With success comes an increase in business but also an increase in work, leading some businesses to turn to outside help to manage their online presence. When you’re not a digital expert, it can be challenging to know what to look for in an digital agency. As with any service, you can ask friends and research online, but that doesn’t guarantee you’ll find the right partner for your business.
At Google, we’re in the unique position of having worked closely with the majority of the world’s digital agencies, and we’ve learned what differentiates great agencies from the pack. These six skills prevail and can help you identify the right agency for your business:
1. They begin with your business challenges and objectives
After working with cooking equipment specialist Wolf Appliance, Jeff Kinkopf, Brand Media Team Leader at The Richards Group, shared, “We weren’t only trying to drive qualified leads. It was about communicating the idea of not eating out, bringing cooking and family back in the home, and preparing healthy meals to bring everyone around the table to reclaim that ‘historical’ family time.”
An agency that understands your business strategy can look beyond short-term advertising goals and help you to make smart marketing investments. Advertising is a tool to help you communicate your unique value. If an agency understands your true business objectives, they’ll be better prepared to help you achieve them.
2. They understand your customers
Kevin Cronin, Paid Search Program Lead at Exclusive Concepts, has worked with his client Greekgear for 9 years and seen a shift in customer behavior. “Around 50% of traffic is coming in via mobile today. Based on [our audience’s] geographic location, we increased bids around colleges, making our campaign more aggressive.”
Today’s users want to know, go, do and buy on their time. More than half of all web traffic now comes from smartphones and tablets, and 30% of those mobile searches specify a location. To help ensure you’re there at these critical moments, your agency should understand how to reach and engage your target audience across the web.
3. They have deep expertise
“It’s been great working with someone who has the technical abilities to sort through the data, help scale prior clients and knows what needs to be done. It’s allowed us to scale quickly and efficiently,” said Robert Kaplan, Growth Manager for Spring, about their agency Elite SEM.
When looking for an agency, you should plan to ask for client references and look for recent certifications. For example, agencies that have demonstrated advanced skills in creating, managing, and optimizing Google AdWords campaigns can earn a Google Partner badge that highlights their areas of expertise.
4. They are data geeks
“We’re always testing. We’ve been doing this for 10 years, and while we have a gut for what works and what doesn’t, at the end of the day you never really know until you test it,” shared Justin Seibert, President of Direct Online Marketing.
Data-obsessed and constantly learning from analytic reports, great agencies understand how to systematically test different approaches and regularly look for ways to optimize your campaigns. They measure campaign performance, quickly interpret the data and make changes that improve your results. It’s not just a matter of collecting data, it’s how they use it.
5. They tell it like it is
“With every agency I’ve worked with in the past, there was a veil over how well my campaigns were doing,” reported Larry Gurino, Chief Cheer Officer for House of Holidays. “With Sales & Orders, I had a dashboard that I could access at any time so I could know which products were hot sellers and which were duds.”
Transparency is more than just a buzzword. Digital agencies should walk you through results, show you how they measure success and give you data that helps you make better business decisions in the future. And if performance falters, they’ll let you know and work hard to fix it.
6. They bring fresh ideas to the table
“We work with a lot of different clients, and Advocate Health Care is very open to new ideas,” shared Rod Holmes, Founding Partner of Chicago Style SEO. “When there are new digital opportunities, they want to hear about them. The success that they’re having is because they’re curious and open.”
Be open to trying new things. If you’re doing what you’ve always done, you might be missing opportunities. For instance, for the first time ever, there are more searches on mobile than desktop. Good digital agencies are familiar with trends like this, and with an understanding of your business, data, and customers, can help you make the most of every new opportunity.
To learn more about agencies with online marketing expertise and to find one in your area, check out google.com/partners.
Appendix
1. Google Partners Case Study, US, Q4 2015
2.Google Analytics Data, US, Q1 2016