Digital marketing might have already passed its peak and is currently on the downslide. In the future, it’s likely that robots and machine-learning will dominate the advertising sphere, which would make human intervention almost irrelevant.

Nevertheless, it appears as if its death is greatly exaggerated—in the near future at least. The rise of eCommerce, as brick and mortar stores are closing at a rapid pace, does highlight the need to hire a digital marketing agency to drive traffic to your site, and more importantly, convert this traffic into sales.

You might say, “I can do this myself. How hard can that be?” This has to be one of the most common phrases uttered by businesses before quickly realizing their mistake when their self-initiated marketing strategy goes down in flames.

If you do decide to hire a digital marketing agency, here are seven tips in choosing one:

1. Narrow Down Your Goals  

It’s going to be hard to craft a focused digital marketing campaign when you don’t know what your targets are. Do you have a specific amount of monthly traffic in mind? Do you want to land among the top results in search engine pages? Do you want a data report to determine where you are in your industry? It’s important that the digital marketing agency is able to provide you with all of these options.

2. Don’t Get Too Hung Up on Price

Sure, price is definitely going to be a factor when hiring somebody to handle your marketing campaign, especially if you are on a tight budget. But this should not be a deal-breaker. Avoid making the mistake of hiring somebody because they are the cheapest when they bring little value to the table.

3. Look for Someone You Understand

 If you walk out more confused than when you walked in, it’s time to walk away and never look back. Be wary of
agencies that can’t give you straight answers to simple questions, or try to regale you with technical terms and jargon without really explaining anything.

4. Don’t Forget the Expert

Executives like to talk to fellow execs, and that’s understandable. During meetings, you are likely going to talk to the top honchos of the digital marketing agency. But really, they are not going to be the ones who will do the heavy lifting. Try to find the one who will be assigned to your account and deal with that person directly.

5. Vet, Vet, Vet

Always take their word at face value. When you hire your employees, you always ask for their CVs and conduct extensive background checks. It’s the same with digital marketers who have to prove their capability to handle your account. Ask for references and talk to those clients personally. Would they recommend the company to you?

6. Look Forward to the Future

 You have to grow with the digital marketing agency. Be straightforward with each other in the effort to boost your numbers. You need somebody who will think of your company as a showcase of their best practices, and not just a means to earn a profit. If the agency doesn’t return calls immediately, you could be down the totem pole in terms of their priority.

7. Check Your Ego

 Some executives and supervisors are too proud to admit their ignorance. If you can’t understand what the digital marketing agency is saying, just ask. If you want something done but you’re not sure how to do it, collaborate.­ The success of the marketing campaign should not be the sole responsibility of the third-party provider. This is your business and you, more than anybody out there, has the biggest stake in the outcome.