How to Choose a Digital Marketing Agency (Without Getting Burned)

You've decided to hire an agency to help with your marketing. Smart move — but choosing the wrong agency can be worse than doing nothing. Here's how to find a good one and avoid getting burned.

Green Flags: What Good Agencies Do

• They ask questions before pitching — A good agency wants to understand your business, your goals, and your budget before recommending anything
• They explain their process clearly — No jargon, no black boxes. You should understand what they're going to do and why
• They show real results — Case studies, testimonials, actual metrics. Not vague promises
• They offer transparent reporting — Monthly reports showing exactly what they did and what results you're getting
• They don't require long contracts — Confidence in their work means month-to-month is fine
• They specialize in your industry — An agency that knows home services will be more effective than a generalist

Red Flags: Run Away If You See These

• "We guarantee #1 rankings" — Nobody can guarantee specific Google rankings. This is a major red flag
• Long-term contract required upfront — If they need to lock you in, they're not confident in their results
• They won't show you their work — No case studies, no references, no examples
• Vague pricing — If you can't get a clear answer on what it costs, walk away
• They own your website or content — You should always own your digital assets
• No dedicated point of contact — If you can't reach a real person, how will issues get resolved?

Questions to Ask Before Signing

1. Can I see examples of results you've gotten for similar businesses?
2. What exactly am I paying for each month? What work gets done?
3. How will you report results to me? How often?
4. Do I own my website, content, and domain?
5. What happens if I want to cancel? What's the process?
6. Who will I be working with directly? Can I meet them?
7. How do you measure success? What KPIs will you track?

We built our lead generation and website services to be everything we wished agencies were when we were on the client side — transparent, results-focused, and honest. Reach out if you'd like to see how we work.