Short answer
- Know your goal first: more calls, more bookings, more online sales. Not "more marketing".
- Compare scope, not slogans. Ask every agency exactly what they do each month and what you'll see.
- Accounts stay in your name: website, domain, Google profile, ad accounts.
- Walk away from guarantees of rankings or results, fake reviews, or long contracts before any work.
- Choose the one who understands your business and explains things plainly, not the biggest or cheapest.
Step 1: Define what you need
Write one sentence before you talk to anyone: "In the next six months, I want ___." For example: "20 more booked jobs a month in the north side of town" or "a website that turns visitors into calls". A clear goal makes it obvious which agencies are selling what you need and which are selling what they sell.
Also note your rough budget, including any ad spend, and how much time you can give: approving content, answering questions, sending photos.
Step 2: Pick the right type of help
| Type | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Full-service agency | Larger budgets, many channels at once | You may be a small account managed by junior staff |
| Specialist agency (SEO, ads, web) | One clear problem to solve | Gaps between specialists if you hire several |
| Freelancer or small studio | Small businesses wanting direct contact and fair prices | Capacity and backup if they're unavailable |
| In-house hire | Steady, ongoing work and enough budget for a salary | One person rarely covers every skill |
More on this in Agency vs freelancer vs in-house.
Step 3: Build a shortlist
- Ask other owners in your area or trade who they use and whether they'd hire them again.
- Look at real work, not just logos: live websites you can open, before and after examples, case studies with permission.
- Read reviews on more than one platform, including the critical ones and how the agency replied.
- Check their own marketing. A clear, fast, honest website is a good sign.
Three to five candidates is plenty. More than that and comparing becomes a job in itself.
Step 4: Ask these 12 questions
- What exactly will you do in the first month, and every month after?
- Who will do the work, and who will I talk to?
- How will we measure success, and what will the monthly report show?
- Whose name are the website, domain, Google profile and ad accounts in?
- If we stop working together, what do I keep?
- Is ad spend included in your price, or paid separately?
- How long is the contract, and how do I cancel?
- What do you need from me each month?
- Can I see work for a business like mine?
- What would you do first for my business, and why?
- How do you get reviews and links? (Listen for anything that sounds like buying them.)
- What results can't you promise?
Step 5: Compare proposals fairly
Proposals use different words for the same work. Translate each one into the same table:
| Agency A | Agency B | Agency C | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly fee | |||
| Ad spend (separate?) | |||
| Setup or one-time fees | |||
| Deliverables per month | |||
| Contract length / notice | |||
| Who owns accounts | |||
| Reporting tied to calls or sales? |
For typical price ranges, see Marketing agency costs.
Red flags
- Guaranteed rankings or results. Google itself says no one can guarantee a #1 ranking.
- Offers to buy reviews, followers or links. These break platform rules and can get your profile penalized.
- Ad accounts or domains in the agency's name.
- Vague reports full of impressions and reach, with nothing about calls, bookings or sales.
- Long lock-in contracts signed before you've seen any work.
- Pressure tactics: "this price is only valid today".
- No questions about your business before the proposal arrives.
A simple scoring sheet
Score each agency from 1 to 5 on each line, then add up:
| Criteria | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Understands my business and customers | Generic plans waste budget |
| Clear monthly deliverables | You know what you're paying for |
| Ownership and exit terms | You're never trapped |
| Reporting tied to real outcomes | You can judge if it works |
| Relevant, real examples | Proof they can do it |
| Communication style | You'll be talking every month |
| Price vs. scope | Fair value, not just cheapest |
Hold me to the same standard: at BossRise you talk directly to me, accounts stay in your name, prices are on the pricing page, and bigger projects start with a free audit video so you can judge my thinking before paying. You can also book a free call.