Digital Marketing Agency Is It Legit?
How do I know if my digital marketing agency is legit?
Asking "How do I know if my digital marketing agency is legit?" lets give you the tools to unpick this and protect your business.
Choosing the right digital marketing agency can make or break your online success. A legit agency should be a partner that drives results, increases revenue, and maximizes ROI. But how do you know if the agency you’ve hired is the real deal or just a costly drain on your resources?
Here are key indicators to consider:
The Problem: Uncertainty and Red Flags
Working with a shady or underperforming digital marketing agency can lead to significant losses, both financially and in terms of wasted time. You might find that months pass with no measurable improvement in your online presence, SEO rankings, or advertising returns. Worse still, you could be locked into expensive contracts with little to show for it. Not only does this hit your bottom line, but it can also cause you to lose trust in digital marketing altogether.
The Hidden Costs of a Bad Digital Marketing Agency
When an agency isn’t legit, the costs add up fast:
- Lost Time: Every day you spend with an ineffective agency is a day lost to your competitors. Time invested in the wrong agency leads to missed opportunities.
- Wasted Budget: Whether through mismanaged Google Ads, unnecessary charges, or low-performing SEO campaigns, you could be hemorrhaging money.
- Lost Income: Poor digital marketing translates into fewer leads, lower sales, and, ultimately, a shrinking revenue stream.
What to Look for in a Legit Digital Marketing Agency
To avoid these pitfalls, here are key things to check when evaluating the legitimacy and effectiveness of a digital marketing agency:
1. Access to Google Ads and SEO Keyword Tracking
A legitimate agency will give you full access to your Google Ads account, where you can track performance in real-time. The same goes for SEO keyword tracking: you should be able to see where your website ranks for target keywords and monitor progress over time. If they don’t provide transparency, that’s a red flag.
2. Website and Google Analytics Access
You should always have access to your website’s backend and Google Analytics. If the agency withholds this information, they’re likely hiding poor performance or using underhanded tactics. You must have full ownership and visibility over your website data to measure the real impact of their services.
3. Clear Pricing for Google Ads Management
A reputable agency will charge for Google Ads management as a percentage of your ad spend, not by the hour. This approach aligns their goals with yours – the more effectively they manage your ads, the better your return on investment. If an agency bills you by the hour to manage Google Ads, they may be incentivized to spend more time (and more of your money) without delivering results.
4. Regular Communication
Does the agency keep you in the loop? Legit agencies have regular updates, transparent reports, and open lines of communication. If they avoid your calls, fail to provide updates, or leave you guessing about your campaign’s progress, that’s a warning sign.
5. Understanding of Your Business
A proper digital marketing agency should take the time to understand your business, your goals, and your audience. If they offer cookie-cutter strategies without considering your unique needs, it’s unlikely they’ll deliver the results you expect.
6. ROI Focused Approach
A genuine digital marketing agency will talk about ROI (Return on Investment) from the start. They should set measurable goals, whether it's lead generation, increased sales, or improved online visibility, and regularly report on how well they are delivering against those goals. If ROI isn’t mentioned, they probably aren’t focused on delivering real results for you.
Is Your Agency the Right Partner?
When evaluating your digital marketing agency, the main takeaway is to ensure they offer transparency, understand your business, communicate effectively, and focus on results. If they can’t meet these standards, it might be time to look elsewhere before more time, money, and opportunities are lost.
Don’t settle for anything less than an agency that acts like a true business partner, one whose success is tied directly to yours.