Before you hire a marketing agency: the questions to ask, and the answers to expect

Who will own my website, domain and accounts?

Short answer: you should, every one of them, from day one.

Ask specifically about each asset:

• Domain name. Registered in your business name, with you holding the login.
• Website. You own the content and can move it to another host.
• Google Business Profile. You're the primary owner; the agency is a manager.
• Google Ads account. In your name, with your billing, and the agency given access.
• Analytics and call tracking. Accessible to you at all times.

A good answer: "Everything is in your name. We get manager access. If you leave, you keep it all."

A warning sign: "We'll set it up under our account to make management easier." That's convenient for them and risky for you.

What exactly will you track?

Short answer: at minimum, calls, texts and emails by source, and ideally whether they became booked jobs.

If an agency can't tell you how a phone call from an ad will be attributed to that ad, they can't tell you whether the ads work. Ask:

1. Will each channel have its own tracked phone number or tracking method?
2. Will you track calls from the Google Business Profile separately?
3. How will we match enquiries to booked jobs?

A good answer describes a specific method and asks you about your job records. A warning sign is a focus on clicks, impressions and "engagement" with no mention of calls or jobs. The tracking guide explains what a sound set-up looks like.

What will the monthly report show?

Short answer: enquiries, booked jobs where possible, cost per booked job, and what changed and why.

Ask to see a sample report, with the client's name removed. Look for:

• numbers you'd actually use to make a decision
• a comparison with previous months
• plain explanations of what went up, what went down and why
• a list of what the agency did that month
• what they plan to change next

A warning sign: a 30-page report full of charts and no clear statement of how many enquiries came in and what they cost.

How does the contract end?

Short answer: you should be able to leave with reasonable notice and take everything with you.

Ask:

• What's the notice period?
• Are there cancellation fees?
• What happens to the website if I stop paying for it?
• How long do you take to hand over access?

A good answer is short. For example, our plans through Trades.Agency are month-to-month with 30 days' notice. A warning sign is a 12- or 24-month lock-in with no performance exit, or a website that's "leased" and disappears when you leave.

What will you actually do each month?

Short answer: you should get a specific list of deliverables, not a vague promise of "optimization".

Ask for a typical month's work in writing. For local search, that might be profile updates, new service pages, review replies and citation fixes. For ads, search term reviews, negative keywords, budget changes and landing page tests. See the services pages for what we include in each.

A warning sign: "We'll optimize your campaigns and grow your presence." Ask what that means in hours and tasks.

Who will actually work on my account?

Short answer: you should know who does the work and who you can call.

Some agencies sell with a senior person and hand the account to someone junior or overseas without telling you. That's not always bad, but you should know. Ask who will build the campaigns, who will write the pages and who you'll speak to each month.

Can you promise results?

Short answer: the honest answer is no, and you should be cautious of anyone who says yes.

No agency controls Google's results, your competitors or your market. What a good agency can do is explain its reasoning, show real results from its work, and commit to transparent measurement. If someone promises first place on Google or a set number of leads, ask what happens when they miss. Usually the answer is in the fine print.

A good answer sounds like: "Here's what we expect, here's why, and here's how you'll see whether it's happening." Ours, for reference: we show results from our HVAC work, such as BCWide.ca reaching 3× leads in 90 days, and we explain what does and doesn't transfer. See the results page.

Can I see real examples?

Short answer: yes, and they should be named and checkable.

Ask for case studies with the client's name and a link to the live site, so you can look at the work yourself. Be careful with anonymous success stories or unverifiable statistics. Look at the sites the agency built. Are the phone numbers easy to tap? Are the services clear? Would you call?

What are the warning signs in a sales pitch?

Short answer: pressure, vagueness and promises.

• "This price is only good until Friday."
• "We can't share a sample report."
• "We'll handle all the accounts; you don't need access."
• "You'll be on page one within a month, promise." (Or any similar pledge.)
• No questions about your job values, capacity or service area.

The last one is the most telling. An agency that doesn't ask about your numbers can't build a plan around them.

How should I compare the answers?

Short answer: put them side by side in a simple table and score each one.

Choose on the answers, not the slide deck. If you'd like a second opinion on a proposal you've received, we're happy to read it; see contact. More long answers are in the guides, and our own terms are on the pricing page.