When it comes to advertising your business online, there are many different options available for you to choose from. But not every option is right for every business – so how can you figure out what is going to be the best option for your advertising dollars?
That’s where a digital marketing agency comes in. An experienced and trustworthy agency is going to be the best at figuring out which advertising tactics are going to be the most effective, and most cost-efficient, to meet your goals. The wrong agency, however, may do little more than drain your budget and leave you with nothing to show for it.
With so many different agencies to choose from, how are you supposed to pick the best digital media agency? Here are some ways that you can decide which agency is going to be able to turn your advertising investment into trackable conversions.
They Understand Your Needs & Budget
The first and most important thing the best digital media agency should do for you is to discuss your needs. They should have a firm grasp of what it is you are looking for, and be able to make appropriate recommendations of services that are going to meet these needs. But they should also take into account what your budget is – not try to upsell you on a ton of extra services that far exceed your budget. Of course, you also need to be sure that your budget is realistic; otherwise you are unlikely to get the results you want.
They’re Totally Transparent
One of the biggest red flags for any service-based company is a lack of transparency, and agencies are no different. They should have a US-based phone number and address, and be prompt in answering you. There are many internationally-based businesses that masquerade as US-based ones. They often have either no address, or a made up one, and their phone number will show up as a “VoIP” if you put it into your search engine. Their address should show up as a legitimate business location, and their phone number as a valid, US-based line.
They Are Credible and Can Give Examples From Past Clients
With today’s ability to search any business for reviews and recommendations, checking that the agency you’re interested in is credible is fairly simple. Check for any Google, Yelp, etc reviews that you can find. If they have a lot over a short period, they may be paid reviews. Valid businesses gather reviews over time, not all at once. The best digital media agency will also be more than happy to send you references or examples from past clients to prove the quality of their work. If they can’t send any, or send random links without details, chances are they either don’t have much experience, or don’t have positive results to show.
Their Pricing Isn’t Too Low
This may seem counter-intuitive, but when it comes to digital marketing, less isn’t more. If you get a quote from multiple agencies and find that one has rates that are far below the others, chances are they are cutting corners somewhere. The most likely cutback is outsourcing work to freelancers rather than having in-house employees. While having to occasionally bring on outside workers isn’t the mark of a bad company, it all depends on where they are hiring people from. U.S. workers typically charge more, so if a company is just looking to get work done as cheaply as possible, they often look to other countries where wages are much lower – and the quality of the work can be lower due to a lack of relevant experience or language barriers.
They Have The Right Employees
It doesn’t matter how great an agency is if they specialize in display ads and you’re looking for help with SEO. Make sure whoever you contact has employees that are specialists in whatever type of advertising you are seeking. Otherwise, they may have an untrained employee trying to run your campaigns, or they might be outsourcing to freelancers whose credentials you aren’t able to verify.
They Have Tangible Goals for Your Campaigns
There is a difference between making promises and setting goals. The best digital media agency should set tangible goals for your campaigns to meet (or exceed) over a set period of time. They may set interval goals, such as a 1, 3, and 6-month goal, or a simple monthly goal. No matter what, the goals should make sense and prove that the campaigns are working. And if the goals aren’t met, the agency should have a plan in place to optimize the campaign for better performance.
If you’re in the Gulf Coast area and are looking for the best digital media agency near you, Gulf Coast Web is here to help! Gulf Coast Web has 25 years of experience in managing all types of digital marketing campaigns – even for companies outside of our immediate area. Our staff consists of highly-trained digital advertising professionals who are both passionate about their jobs and excel at what they do. Contact us today to book a consultation with our team. We look forward to outlining exactly how we can help you grow your business with our digital media agency services.