How to choose a marketing agency as a small business: 12 questions to ask before you sign
Choose an agency that will report in calls, leads and customers, give you ownership of every account, show you who will do the work, and agree on a 90-day plan with numbers before you sign. Ask to see a real report, ask what they will change in the first month, and avoid long contracts with no exit, ad spend billed through the agency without a breakdown, and promises of guaranteed rankings. Google itself says there is no way to pay for a better local ranking.
Key takeaways
What should you ask before you sign?
- Who owns the ad accounts, analytics and Google Business Profile? (Answer you want: you do.)
- Who will actually work on my account, and how many other accounts do they handle?
- What will you change in the first 30 days, and why?
- How do you track calls and forms, and will you set that up first?
- What does a monthly report look like? Can I see a real one with the client’s name removed?
- How is your fee calculated, and is ad spend paid by me directly to Google?
- What is the minimum term and how do I leave?
- What budget do you need to do good work for a business like mine?
- What results do you expect in 90 days, and how will we judge them?
- Which of your clients are similar to me, and can I speak to one?
- How often will we talk, and who do I call when something breaks?
- What will you need from me each month?
What are the red flags?
- Guaranteed first-page rankings or a guaranteed number of leads. Google says no one can pay for a better local ranking.
- The agency creates the ad account in its own name, or will not give you admin access.
- Ad spend paid through the agency with no breakdown of what went to Google.
- Reports with impressions, clicks and “engagement” but no calls, forms or customers.
- A 12-month contract with no exit, before they have shown any work.
- Reviews bought, incentivized or written by the agency. Google strictly prohibits incentives for reviews.
Ask for the free growth check. A senior specialist reviews your website, Google presence, AI answers and ads, and replies within one business day with the three fixes that matter most. Free, no obligation.
How do agencies charge small businesses?
| Model | How it works | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Flat monthly fee | A fixed fee for a defined scope | What is included, and what costs extra |
| Percentage of ad spend | The fee rises with the budget | An incentive to raise spend; check cost per customer |
| Setup plus monthly | One-time build, then management | Who owns what was built |
| Pay per lead | You pay per enquiry | Who defines a lead; shared leads sold to competitors |
None is wrong. What matters is that you can compare the total cost (fee plus ad spend) with the customers it produced.
What should the first 90 days look like?
Days 1 to 30: tracking for calls and forms, a review of search terms and locations, Google Business Profile fixes, and one landing page per main service. Days 31 to 60: budget moved to what converts, negatives added weekly, follow-up and review requests in place. Days 61 to 90: a report on cost per lead and per customer by source, and a decision on what to scale, fix or stop.
If an agency cannot describe its first 90 days in this much detail, it does not have a plan yet.
Should you hire an agency at all?
Not always. If your budget is under about $1,000 a month in ads, a well-set-up campaign you run yourself plus a few hours of expert review may be better value. Hire an agency when the time you spend on marketing costs more than the fee, or when results have stalled and you do not know why. Start with an outside check of your website, Google presence and ads, and decide with the findings in hand.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a marketing agency cost for a small business?
It varies by scope and market. Compare the total of fees and ad spend with the customers it produces, and ask for a clear monthly price before you commit.
Should I sign a long contract with a marketing agency?
Prefer short initial terms or a clear exit. An agency confident in its work does not need to lock you in before it has shown results.
Who should own my Google Ads account?
You. The agency should be given access to your account, so the history and data stay with your business if you change agencies.