Hiring an agency seems like a simple thing to do. Giving your money away usually is. Right? You'll be shocked when you notice the different options and prices for the same set of deliverables. One agency says a website rebuild will cost $500, and the other says $50,000. So what's the secret? Our panel of anonymous Dallas marketing experts working in various marketing agencies throughout the city has emailed us the most important factors Dallas businesses need to consider when you hire an agency:
No agency is an expert at everything (even though many call themselves 'full-service' agencies). Being an expert in everything usually means you are a jack of all trades and a master at none of them. Marketing and digital marketing are vast and complex worlds. Marketing agencies may be good at overall strategy and developing ideas to help generate business opportunities. Still, the cost to implement and develop those ideas may be way out of budget (these are usually the $50,000 website guys). On the flip side, digital marketing agencies in Dallas may be able to build you a website on the cheap. Still, that website may not be the conversion-generating digital marketing platform you want (these are the $500 websites, guys). A good start is to ask the right questions and have a clear conversion path in mind for your marketing campaigns (offline or online) before talking with any marketing agency. Then, you can look at expertise-related questions down the line.
The best way to know if an agency can deliver is to check if they’ve shown results in the past for other businesses in your industry! Picking up the phone and calling a few of their previous clients is always a good option, and an agency with nothing to hide will be glad to give you their contacts! Look for agencies that have experience in your industry. If you have your in-house marketing department, it may be good to become the best customer of a small boutique agency. You know small agencies are nimble and quick to get things done, and there is nothing better than having a business owner take ownership of helping you solve problems. Plus, that personal touch for a healthy retainer can't be beaten. Just because the agency is small doesn't mean they can't move the ball downfield for you.
The marketing and digital marketing processes are often very detail-oriented so you need people with a good eye to make sure everything goes the way it’s supposed to. Quality relies on the type of strategies and content an agency creates to promote your business, so don’t take it for granted!
You can also use these simple steps to find the right marketing partner. Before looking for agencies, you should get a blueprint or define exactly what you expect an agency to do. If you're not sure what kind of marketing support you need exactly take advantage of our technical needs assessment. We'll evaluate your website and strategy to identify gaps where we can help you grow.