Trying to grow a digital agency is often seen as though it is as simple as gaining more clients.
This approach, however, is just too simplistic.
The smartest way to grow a digital agency is to implement a number of strategic processes which will improve the overall stability of your agency.
Below we've provided 10 answers to the question how to grow a digital agency?
Establish the right team
Having the right team supporting your agency is essential to success. Staff your agency with players with diffferent kinds of expertise. This allows the resources within your agencies brain trust to reach all different levels, expanding your service capabilities. You may also think of finding outsourcers that add to your capabilities think website development teams or UX/UI experts. When you have established tentpoles that allow you to be a well-rounded entity, you set yourself up for growth.
Track efficiency
In order to make sure every member of the team is being as efficient and productive as possible, make sure that time is tracked. This is especially important for any work that you are outsourcing. Ensuring that time is tracked on a by-client or project basis, will help to create the most efficient team and keep your agency aware of any hiring issues or scope creep.
Set goals and review them
In order to stay competitive and perform well, your agency must set its own goals and your team members should all strive together to meet them. It’s not enough to simply set these goals, your entire team should review these goals frequently, and work together to achieve the long and short term goals set out for them.
Have a sales process
Without having a sales process, your agency runs the risk of acquiring clients you may not want, potentially wasting your time and resources. Instead of risking this, define the type of clients you want, set up marketing strategies to sell to them. You need take the time to outline the stages of the sales journey, that mirror the typical buying process, and define each stage as a step towards more commitment to your agency.
Create a sales forecasting process
When you put a sales forecasting process in place you ensure that your agency has goals set out. By having this process in place your agency can set out short- and long-term goals and needs for the business. In order to do this formally and effectively, keep track of: introductory calls, in-person meetings, proposals sent out by the agency and contracts that your agency has won.
Predict hiring needs sooner
Keep your agency away from the stress of needing an immediate hire. Work on forecasting your future sales for your agency and keep in mind whether you will need more hands on deck to keep the agency running smoothly. Make sure you have time to do research thoroughly and find the best fit for your company.
Focus on existing clients
When you think of how to grow a digital agency, you might think that focusing on new clients is the way to go. Gathering new clients is important, but in the long run it’s important to ensure that your existing clients are renewing retainers. Make sure to keep in communication with clients about whether they are happy with the agency’s work and to quickly address any issues or concerns that might arise.
Create the best buyer persona
The most important part of growing a client base is focus - not only on positioning, but focusing on incoming clients, and determining who your ideal client is. Focus on the services they need, how they were referred to your agency, what they invest in marketing, their industry and their size. This will help you to staff your agency accordingly and provide access to outsourcers that meet your clients needs.
Have access to strategic advice
How do we grow? We learn from the best and we rely on the expertise of others. When you set your self up with strategic advisors you are better able to meet your clients needs and the needs of your agency. For example, your outsource development partners should be able to advise you from a technical perspective. This means providing technical solutions that meet your clients needs and sourcing the best and most cost effective solutions. This will help keep your budget down.
Find a the right software partner
Does your digital agency work under a software provider. For example, if you are a marketing team or marketing agency that works with HubSpot your path to success could be an established relationship with a technical agency that is a HubSpot partner. What will grow your agency is proficiency in tools, both from a marketing perspective and a technical perspective. You cannot afford to lose work, because you may lack the resources. This goes back to access to strategic advice. You set your company up to grow when you hire a HubSpot partner, especially one that is the technically savvy where your marketing time is not.
Growing your digital agency takes committment to process, a strong team and an even stronger focus.
We help marketing agencies across the globe grow by providing technical solutions to digital problems. If you are a marketing agency or a marketing department that uses HubSpot, Computan is the technical agency you need. Click below to see how we could help you grow your agency.
