It’s safe to say that the world we live in today has become a fairly digitalised world. Searching for and validating things on Google and understanding an organisation through its social media and website has become second to nature. Businesses of all sizes look forward to having a strong digital presence to increase brand awareness, gather leads and ultimately boost revenue generation. But as doing this in-house can be a costly and time-consuming affair, it has become economically wise to outsource the responsibilities to a professional digital marketing agency.
Given that there are so many aspects to digital marketing, it’s important to understand and have absolute clarity on your desired outcome. Every agency may not have expertise across all the verticals of digital marketing. Some are stronger in creating websites but may not be adept with SEO while the others will have a niche expertise in pay per click (PPC) advertising and social media strategies. The clarity in objective will help you narrow down to the perfect agency with the required expertise that will help you reach your goal.
Here are some of top attributes to look for while choosing a digital marketing agency:
Agency’s Approach to Digital Marketing
Source: PNGITEM
One of the first things to look for is how the agency perceives digital marketing as a concept. Spend some time having discussions with the agency and understand how much they have explored in the digital universe. Question the agency’s methodology and if they are able to present a rationale backed by legitimate resources and reports, you know you will be in good hands. It proves that they assess data before making decisions instead of blindly following trends. It is also important for the digital marketing agency to be well-versed with the technical side of things and stay up to date with the latest industry trends.
Estimated and Promised Results
Source: 3C Software
The kind of results that the agency estimates is a reflection of how well they understand the digital industry. Any agency offering instant results and promising immediate revenue generation and brand awareness is a major red flag since all forms of digital marketing are long term strategies. Realistically estimated outcomes may not be as attractive but you can be assured that they will be achieved via transparent methods that will always keep you in the loop. Too many variables impact the end result and not even the best digital marketing agency in the world can guarantee good and quick results.
Digital Presence Evaluation
Source: VH
One of the first things to do while deciding on a digital marketing agency is study the digital presence of the agency. Experts know the value of clear communication, good design and a great UI experience. If you visit the website of an agency and find yourself confused as to where to proceed next and how to navigate, it’s probably not a good sign. If you are satisfied with the prima facie visit and have had a good experience on the website, check out if they have an active and attractive social media presence. If you like their digital presence, it is most likely that the quality of their work for your brand will also impress you.
Pricing Packages
Source: UpLabs
While budget plays a major role in selecting the right agency, it is important that it isn’t the only deciding factor. There are quite a few agencies that offer attractive packages at a very low price range. But it is important as an organisation for you to understand the way they function and if they will be able to offer qualitative service while keeping their cost low. Have a discussion with your agencies about the kind of time they will be investing and the resources that they will be utilising to reach a better understanding. Agencies quoting a premium pricing plan are bound to direct more resources towards your brand and churn out quality work.
References and Reviews
Source: Experis
When selecting the right digital marketing agency, always make sure to go through all the testimonials, reviews on Google and other platforms. Unlike their website and social media platforms, where only the positive reviews are displayed, make sure you check their Google reviews. This can give you access to the negative reviews, if any, and help you understand what challenges the agency faces and where they struggle. One of the key aspects to watch out for is the complete absence of reviews altogether. It’s best to avoid an agency exhibiting no reviews as it shows a gap in understanding the field of digital marketing.
In conclusion, it is vital to have many conversations with a potential agency to understand their style of functioning and build a certain level of trust and comfort. A digital presence is pivotal in driving sales today and an absence can cause you to lose out on a substantial amount of leads. Digital Marketing is an ever evolving game that takes a considerable amount of time and effort to show significant results. So choose your digital marketing partner wisely.
