How to Pick a Digital Marketing Agency

What to Look for in a Digital Marketing Agency

You should look for proven results and transparent communication in a digital marketing agency. Realistic timelines and full ownership of your accounts are some other important factors here. These basics will help you identify trustworthy agencies and stay away from the ones that waste your time and budget.

The right partner will make you grow more easily, which is why a digital marketing agency matters. And at Matter Solutions, we’ve helped Minnesota businesses improve through SEO, Google Ads, and content marketing for more than two decades.

In this article, we’ll cover the signs of a reliable agency. You’ll also learn about the red flags that you should avoid and the questions to ask before signing with a digital marketing company.

Ready? Let’s begin.

What Makes a Digital Marketing Agency Trustworthy?

A trustworthy online marketing agency delivers results, sets clear timelines, and lets you fully own your accounts. Unfortunately, not all agencies work this way. Some of them make big promises and provide unclear reports. Sometimes, they even trap clients in contracts that serve only the firm rather than the clients.

Here’s a list of things that make a digital marketing agency reliable:

• Proven Case Studies: You should look for specific numbers like website traffic increases, lead generation, or revenue growth. Reviews on Clutch or Google help too, especially from businesses similar to yours.
• In-House Team: After you sign, it helps to know who is actually doing the work. Some agencies outsource everything to outside providers. For that reason, you need to confirm that the work stays in-house and that the team has experience in your industry.
• Data-Driven Reporting: A good internet marketing agency tracks key performance indicators tied to your business goals. Based on our experience, agencies that dodge specifics or send generic dashboards often have something to hide.
• Account Ownership: Some digital marketing services set up your Google Ads or website under their own name. That’s how, when you leave, you lose access to everything. But a trustworthy digital marketing company puts all assets under your name from day one.
• Realistic Timelines: SEO typically takes six months or longer before you see actual movement in the metrics. Pay-Per-Click (PPC), a core part of search engine marketing, works faster but still needs testing. So if a company promises overnight results, it’s likely that they care more about closing the deal than delivering you genuine results.

When someone meets these standards, you’ll find it easier to track progress and trust them as a successful digital marketing company.

What Are the Red Flags to Watch For In a Digital Marketer?

The red flags you should watch out for include guaranteed rankings, unclear processes, and long contracts with no exit. These signs usually point to agencies that promise too much and explain too little.

And if something feels off during the sales call, trust your gut. That uneasy feeling usually means something.

We’ll get into more detail about these flags.

Guaranteed Rankings or Vague Promises

Has a marketing company ever promised you the number one spot on Google? If so, that’s a major warning sign. It’s because no one can guarantee first-page rankings on search engines. Google’s algorithm changes constantly, and even the best digital marketing experts can’t control every factor.

Put simply, a marketing firm that makes this promise is either lying or doesn’t understand how search engine optimization actually works (trust us, you won’t be getting any good outcome from there).

Vague promises are just as bad. Phrases like “we’ll boost your online presence” or “we’ll grow your brand visibility” sound great. However, they mean nothing without specifics.

So, we recommend asking how the agency plans to deliver measurable results. They should tell you what metrics they’ll track and what success will look like after three months, six months, or a year. If they can’t answer clearly, just move on.

Long Contracts With No Exit Clause

Flexible contracts give you an escape route if results fall flat. And most business owners don’t realize the importance of that flexibility. Some agencies tend to lock clients into 12-month agreements with no exit clause. That means you’re stuck paying even if the work is terrible or the results never show up.

We at Matter Solutions have talked to business owners who wasted thousands of dollars on agencies they couldn’t leave. Long lock-ins often signal that an agency struggles with retention. If they were confident in their digital marketing services, they wouldn’t need to trap clients into staying.

For that reason, month-to-month or short contracts with clear exit terms usually show confidence and accountability.

Pro tip: Ensure that you have a 30-day exit clause. It’ll protect you from situations like this.

What Questions Should You Ask Before Hiring?

You should ask about communication frequency, reporting details, pricing breakdowns, and contract terms before signing anything. Asking these questions will reveal how an agency actually operates behind the sales pitch.

Let’s take a look at the questions below.

Communication and Reporting

During the sales call, you should ask who your dedicated point of contact will be. Some agencies may assign you a senior strategist during onboarding, then hand you off to a junior account manager. You want to know exactly who you’ll be working with and how much experience they have.

It’s also important to know how often the marketing company shares updates. Regular weekly or biweekly check-ins keep campaigns on track and allow issues to be addressed early. This way, you can handle problems before they become bigger and unsolvable.

In our experience, agencies that only reach out once a month tend to be less proactive about optimizing your campaigns.

Pricing and What’s Included

Do you know exactly what you’re paying for each month? A lot of business owners don’t, and that’s how unexpected invoices happen. To avoid facing these issues, you must get a clear breakdown of all digital marketing services included in your retainer.

You’ll find that some agencies offer one flat fee, while others charge separately for ads, content, or site updates. Both models work, but you should clearly understand what the price includes and what adds to the cost (better safe than sorry).

Plus, be sure to ask about setup fees, monthly minimums, and what happens if you need to scale up or down. This kind of transparent pricing builds a strong business relationship from the start.

Find the Right Digital Marketing Company for Your Business

That’s it for our guide on what to look for in a digital marketing agency. You now know the signs of a trustworthy partner, the red flags to avoid, and the questions to ask before signing anything.

It takes time to find the right agency, but it’s worth it. Look for verified case studies, transparent pricing, and flexible contracts. If something doesn’t feel right during the sales call, don’t ignore that instinct.

At Matter Solutions, we help Minnesota businesses improve their digital presence through effective marketing strategies. So if you want a digital firm focused on actual results, get in touch with our team.