Hiring a digital marketing agency is a high-stakes decision — bad fits cost six figures over a year and set the business back. Most SMB owners ask the wrong questions in the vetting process. Here’s the checklist that surfaces the right answers.
Questions to ask
- Show me three case studies in my industry where you moved a real metric in the last 18 months. With screenshots from the actual analytics.
- Who specifically would be on my account? Names, roles, examples of their work.
- What does month 1 look like? Month 3? Month 6?
- How will we measure success? What numbers will you report on, and how often?
- What contract length do you require? Why?
- If we’re unhappy in 90 days, what happens?
Answers that should make you walk
- ‘We can’t share specifics due to client confidentiality.’ (You can share screenshots with names blurred. Always.)
- Vague timeline answers. ‘Every engagement is different’ is a dodge.
- Guaranteed rankings on specific keywords. Not possible. Anyone promising it is lying.
- Mandatory 12-month contracts with no exit clause. Confidence in the work doesn’t require a 12-month lock-in.
- Cheap pricing far below the market range. The work isn’t happening; you’re paying for a content mill.