Our Blog

How to Find the Top Digital Marketing Agency to Work With

September 12, 2017 By Hendrik-Jan Francke

How to Find the Top Digital Marketing Agency to Work With

Making a presence for your business in the digital world all starts with the getting help from the right digital marketing agency. Read on to learn how to find the top digital marketing agency to work with.

Are you concerned that your current digital marketing strategy has fallen behind that of your competitors?

Would you like to be able to devote more time to creating and perfecting a solid SEO strategy, but find that there simply aren't enough hours in the day?

If so, then it sounds like you're already in the market for a top digital marketing agency.

But with so many options to choose from, how will you determine whether or not the company you're thinking of working with is the real deal?

That's what this post is all about.

Keep on reading to learn how to make the right choice when it comes to your digital marketing agency.

Look at their Portfolio

The first step in finding the top digital marketing agency?

You need to ensure that they have direct experience within your industry, your target market, and even within your branding style and business size.

The best way to figure that out?

Take a look at their online portfolio of past work.

You can then get a feel for how they create website design, the way that they work keywords into website content, and even things like loading speed and mobile-friendliness.

Especially if you're in a growth phase of business, you should also ask to see samples of any email campaigns and social media posts that they've created.

When you take a look at their portfolio, ask the agency how quickly they were able to grow traffic to the website. Determine by how much the agency was able to boost the conversion ratio of site visitors, and how many places the site jumped in the rankings.

While liking the website design and the overall quality of the SEO services an agency provides is important, there's nothing quite like cold, hard data to help you determine whether or not to work with them.

Make sure that this data is readily available, and if it's not, it's time for you to walk.

Read Online Reviews

Close to 90% of people say that they trust online reviews of companies just as much as they do personal recommendations from friends and family members.

The takeaway here?

There's plenty of valuable information to help you decide whether or not professionals who claim to be the top digital marketing agency actually deliver on that promise.

When you're reading these reviews, keep in mind that a few, random, one-star or negative reviews aren't usually anything to worry about. Of course, if the overwhelming majority of the reviews are negative, that certainly tells you something.

Instead, you need to focus on finding consistency within the reviews. For example, do you notice that the majority of reviewers seem to be unhappy with the data metrics the SEO company provided?

Do many people say that they feel like the social media campaigns the agency created weren't geared towards their target market?

If so, then it may be time to move on.

Finally, keep in mind that while the testimonial page of a website is a nice starting point, you need to branch out to third-party review sites to get the real story.

After all, agencies aren't exactly going to be falling all over themselves to feature their worst reviews on their website. Check out places like Google My Business and Yelp to make sure you're seeing the complete picture.

Scrutinize their Online Presence

If you're like the majority of companies, you're likely interested in hiring a top digital marketing agency to help you to either build from the ground up or improve your brand's website.

So, when you're trying to evaluate whether or not you want to work with a digital marketing company?

You need to take a hard look at their own online presence.

Start by examining their website.

Does it seem like they've put serious time and effort into its design, development, and user-friendliness? Does it list all of the services the agency provides? Does the company have a blog where they dispense digital marketing tips?

For an example of a high-quality digital marketing agency website, check out the site of Maxburst.

They not only have a clear link to their online portfolio, their blog, and a place to request a quote for the services you might need. They also have a chatbox that pops up to help you to figure out exactly which services are the right choice for you.

These are the sorts of features that you should be on the lookout for when studying the websites of potential digital marketing agencies.

Speak with Past References

Earlier in this post, we spoke about the importance of taking the time to read online reviews about the digital marketing.

However, you need to be aware that some of those glowing reviews that you read about an agency will turn out to be fakes.

The only real way to make sure that a top digital marketing agency is capable of doing what it promises on its website?

To speak with past customers directly.

In general, before you decide to do business with an agency, you should aim to speak with a minimum of two past clients. Speak with them only over the phone, as you never really know who might be typing out that email.

When you talk to these people, make sure that you ask if there were any hidden fees and costs that the agency wasn't exactly upfront about.

Also, ask how the agency monitored the success of their changes and campaigns.

Did they use specific tools to help with site monitoring and analytics?

How often did they take site analytics?

Did the reference feel like the agency continued to monitor the website after the changes were put into place, or did the agency just abandon them and move onto the next customer?

Above all, make sure that you ask whether or not the reference would work with the agency again in the future.

Finally, keep in mind that if a digital marketing agency acts cagey about providing you with past references, that it's a sure sign that you need to move on.

Schedule a Consultation

Of course, few things are as effective in determining whether or not you want to work with a top digital marketing agency as a face to face meeting.

Get in touch with the agency at the top of your list, ask if they have any time to meet with you in person to answer a few of your questions.

When you meet with a team member, they should provide you with a few more samples of their past work. They should also have conducted a little bit of research on your own company.

During your consultation, the team member should demonstrate that they've done their homework.

They should talk about which strategies they've found to be the most effective in reaching your target market. They should also help you to understand which social media platforms you'll need to focus the majority of your efforts on.

They should do some design discovery to guide the re-design of your website, and talk about the plug-ins and tools that they'll use to monitor your website traffic.

If you feel like the information that you're being given doesn't really relate to the specifics of your company, or that the agency simply doesn't mesh with your branding strategy?

Now is the time to thank them for their efforts and walk away.

Your digital marketing strategy is simply too important to leave in the hands of anyone that you feel might be less than capable of helping you to achieve your goals and expand your market.

Ready to Work with a Top Digital Marketing Agency?

No matter the current phase of your business or the target market that you're interested in connecting with, we hope that this post has helped you to understand what to look for in a top digital marketing agency.

Remember to check out their online portfolio, read online reviews, and speak with past references. Above all, if possible, meet with them in person to ensure that your communication styles mesh well.

Looking for more advice on how to improve your site's SEO strategy and create a digital marketing plan that gets you the right kind of attention?

We're here to help.

Be sure to keep on checking back with our blog and website for more of the advice that your website needs to make it to the first page of Google.

Be a Bright Marketer

Improve your website & online marketing strategy with resources, tips, and insights delivered to your inbox 1-2 times per week.

Subscribe to the Bright Orange Thread Content Library today for instant access to these resources!