Begin
Details
Project
UploadsWhen it comes to choosing a digital marketing agency to partner with, we all like to think you care about our story, our values and the rest of the content we create. But the truth is, it’s all just fancy words and pretty pictures. It’s all designed to convince you we’ve got loads of experience, bags of talent and that we really really really really care about our clients. This is all true, but you shouldn’t take our word for it.
In the last decade, competition in the digital marketing agency space has led to standards of work rising higher and higher, with every agency looking for a speciality or a way to differentiate. But with so many options to choose from, what should you be looking for to help you make that decision?
Here are five things that should come into consideration when picking your next digital marketing agency.
Case Studies, Testimonials and Reputation
The easiest way to choose a new agency is to look at their portfolio of work and read the feedback they’ve received from clients. If an agency has a deep and varied portfolio with heaps of positive feedback then they’re a pretty sure bet. However, it’s important not to take this at face value. Agencies will look to paint the perfect picture and highlight only positive stats and reviews on their website. Try to do some research on third-party review sites as well, or look for their agency profile on somewhere like The Drum.
We’ve been rated as one of the UK’s top agencies by The Drum. If you don’t know who they are, they’re a leading publisher for marketing and media industries as well as operating a global awards program. Through our profile on The Drum, you can see how we’re rated for each service we offer. Here are some of the highlights:
- ROI 10/10
- Client Services 9.8/10
- Web Development 9.6/10
- Brand Design 9.2/10
- Brand Strategy 9/10
A Specialist Partner
Depending on what your business is looking for, you could be missing a trick by not finding a specialist. Partner programs are often a sign that an agency does a considerable amount of work with that particular platform, software or service provider. Some examples include Google Partners, HubSpot Partners and Woo Partners.
Google Partner
Achieving Google Partner status as an agency shows that they’re recognised as experts in handling digital marketing for clients through the use of Google Ads. Pay-per-click (PPC) experts create strategic campaigns that get the most out of your budget by using only the most suitable types of paid ads for your business. These include:
- Search ads
- Display ads
- Shopping ads
- Retargeting ads
- Video ads
- In-App ads
In order to retain this recognition, a Google Partner agency has to keep all Google Ads accounts optimised and up to date with any new features. Having Google Partner status means Google is saying ‘They know what they’re doing’. If you’re specifically looking for a digital marketing agency to help you with PPC campaigns, then this is a good indication that you’ve found an agency you can trust.
HubSpot Partner
HubSpot is one of the leading digital marketing, sales and service CRM platforms. It gives businesses big and small the ability to manage customer data, plan marketing campaigns, create email automations and more.
If you’ve decided to use HubSpot for your business, or are even looking to make the switch, it’s a no-brainer that you should team up with a HubSpot Partner. Why you may ask? A digital marketing agency who are recognised as a HubSpot Partner can access exclusive and powerful tools designed to give their clients a boost. The agency can also arrange additional sales and marketing training from HubSpot’s experts.
Woo Partner
If you operate an e-commerce business then something you can look for is a web and digital marketing agency who are a Woo Partner. Only 9 businesses in the UK are currently recognised as Woo Partners and around 150 worldwide. That’s because you can’t just pay to be a member, you have to meet some pretty strict criteria and rigorous testing.
WooCommerce is one of the world’s leading e-commerce software platforms and content management systems in use today, and by partnering with a Woo expert, you’re ensuring your Woo store delivers the goods. With over 3.6 million active Woo-powered shops around the world, competition to find a Woo Partner agency can be difficult.
Keep Your Eyes Open For Awwward Winners
These days it’s a bit easier to be recognised as an award-winning agency. Paying the entry fee alone gives you a good chance. But some awards are more highly sought after, so you should keep an eye out for them.
The Awwwards is one of the most prestigious website awards in the industry and notoriously hard to win. And yet, Harrison Carloss was able to bring home an honourable mention award for their work with sports social media agency, 9024 Media. Unfortunately for us, the business is no longer trading and their award-winning website is in digital purgatory. But nobody can take away the hard work and creativity that our team poured into this project to make it a success. What’s more important is we know what we can achieve with the right project, and this certainly won’t be our last Awwward win.
Keep it Local
In this day and age location isn’t that important. Your agency could be based in the United States, and providing communication was good and both parties could handle the time difference, the relationship would likely be just fine.
But.
There’s something magical about getting around a table with a client and thrashing out a new strategy or going for a coffee to discuss plans for next year. In-person meetings can be a hive of positive ideas and energy that yield much stronger results than hours could on a remote call. We’re not saying it’s a deal breaker, but if you have the option of an excellent local agency or an excellent far away agency, local should edge it.
Trust your gut
Whether it’s your initial impression of the agency’s website, their social media, a conversation on the phone, or during a more detailed pitch, trust what your gut tells you. Does the agency really feel passionate about your business and the project? Do you feel like they’ve put a lot of time into researching your business? Do you feel like they’re the right fit in terms of budget and style? Every other factor we’ve mentioned above is completely irrelevant if you’re still left with a bad feeling in your gut. Make sure to discuss with other members of your team and see if they feel the same way.
Work With Us
If our partnerships and awards still haven’t convinced you that we’re the agency for you, then you can find out more about us and the work we’ve done on our website. We hope that if you’ve made it this far, you’re willing to go a little further.
