For most small and medium businesses, marketing budgets are usually tightly controlled. Working with a bad digital marketer can leave a sour taste. In a separate article, we pointed out the 7 warning signs for you to look out for when choosing the right digital marketing agency. In this article, we intend to highlight several situations that may raise doubts in you but are actually normal practices in the industry.
1. They Do Not Have A Website
Sometimes you might come across an agency or a freelancer through word of mouth. Then when you try to google for them, you realize that they do not have a website. Will you get suspicious if this happens? If you spend your livelihood on the internet, does that mean that you have to have a website?
Let us share with you that this situation is actually more common than you think. It is quite ironic to know that a digital marketer does not have their own website. However, do not be swayed by the mere presence of a website. While it might be easy to build a website, maintaining a website and ensuring that it is performing well all the time can be time-consuming.
Most likely, if you are dealing with a boutique agency or even a freelancer, their limited resources are better utilized elsewhere. The presence of a website does not guarantee the competence of the agency. In fact, you won’t even get to know much about them through the website. The best way to do this is by making an appointment and speaking to them directly, whether in person or via zoom.
Basically, don’t be too quick to judge a prospective digital marketing partner just from the lack of a website. They might be spending their time doing amazing work for their clients, which is how you caught wind of them in the first place.
2. They Require A 3-6 Months Contract
If you are new to the hiring norms of engaging a digital marketing agency, you might be put off by the requirement of a contract. Your cautiousness might override your decision-making process. Plus, hearing nightmare stories about bad marketing agencies might have made you extra careful. That’s why you would rather only “try” out a new agency with one tactical campaign that only lasts a month.
Depending on the digital marketing strategy that is agreed upon, it is common to have a contract that lasts between 3-6 months. This is in the best interests of both parties as it provides the marketer sufficient time to generate a decent ROI for your business. In fact, if the scope of work involves SEO, it is likely that the duration is longer. SEO is a long-term strategy and will take some time to produce consistent results.
While the time investment might seem long, the results will show for themselves if the work is done correctly.
3. They Charge An Agency Set-Up Fee
The chargeable fee will differ from agency to agency. However, it is not uncommon to find that the first month’s retainer fee is higher than the other months. This is particularly so if it’s your first time working with a new digital marketing agency. Often, you will be charged with the ad account set up.
While you think that this is an easy process, ensuring that all the accounts are tied together and the tracking is done correctly does take some form of expertise. And this is exactly what you are paying for. Therefore, do not disregard this step so that you will have peace of mind that users in your campaign are tracked at every step of the campaign journey. It is better to pay to get the job done right rather than to have to pay for the consequences later.
4. They Outsource The Work
We know that it would put your mind at ease to have complete control over every aspect of your business. However, there will come a time where you would have to delegate responsibilities to someone else. This is just the same. Sometimes, the agency or freelancer that you engage will outsource the work. Does it matter to you? Will your campaign results be affected?
Honestly, it should not matter. It is the results that you should be concerned about. It is the duty of the marketer you have engaged to make sure that the results are positive, and that is all that should matter to you.
As a point of reference, usually, a freelancer will maintain complete control over your campaign. However, this might come at a higher cost as the freelancer will charge more due to the limited resources that he has. On the other hand, it is likely that the agency might be working with sub-contractors for any one project.
While you might be under the impression that your campaign gets undivided attention from a freelancer, this might not be true every time. A freelancer is still just one person. Thus you might be competing with other clients for their attention. Granted, this might also happen in an agency as they are running several projects at once.
Thus, the first appointment with the agency is important where you will get a better sense of the working style of the agency and see if it fits into your working style too.
Conclusion
In order to take your business to greater heights, finding the right digital marketing agency as a partner is crucial. While shooter term gains and improvements can be seen in a short period of time, do not be seduced by this. As a business owner, the priority should be on long-term sustainability. It is important to ask the right question and set clear expectations. This will also help you select the right digital marketing agency to help you grow at the right pace.
