15 Questions to Ask a Marketing Agency Before You Hire Them
Agency sales calls are designed to impress. These 15 questions are designed to find out what working with them will actually be like, and the answers that should make you walk away.
The most useful questions to ask a marketing agency are about measurement, ownership and accountability: how they'll define success, whose name the accounts are in, who will do the work, and what happens if it isn't working. Polished case studies tell you what an agency can do at its best. These questions tell you what it will be like on an ordinary Tuesday.
Key takeaways
- Ask how success will be measured in the first 90 days, in a specific number.
- Insist that ad accounts, analytics and your website are in your name.
- Find out who actually works on your account, not who sells it.
- Ask about a result that went badly. Honest agencies have one.
- Check the exit terms before you sign.
About results
1. "How will we know in 90 days whether this is working?" Good answer: a specific metric (cost per qualified lead, booked jobs, demo requests) with a target range. Worrying answer: "it depends", impressions, or "brand awareness" for a lead generation goal.
2. "Can you show results from a business like ours, and where the numbers came from?" Good answer: a specific example with its source, and honest context about what's comparable. Worrying answer: big percentages with no baseline, timeframe or source.
3. "Tell me about a client where it didn't work. What happened?" Good answer: a real example and what they learned. Worrying answer: "that's never happened".
4. "Do you guarantee results?" Good answer: no, with an explanation of what they control. Worrying answer: guaranteed first-page rankings, guaranteed ROI, guaranteed AI mentions.
About ownership and access
5. "Whose name will the ad accounts, analytics and website be in?" Good answer: yours, with the agency given access. Worrying answer: theirs. If you leave, you may lose your data and history.
6. "Do we pay the ad platforms directly, or through you?" Paying Google or Meta directly from your own account is most transparent. If you pay through the agency, ask about markups.
7. "What happens to our assets if we leave?" Landing pages, ad copy, tracking setup and reports should stay with you.
Want straight answers to all 15? Ask us on a free strategy call. We'd rather you hire the right agency than the wrong one. Book it.
Related: Pricing is usually the next conversation. Our guide to Google Ads management cost explains the pricing models and how to compare them on cost per lead.
About the work
8. "Who will actually work on our account, and how experienced are they?" The person on the sales call often isn't the person doing the work. Ask to meet them.
9. "What will you do in the first 30 days, specifically?" Good answer: a sequence, usually starting with tracking and an audit. Worrying answer: "we'll start optimising".
10. "How do you check that conversions are real leads?" Good answer: they compare platform conversions with your actual enquiries, and fix tracking first. This single question separates careful agencies from careless ones.
11. "What do you need from us?" Good agencies need things: feedback on lead quality, quick approvals, access, honest numbers. An agency that needs nothing plans to work in isolation.
About reporting and communication
12. "What will your reports show, and how often?" Look for leads, cost per lead and progress against the agreed goal, not just clicks and impressions.
13. "How quickly do you respond, and how do we reach you?" Agree expectations before you sign.
About money and contracts
14. "What's included in the fee, and what costs extra?" Landing pages, creative, call tracking and software are often extra. Get it in writing.
15. "What's the minimum term, and how do we exit?" A short initial period is reasonable. Long lock-ins before any results aren't.
Red flags in the answers
- Guarantees of rankings, ROI or AI placements
- Agency-owned ad accounts
- Reports built around impressions and clicks
- Vague first-30-day plans
- Pressure to sign quickly or commit long-term
- Testimonials or results they can't attribute to a real, named source
Frequently asked questions
What should I ask a marketing agency before hiring?
Ask how success will be measured, whose name the accounts are in, who will do the work, what they'll do in the first 30 days, how they verify conversions are real leads, what's included in the fee, and how you can exit the contract.
What are red flags when hiring a marketing agency?
Guaranteed rankings or ROI, agency-owned ad accounts, reports focused on impressions and clicks rather than leads, vague plans, long lock-in contracts, and results that can't be traced to a real source.
Should I own my Google Ads account if I hire an agency?
Yes. The account should be in your business's name, with the agency given access. That way you keep your data, history and settings if you change agencies.
How long should a marketing agency contract be?
A short initial period, often around three months, gives enough time to judge results. Be cautious about long commitments before the agency has shown any results.
How do I compare marketing agencies?
Compare their plans for the first 90 days, how they'll measure success, who will do the work, what's included in the price, and their answers to questions about ownership and failures, not just their case studies.
Ready to ask us? We'll answer all 15 on a free strategy call, and tell you honestly if we're not the right fit.
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