How to Choose a Marketing Agency: 10 Questions to Ask Before You Hire
The right marketing agency can fill your calendar. The wrong one can spend your budget for months with nothing to show for it. Most bad agency relationships could have been avoided with a few direct questions before signing.
Use these 10 questions in your first call with any agency. The answers will tell you more than any sales deck.
Before you call: know what you want
Write down three things first:
- Your goal. For example, “20 more booked jobs a month,” not “more visibility.”
- Your budget. Include both the agency fee and any ad spend.
- Your timeline. Do you need leads this month, or are you building for next year?
Agencies can only give honest answers when they know what you’re trying to achieve.
The 10 questions
1. “What results have you gotten for a business like mine?”
Ask for a real example in your industry or a similar one, with numbers: leads, calls, sales or cost per lead. Vague answers like “we increased traffic” aren’t enough.
Good sign: a specific case study and a client you could call.
2. “How will you measure success?”
The answer should be leads, booked jobs and revenue, not just rankings, impressions or followers.
Red flag: reports built only around traffic and rankings.
3. “What exactly will you do each month?”
You should get a written list of monthly work, such as pages built, ads managed, posts published and links earned.
Red flag: “We’ll optimize everything” with no specifics.
4. “Who will actually work on my account?”
Meet the person who’ll manage your account, not just the salesperson. Ask whether any work is outsourced.
Good sign: a named account manager you can reach directly.
5. “How often will we talk, and what will reports show?”
Ask to see a sample report. It should be easy to read and show what was done, what happened and what’s next.
6. “Do you guarantee results?”
This is a trick question. No honest agency can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google or a specific number of sales.
Red flag: any guaranteed ranking or “page 1 in 30 days” promise.
7. “How long until I see results?”
Honest answers vary by channel. Paid ads can bring leads within days or weeks. SEO usually takes 3–6 months to show strong results.
Red flag: promising fast SEO results, or refusing to give any timeline at all.
8. “What’s in the contract, and how do I cancel?”
Ask about the minimum term, the notice period and what happens to your accounts if you leave.
Good sign: a clear, short contract and a reasonable exit.
9. “Who owns my website, ad accounts and data?”
You should own your domain, website, Google Ads account, Google Analytics and Google Business Profile. If the agency owns them, leaving can mean starting over.
Red flag: the agency sets up accounts in its own name and won’t give you admin access.
10. “Why do you think you’re a good fit for us?”
A good agency will ask you about your customers, margins and competitors before answering. If they pitch a package without understanding your business, keep looking.
Quick checklist: green flags and red flags
| Green flags | Red flags |
|---|---|
| Real case studies with numbers | Guaranteed rankings |
| Reports on leads and revenue | Reports on traffic only |
| Written list of monthly work | Vague “we optimize everything” |
| Named account manager | You never meet who does the work |
| You own every account | Agency owns your website or ad account |
| Clear contract and exit | Long lock-in with no way out |
| Asks about your goals first | Pitches a package immediately |
Local agency or national agency?
A local agency knows your market, competitors and neighborhoods, and you can meet in person. A national agency may have more specialists. For local service businesses, local knowledge often matters more, especially for Google Maps and local SEO.
How much should you expect to pay?
It depends on the services and your goals. See our guides on how much a small business should spend on marketing and how much SEO costs.
Ask us these questions
Adly Media is a digital marketing agency in Jacksonville, FL. Put us to the test: ask us all 10 questions on a free strategy call. We’ll show you real results, a sample report and exactly what we’d do each month, so you can compare us with anyone. See how we bring in calls and booked jobs with our lead generation services in Jacksonville.
Book a free strategy call · Call (904) 993-9799
Related: SEO vs Google Ads: which brings leads faster? · How to create a marketing strategy for your business
