How to choose a marketing agency for a new business: questions to ask before you sign

Why this matters more for a new business

When a business is new, every dollar and every week counts. You may not have past campaigns to compare against, a marketing person on staff, or time to fix a bad fit later. That makes the first conversation with an agency your best chance to find out how they really work.

The questions below are the ones we would want answered if we were in your seat. You do not need marketing knowledge to ask them. You only need to listen for clear, specific answers.

1. Who will actually do the work?

Many agencies sell the work in one meeting and hand it to someone else afterwards. That is not always a problem, but you should know who is responsible.

Ask:

• Who is my main contact, and who is responsible if something goes wrong?
• Which parts of the work are done by specialists, and which by freelancers or partners?
• If the person I'm speaking to leaves or is busy, what happens to my account?

A good answer names a role, or a person, for each part of the work. A weak answer is "our team handles everything" with no detail.

2. What exactly is included, in writing?

A friendly call is not a scope. Before you pay, ask to see a written description of the work: what will be delivered, how often, how many rounds of changes, and what is not included.

Ask:

• Can I see the written scope before I pay anything?
• What counts as "done" for each deliverable?
• What happens, and what does it cost, if I ask for something outside the scope?

We go deeper on this in our article on what a written marketing scope should include.

3. Who owns my accounts, data and files?

This is the question new owners most often forget, and the one that hurts most later. Your ad accounts, analytics, website, domain and creative files should belong to your business, with the agency added as a user.

Some useful reference points:

• Google Ads: Google's policy for third-party partners (agencies that manage ads for clients) requires a separate account for each advertiser they manage, and requires partners to be transparent about information that affects your decisions, including their services and costs. Google Ads third-party policy
• Google Analytics: only someone with the Administrator role can add or remove users. Make sure someone at your business holds that role, not only the agency. Google Analytics Help
• Search: Google's own advice on hiring an SEO is that at the start you can give them read access to Search Console, not write access. Google Search Central

Ask:

• Will the accounts be created in my business's name, with me as owner or administrator?
• If we stop working together, what do I keep, and how do I get it?
• Who owns the creative (designs, photos, copy) you make for me?

A good answer is "you own it; we're added as users." A weak answer is "we keep everything in our agency account for simplicity."

4. How will we know if it's working?

You should agree, before you start, what you will look at and how often. That might be enquiries, sales, booked calls, email sign-ups or website visits. It depends on your business.

Ask:

• What will you report on, and how often?
• Who chooses those numbers, and can I see the raw data myself?
• What would make you suggest stopping or changing something?

Be careful with guarantees. Google states plainly that "no one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google," and warns against anyone who claims a special relationship with Google. Google Search Central Google's third-party ads policy also asks partners to avoid false, misleading or unrealistic claims about the results you can expect. Google Ads third-party policy An honest agency will tell you what it will do and how it will measure it, not promise an outcome it does not control.

5. Will they follow the rules on reviews, influencers and claims?

Your agency's mistakes can become your problem. In the United States, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has a rule that prohibits fake reviews and testimonials, buying reviews that must say something positive or negative, and buying fake social media followers or views. FTC press release, Aug 2024 When a brand pays or gifts an influencer, the FTC expects the relationship (a "material connection") to be disclosed clearly. FTC Endorsement Guides FAQ

Ask:

• How do you handle reviews and testimonials?
• How do you make sure influencer posts are clearly disclosed?
• Who checks the claims in our ads, especially for health or beauty products?

A good answer is specific and a little cautious. A weak answer is "everyone does it."

6. Can they show you how they think, without inventing proof?

Every agency starts somewhere, so a short client list is not a red flag by itself. What matters is honesty. Google suggests checking an SEO's references and asking past clients whether the service was useful. Google Search Central That is good advice for any agency.

If an agency is new, ask them instead:

• Walk me through what you would look at first on my website, and why.
• What would you not do for a business like mine yet?
• Can I talk to the person who will do the work?

Be cautious if results, reviews or logos cannot be checked.

7. What happens at the end?

Before you sign, know how to leave.

• How much notice is needed to stop?
• What is handed over at the end (logins, files, reports, the website itself)?
• Is there a written guide to what was set up?

A one-page checklist

Before you sign with any agency, you should be able to say "yes" to each of these:

• I know who is responsible for my work, by role or by name.
• I have seen a written scope, including what is not included.
• My business owns its ad, analytics, website and domain accounts.
• We agreed what we will measure and how often I will see it.
• Nobody promised me a guaranteed ranking or result.
• The agency explained how it handles reviews, influencers and product claims.
• I know what I get back if we stop working together.