12 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Marketing Company

When you're choosing a marketing agency, it's tempting to go with the company offering a fancy showreel or a long list of services on their website. But these aren't necessarily signs of a trustworthy agency, and they don't guarantee that the agency is right for you.

It's especially important to choose the right marketing agency if you're a small business, like a plumber, electrician, or HVAC contractor. You're not hiring marketing just to have marketing! You're paying for results that will help your business grow.

This guide is designed to help you make the best decision when you're hiring a marketing agency, with 12 questions you should ask before you make the investment.

1. Have You Worked with Businesses Like Mine?

When an agency says they've worked with "local businesses" or something equally vague, it's not really an answer. What you want to know is if they've worked with businesses in your trade, like plumbers or electricians.

Ask specifically about their industry experience with your trade, and see if they actually know what they're talking about. A good answer might be something like: "We've worked with plumbers and understand how emergency searches work, and how to reach people in your service area." When they already have that industry knowledge, they should be able to deliver faster results.

2. What Would You Actually Do for My Business?

A good agency should be able to explain their marketing strategy in plain English, so you can understand what they're trying to achieve and why. When you ask what they can do for your business, they should be able to tell you what they're going to change, and how different services like SEO and social media all fit together.

Their strategy should be tailored to meet your unique needs and adapted if the initial results fall short. If they just rattle off a list of services like "SEO, social media, Google Ads, and content," that's not a real strategy, and they're the wrong marketing agency for you.

3. Who Will Work on My Account?

You may get a great sales pitch from the agency owner or senior strategist, but once you sign the contract, you might never hear from that person again.

Ask who will really be working on your account every day, and whether that's an in-house person or someone they'll be bringing in. Ask how often you'll be able to talk to them and how often you'll get updates. A good answer should be something like: "You'll have a named account manager, and you'll know exactly who to contact with any questions."

4. Will I Own My Accounts and Data?

Another important question to ask is who will own your website, domain, Google Business Profile, Google Ads account, analytics, tracking data, creative assets, and all the other accounts they'll be setting up for you as part of their marketing services.

In other words, if the relationship ends, you should be able to pick up right where you left off without having to rebuild your whole digital presence. A good agency should create accounts under your name, not theirs.

5. What Happens If I Decide to Leave?

This isn't always easy to ask, but you should ask it anyway.

Ask about the company's contract terms, find out if they have a notice period, and make sure you're clear on what happens to the work you've paid for when the relationship ends. A good answer should be clear and transparent, so you can decide if you're on the same page. It should be outlined in a written contract, too, so you have it in writing.

6. How Will You Measure Success?

Before you even get into the details of what numbers to look at, ask how the agency plans to measure success. A good agency should define their metrics around your business outcomes, not vanity metrics. They should also keep up with any changes in the tools used to track these metrics, like Google Local Services Ads.

For a trade business, you might care more about getting qualified leads, booking jobs, revenue, or cost per lead. Don't just ask about website traffic or followers, since that's not necessarily what you want. It's important to go in with realistic expectations, but a good marketing agency should still make a measurable difference to your business outcomes.

7. Have You Got Any Case Studies?

Ask if the agency has any case studies or examples of work they've done with businesses similar to yours.

Looking at the real numbers and outcomes will give you a clear picture of what an agency can do, so you can easily decide if they're the right partner for you.

8. What Kind of Reporting Will I Get?

Another question to ask is how often you can expect to get updates on your account, and what kind of reporting you can expect to get on metrics like customer acquisition cost, referrals, and purchases.

You want to see actual data and results, not just vague reports that don't tell you much. See if the agency can provide you with a sample report, so you know in advance what you'll receive as a client.

9. What Kind of Support Will I Receive?

The kind of support you'll get from a marketing agency is important, as is what happens if you need help outside of business hours.

Do they have a dedicated support team, or will you be stuck waiting on a phone call from someone who's not even in the office at the time? These are critical questions to ask to help you understand whether a company will be there for you in an emergency.

10. How Much of My Money is Going into Marketing, and How Much is Going to the Agency?

Finances can be a tricky subject, but it's important to get the full cost out in the open before you sign on the dotted line.

If you're paying a monthly retainer and separate ad spend, you need to know both figures. Ask about the agency's setup fees, creative work, software, call tracking, additional services, and any other potential hidden costs. And if you're running Google Ads or Meta Ads, ask whether the ad spend goes straight into your account.

PxlPerfect's approach is to bill Google and Meta ad budgets directly to your own account, rather than marking up the cost. Contact us here for more information.

11. What Does the Agency Need from Me, and How Will You Handle Things?

This question is a great way to see whether the agency understands how trade marketing actually works.

A marketing team can't possibly know your business as well as you do! They'll need information about your services, service area, best jobs, customers, seasonality, capacity, and sales process. A good agency should be able to tell you exactly what it needs, and explain why. It should also be able to tell you what it'll handle on your behalf.

12. Can you Show Me Some Work You've Done For Similar Businesses?

Case studies can be useful when you're dipping your toe into the marketing industry, but don't just stop at the headline number. Ask what the agency actually did. How long did the work take? What was the starting point? Which services were involved? What did the client have to do? What changed?

Also, don't be afraid to ask whether you can speak to current clients if the agency offers references.

So What Should A Good Marketing Agency Be Able To Explain?

By the time you've asked all of these questions, you should have a pretty clear idea of:

• Who is actually working on your account

• What the marketing strategy is

• Which services you're paying for

• How much you're paying

• What your ad spend is

• Who owns the accounts and data

• What happens if you leave

• How success will be measured

• What you need to provide

• What happens first

• How you'll be kept in the loop

You don't need to be a digital marketing expert to hire an agency, but you should at least have a basic understanding of what you're buying.

What If You Are Comparing Several Agencies?

When you're comparing marketing agencies, don't just put the proposals next to each other and choose the cheapest one.

A good vetting process should involve giving each marketing firm the same questions and comparing the answers. This simple scorecard can help you compare them in detail:

One Last Thing to Keep in Mind: Would You Hire Them If You Didn't Need Marketing?

It may sound a bit strange to ask this, but this is a pretty handy final check to see if the agency is worth working with even when you're not in a rush to sign up.

If the sales process is coming on a bit too fast, if the details are all vague, or the contract is a total mystery, then you should probably steer clear.

A good agency should be able to walk you through how they do things without making you feel silly for asking questions. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission says advertisers need a reasonable basis for objective claims before they are made, and that applies to advertising agencies as well.

So if a pitch deck says something like “we'll increase your leads by 300%” or “we'll get you to number one,” ask what evidence supports that claim and whether the agency can show you how it reached the figure.

At PxlPerfect Designs, we design and manage digital marketing for people like plumbers, electricians, HVAC specialists, and other local service companies. Since September 2022, our work has included 325+ new websites built, GBP profiles optimized, and SEO programs delivered.

We also publish our prices upfront; we let clients keep ownership of their accounts, and if they want to leave, they can do so with 30 days' notice.

Hiring an agency is a big deal, and the right agency for your business isn't always the biggest, the cheapest, or the loudest. It's the one that can give you straight answers about what they're doing with your cash and that can build a working relationship that feels right for your business.

Ready To Chat About Your Marketing?

If you're a trade business owner who wants to know the real story on what's working, what's not, and where your marketing budget could be better spent, contact us for a no-pressure chat with no sales speak or pitch deck.

Want to Book a Free Chat? Contact us here.