Find the RIGHT Digital Agency Without Wasting Money or Time!
– By Damien Snare –
We’re back with another blog in our ‘Working with Digital Agencies’ series! This time we’re going to demystify the process of selecting an agency to deliver Digital Design and Marketing needs!
There’s a lot of Agencies producing great results for their clients, but how can you tell which of them is going to be the right fit for your business? Well, there are some intangible qualities that you can only find by doing a bit of leg work and meeting with prospective Agencies, but we’ve attempted to boil everything else down to some key questions to ask, qualities to look for and strategies you can use to pick a winner.
Know thyself:
Make sure you can clearly relay your business goals, projects and core values. This is the foundation of a strong relationship with a Digital Agency.
The basics:
Start searching! It doesn’t matter if it’s search engines, local business directories or referrals from colleagues or friends. Once you have a list of candidates you’ll be able to evaluate and narrow them down quickly using our tips.
Introductions:
Feeling a little shy? No problem. A good agency will have a healthy mix of platforms where you can view past projects, staff profiles and other content. Look for a consistent brand identity and a focus on quality over quantity.
Can they deliver?
Samples of work within similar industries can be useful, but what you’re really looking for is a skills match. Agencies are great at adapting to different industries and brand personalities, but if the core skills you’re after don’t hit the mark it may be time to look at another candidate.
Time to get chatty:
You’ve narrowed down your options. Time to reach out to your shortlist and ‘feel the vibe’. Prompt responses, professional communication and an interest in your business’s needs are all qualities to look for.
Keep reading for a more detailed breakdown and some extra tips and tricks…
First, let’s reflect
This may sound simple, but it’s important to take stock of where your business is at, and where you want to head in the future. It’s not enough to know you need to refresh your brand image, create a digital presence or communicate more effectively with potential or existing customers. Here’s a few probing questions to get you on the right track.
What are your primary goals? Do you want to increase awareness, become an authority within your industry, drive leads or reward loyal clients? Depending on your goals, the strategies a Digital Agency will use can vary wildly.
What lessons has your business already learnt? Has anything worked well? Then an Agency can help maximise that strategy with fresh ideas. Has a particular strategy fallen flat? Take note and an Agency will review it. Maybe some tweaks will turn it around, maybe not, but it’s important to learn from the past while looking to the future.
Internal brainstorming sessions are great for this stage of the process, but if you’re stuck or need some direction, it may be worthwhile booking a consultation to ensure you don’t get analysis paralysis.
The simple stuff
These are the strategies we can cover with a few quick dot points:
- Get on a search engine type some key phrases (project, industry or location based searches will give you a pool of prospective Agencies to investigate).
- Ask around… have friends, colleagues or associates used an Agency before? Add those referrals to your decision process.
Once you’ve done this, it’s time to get some…
First impressions
If the thought of calling and speaking to dozens of potential agencies sounds awful, don’t worry, there’s still a few more things you can do to narrow down your shortlist first.
A good agency is usually a hive of activity, so they will typically create several avenues for potential clients to gather information and review their work. Check out their website, blog and socials to get a sense of the services they offer. It’s also a good opportunity to see if they practice what they preach in terms of design quality, brand consistency and value of content.
Typically, there will also be an information package you can download with samples of previous work and a ‘menu’ of services they offer. This is a great way to gather more detailed information without actually speaking to someone. It’s really important at this point to review if things are lining up nicely between what your business needs and what the agency is able to provide.
Are they all-rounders?
They don’t have to do everything, but the right mix of skills and services can turn good to great. Agency staff should have a broad knowledge of their business, with individual skills that compliment each other. Create a ‘task/goal’ list and you can see where your business and a potential agency line up, or if there’s any gaps to be filled.
Time to get chatty
Communication is one of the pillars of successful business/agency relationships. When you are ready to approach some agencies to book a call, consult or meeting there’s some qualities to look for that will make your decision a little easier. Most importantly, the focus of your initial meeting. Is your agency contact in a rush to explain how great they are or run through all the services they offer? Or do they spend some time actively listening and asking questions? This small difference in communication can lead to a dramatic difference in results. Agencies who communicate professionally and with the interests of your business in mind are much more likely to create a tailored strategy compared to a generic ‘one size fits all’ approach.
Go for it!
Once you’ve made your decision, it’s time to get to work! During these initial stages it’s important to keep the lines of communication open and ‘get to know each other’ as quickly as possible. A solid foundation that allows the agency to evolve and grow ad the needs and values of your business develop over time. As your business completes more projects with a single agency it can lower the impact of the initial resources dedicated to the discovery phase. In saying this, it’s important the relationship is mutually beneficial, so if there’s critical skill gaps or concerns they should be raised and resolved quickly.
Want more? We got you!
Can’t remember all this? Never fear, we got you! We’ve put together a handy checklist to help you assess and evaluate your design, marketing and agency needs and requirements. Download it, fill it out, and keep it handy for your next job.
If you have something to add, or just want to discuss your needs with one of our team members we’d love to hear from you! Get in touch with us below, leave a comment and check out more on our socials.
