Choosing an agency
12 questions to ask a digital marketing agency before you sign
By the RelancR team · October 13, 2026 · 2 min read
A good sales pitch and a good agency are different things. These questions help you tell them apart. For each, you will see what a strong answer sounds like and what should make you cautious.
About the people and the work
- Who will actually work on our account, and what else are they working on? Listen for named people with realistic workloads, not a senior team in the pitch and juniors in delivery.
- Can you show results for a client similar to us, and explain what you did? Look for specifics and honesty about what else influenced results. Vague case studies with no numbers are weak evidence.
- What have you stopped doing for clients because it did not work? A thoughtful agency has a real answer.
- What would make you decline us as a client? The best agencies turn work down when the fit is wrong.
About results and reporting
- How will we know it is working at 90 days? Strong answers talk about leading indicators (traffic quality, leads, cost per lead) and are honest that revenue takes longer.
- What do you do when results are slow? Listen for a method: diagnose, test, adjust. Be wary of blame or of changing the story.
- How and how often do you report, and can we see raw data? You want access to the underlying numbers, not only a polished summary.
About what they need from you
- What do you need from us in the first 30 days, and how many hours a week? Honest agencies say you will need to give time and access. If the answer is "nothing, we handle it", the relationship will drift.
About money, contracts and ownership
- What is included in the fee, and what is paid separately, such as ad spend and tools? Make sure fees and media spend are clearly separated.
- Who owns the ad accounts, analytics and data? The answer should be you. If the agency holds the accounts, leaving becomes painful.
- What is the contract length and how do we exit? Look for reasonable notice periods rather than long lock-ins.
- Can we speak to a client who has left, as well as one who stayed? An agency confident in its work will say yes.
Warning signs
- Guaranteed rankings, leads or revenue.
- Pressure to sign quickly or discounts that disappear tomorrow.
- Unwillingness to give you ownership of accounts and data.
- A proposal that could have been written for any company.
Be a client an agency can succeed with
The best questions only help if your side is ready too. The readiness check shows where an agency would stall: follow-up, tracking, approvals and ownership.
Frequently asked questions
How many agencies should I talk to?+
Around three is manageable. Give each the same short brief so the proposals are genuinely comparable.
Should I ask for a free audit or proposal?+
A free audit can show how an agency thinks, but it is also a sales tool. A short paid discovery phase is often a fairer test of how you will work together before you commit to a long contract.
Is a long contract a red flag?+
Not by itself, but check the exit terms, the notice period and, above all, who owns the ad accounts and data. If you cannot leave cleanly, a long contract becomes a trap.
What should go in the brief I send agencies?+
One page: your goal in numbers, who you sell to, a budget range with fees and ad spend separated, your timeline, who will work with the agency on your side, and any constraints.
This article is general guidance, not professional advice. Every business is different, and nothing here guarantees a particular result.