7 Tips for Hiring the Right Home Builder Digital Marketing Agency

It is rare to find one person, or one agency, that does everything you need, well. Hiring a group of highly specialized professionals to work for you internally is cost-prohibitive. Look for an agency with experienced, specialized team members who will work together to create your digital marketing strategy. You want professionals who specialize not only in digital marketing but in your industry as well, so they know how to apply their knowledge successfully to your business.

Your agency should have a network of trusted partners they can refer you to when you have a need they aren’t equipped to fill. Maybe your agency builds amazing websites and has created a spot-on marketing plan, but you want a new logo for your brand. Your agency should be able to provide a reference to a trustworthy partner in the industry who specializes in graphic design to fill that need.

Save money and gain expertise by hiring a digital marketing agency with experienced and specialized team members.

A good digital marketing agency should work in partnership with your internal marketing team. No matter the size of your team, you want an agency that values its knowledge of your business, goals, and audience. Hire an agency that will provide expertise and strategize with your team to reach the goals they have defined. An agency that insists on taking over, that does not value input from your team, is in it for themselves and not looking out for your best interests.

Choose a digital marketing agency that feels like an extension of your team.

You have a right to expect your digital marketing agency will provide analytics that demonstrates how their marketing plan is performing for you. This is non-negotiable.

You need useful information, in a format that makes sense to you. Vanity analytics, “Likes” or “Followers,” might feel good, but they do not convert to new leads or sales. KPI (Key Performance Indicators) like website visits, page visits, conversion rates, and revenue growth not only measure the success of your current strategy, they help set the path for future decisions.

Expect transparency with your analytics and look for KPI vs vanity metrics.

Digital Marketing does not provide overnight results. Strategies are different for every business; it takes time to gain and measure actual ROI. Beware of any agency that offers you immediate success or advertises specific timelines for success on their websites. Industry trends and current marketing efforts contribute to the outcome of the digital marketing strategy you build with your agency. There are no templates or prescribed formulas for immediate success.

Stick to agencies that are transparent and realistic with their promises.

Nothing is more irritating than reaching a call center when you need an answer to your question right away. A person who doesn’t know you, or your business, will offer generic solutions or take a message leaving you frustrated, with an unresolved issue.

Choose a digital marketing agency that provides you with personalized account management, an account manager, or a marketing strategist dedicated to your business. Now, when you have a question or need to make a change, you have a specific person to contact who you have built a relationship with who knows your business and has access to your account information to answer your questions.

Expect a dedicated account manager that will coordinate your experience with the agency, not a call center.

Agencies are proud of their clients and the work they do. Clients, case studies, and customer testimonials should be easily accessible on any legitimate agency’s website. This speaks to the breadth of their experience and gives you a look at the work they have produced.

Ask the agency for client references, but do your own digging as well. Look for social proof: are clients and other experts in the industry talking about them and the work they’ve done? What about the clients who didn’t get the outcome they were hoping for? Listen to what they say about how the agency resolved situations like these. Read comments and online reviews to see how the agency replies to negative comments or complaints.

Listen to what others are saying about the digital marketing agency and ask for references from clients whose needs are similar to your own.