How to Choose a Marketing Agency: 10 Questions to Ask First

Hiring a marketing agency is a leap of faith for most local business owners. The good ones are force multipliers; the wrong ones quietly drain your budget. Ask these ten questions before you sign anything.

1. Will I own my website, domain, and ad accounts?

The answer must be yes. If the agency keeps your assets, you’re locked in. Ownership is the single biggest protection you have.

2. Can you show me cost per lead and cost per booked job?

Those are the numbers that matter. Vague “impressions” and “engagement” reports are a red flag.

3. What’s the strategy — and why?

You want a clear rationale tied to how your customers actually search and buy, not a little bit of everything. For local service businesses, that usually means a focused Google-ecosystem plan.

4. How do you handle the leads after they come in?

Generating leads is half the job. Ask whether they help with fast response and follow-up, or just hand you names and walk away.

5. Who actually does the work?

Make sure you’re not sold by a senior rep and handed to a junior you never hear from.

6. What does reporting look like, and how often?

You should get plain-English reporting on a regular cadence, tied to leads and revenue.

7. Is there a long contract or lock-in?

Confidence shows up as flexibility. Be cautious of long contracts with early-termination penalties.

8. How do you stay compliant?

Especially for reviews and texting — the rules tightened in 2026. A good partner builds compliance in by default.

9. Do you have experience in my industry or market?

Specialists tend to outperform generalists on retention and results. Local, vertical experience matters.

10. What happens in the first 90 days?

You want a concrete plan with early wins, not a vague promise that “SEO takes time.”

Curious how we’d answer? That’s what a free AI Marketing Audit and a straight conversation are for. (See also: signs you’re overpaying your agency.)