equipped with the right skillset and can fulfill all your requirements.

Tip 3: The Digital Marketing Agency Helps You With Your Digital Marketing Strategy And Its Execution

It's important that you pick an agency that's hands on and not just hypes you up with a lot of creative ideas that they can't plan and execute properly. Look for a digital agency that puts the same level of emphasis on the execution and implementation of your digital marketing.

Tip 4: The Digital Marketing Agency's Core Values And Company Culture Are Similar To Yours

Take a moment to revisit your company's core values and culture. It's important to work with a digital marketing agency that values the same things and operates accordingly.

Ultimately, an agency is an extension of your small business. Choosing a digital agency with the right values and culture is just as important as considering the quality of their work.

The last thing you want is the stress of working with a group of people who don't value the same things or operate in the same way. You also want your in-house team to get along with the agency well.

Tip 5: The Digital Marketing Agency Asks Lots Of Questions And Encourages You To Ask Questions Too

A good digital marketing agency will make a great effort to understand you and your small business and will ask you a lot of questions. They'll also encourage you to ask questions and want to make sure you know what's going on and don't feel left out. Ideally, they'll provide satisfying answers to the most common digital marketing questions they know you might have.

If you've never worked with a digital marketing agency before, you will see and experience a lot of new things and it's completely normal if you don't understand everything that's happening. The best thing to do is ask questions.

Maybe you don't know why they chose this color over that one. Or there's a piece of data you don't get. Perhaps someone said something that doesn't make sense to you.

There's nothing wrong with not knowing everything - that's why you've hired the digital marketing experts. Asking questions helps you to learn more and clears up uncertainties.

Tip 6: The Digital Marketing Agency Doesn't Make Outlandish Promises

The type of claims and agency makes and results they promise are a strong indication of how well they understand marketing.

For example, anyone claiming to fast track your way to the number one spot on Google Search results, doesn't know that SEO is a long-term digital marketing strategy and requires continuous work. So, that's probably not someone you should hire to help optimize your website.

If something sounds too good to be true, that's because it probably is. Outlandish or seemingly impossible promises are a red flag.

Stick to digital marketing agencies that offer transparency and realistic promises.

Tip 7: The Digital Marketing Agency Is Easy To Get In Touch With

An agency should make it as easy as possible for you to get in touch with them. Navigating the digital marketing agency website shouldn't be difficult. You should be able to contact them quickly and easily and know how to schedule a meeting or consultation in only one click.

Contact information like an email address and phone number should be easy to find as well and they should be available when you need them.

You shouldn't have to struggle to figure out how things work. You should be clear about what next steps they want you to take and get clear calls to action and a simplified process.

Tip 8: The Digital Marketing Agency Is Prepared To Do Their Homework About Your Small Business

It's essential to have everyone on the same page.

Choose an agency that makes the effort to learn the ins and outs of your business. This is a huge factor for the success of your campaigns.

Tip 9: The Digital Marketing Agency Understands The Scope, Process And Timeline Of The Work

Before the project starts, the digital marketing agency should create a project plan and make sure every person with a stake in it agrees on the scope and timeline before moving forward.

Layout the details of each step with your team and digital agency, so everything is crystal clear before your project begins.

Tip 10: The Digital Marketing Agency Doesn't Promise You A Hands Off Experience And Encourages Collaboration

The best digital marketing projects are highly collaborative and you want to work with an agency that embraces the collaborative character of the project.

Your input, thoughts, ideas and feedback help to move the project forward in the right direction to match your digital marketing goals.

Some digital agencies and projects are more collaborative than others. Make sure to understand what the agency needs from you throughout the project and specify a contact person for each topic involved.

Tip 11: The Digital Marketing Agency Has Social Proof Like Testimonials, Customer Reviews And Case Studies

Before the digital marketing agency hiring, ask for proof of their work and expertise. Ideally, you'll see some customer testimonials on their website, find positive digital marketing agency reviews on their Google My Business profile, and get access to case studies.

Tip 12: The Digital Marketing Agency Documents And Tracks Important Metrics And Can Report To You

Metrics and marketing analytics are the biggest advantage that you have over traditional marketing and you want them to be leveraged. This is the only way you'll be able to tell if your marketing investments have a positive return investment (ROI) and are effective.

Make sure your agency measures the right metrics, not the vanity metrics, and keeps track of your campaign performance properly.

Tip 13: The Digital Marketing Agency Has Technical Expertise

Digital marketing can get technical quickly. You'll experience a better customer experience when the digital agency you work with has technical expertise and knows all about the technical things.

This way, if you have a question you can get an answer and a solution immediately and don't have to wait until they've consulted a third party person.

Tip 14: The Digital Marketing Agency Practices What They Preach

When your digital marketing agency gives you advice, make sure they follow their own advice as well. You want to work with people who practice what they preach and live what they teach.

Tip 15: The Digital Marketing Agency's Own Digital Marketing Is Exemplary

A digital marketing agency's own digital marketing is a reflection of what they are capable of doing. Check out their content and how high-quality it is.

Inspect their website and social media activity. Have a look at their email campaigns and landing pages.

It's a good sign if their own digital marketing is exemplary and acts as a showpiece.

Tip 16: The Digital Marketing Agency Has A Well-Designed Website

A website is a digital storefront. It represents the business and professionalism of how they present themselves. The best digital marketers know how essential a well-designed website is. If an agency is not executing internal projects well, why would you expect them to deliver something better for yours?

Look through the agency's website and listen to your instincts. If it doesn't look and feel high-quality, you're better off moving on to an agency that values good design and delivers exceptional user experiences.

Tip 17: The Digital Marketing Agency Uses State-Of-The-Art Technology

If you know what the best tools and softwares are to complete a certain task and are familiar with the digital landscape, you can ask the agency what they're working with. If they're working with state-of-the-art technology and tools for digital marketing agency, that's a good sign they are on top of their game.

Tip 18: You Get What You Pay For When It Comes To The Digital Marketing Agency Cost

Cost is the first thing that comes to your mind when you're looking for a service but less isn't always more.

It's not advisable to go for a cheap option, especially when it comes to a digital marketing strategy.

A person who is great at their craft will typically not charge low prices. If you're hunting for a discount, chances are you'll end up with an agency that cuts corners and hurts your performance in the long run.

8 Tips To Hiring the Right Digital Marketing Agency For Your Small Business: Here's What To Do Before You Hire An Agency

Presently, recruiting a digital marketing agency can be tough since you have so numerous alternatives from which you can pick from. Not every one of them is fit enough for achieving the sort of results you wish for. Here is an 8-point checklist of what to look at when hiring a digital marketing agency for your small business.

Tip 1: Put Forward Goals

Above all else, you need to have clear goals and communicate those to the agency. Would you like to raise your brand awareness or have better traffic on your site or get more features in the media? Characterizing your objectives will help you get the outcome you desire.

Tip 2: Become Familiar With Some Digital Marketing Terminology

The agency you are looking to hire might use some words and marketing terms you are not familiar with. As much as we as an agency try to keep things short and simple, it can happen that we use some jargon sometimes. Don’t be shy and ask directly what it means to be sure you understand the full scope of the collaboration. Like Albert Einstein said: “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it yourself.” The agency of your choice should be able to explain everything and answer all of your questions.

Check out our marketing dictionary posts on Twitter we have put together.

Tip 3: View The Pricing And Plans

You need to know how much you can invest in your marketing and ensure that the pricing and plans of the agency of your choice matches your budget. Typically, you get what you pay for. You ought not to expect top-quality assistance from an organization that charges well beneath the standard market cost. The reason why they are not charging a higher rate is that they can't offer you the best support and they know it.

Tip 4: Visit The Company’s Website

You should visit the website of the digital marketing agency and have a look at their own online presence and marketing. It gives you an idea of what to expect when they do your marketing. Does the digital marketing company rank on the primary page of Google for their company name? If it doesn't show up on the principal page of the internet search engine, then how might you anticipate that they make your website be in that position? In many ways, visiting the website of a digital agency before hiring them turns out to be vital.

Tip 5: Reviews, Recommendations And Testimonials

Testimonials and customer reviews are a vital part of the whole process of hiring and recruitment. If you take a look at the testimonials section on the website of the digital marketing company, you will see that the entire section is loaded up with positive feedback. There will be no negative reviews and testimonials on there.

Do further research and look at the LinkedIn recommendations of the agency’s team members, their Google My Business profile, and other sources. Make sure they know their stuff and have had lots of happy clients with good results.

Tip 6: Look At Case Studies

To better judge the ability of a digital marketing agency, ask them for case studies and let them walk you through case studies similar to what you want to be done. Assess their expertise and also look at the results they were able to achieve for other clients and their portfolio.

Tip 7: Make A List

Make a list of pros and cons, wants and needs and see if the agency can fulfill what you want and need. You can use this list to compare different agencies with one another, too. It will guarantee that you make the right choice in recruiting a digital marketing company for your small business.

Tip 8: Think About The Digital Marketing Company's Experience

It is important that an agency has experience in doing what you need them to do for your business. However, the years a digital marketing agency has been in business are not always a good indicator for their experience. A company can do mediocre work for a long time without improving. Dig deeper and ask about project scopes and the quality of work.

Conclusion

The best digital marketing agency acts as an extension of your business and your team.

Every project or ongoing work, big or small, deserves the attention of a true digital marketing expert. With so many agencies to choose from, choosing the right digital marketing agency can feel overwhelming.

But now you know what to look for, what to avoid, and how to prepare your team. Use the tips mentioned in this article the next time you're on the hunt for a digital marketing agency that's ready to bring your ideas to life.

What do you consider before hiring a digital marketing agency for your small business?