4 red flags when working with a small business-marketing agency

Article by Pierre Zarokian.

Small businesses may feel that they prefer to work with a small business marketing agency as they may be charged a lot less for services that more established marketing agencies may cost. However, here are 4 red flags when working with a small business marketing agency.

Check out their design skills – Your marketing agency should have an updated website that is up-to-date on the latest practices. If this is not the case, your agency may not have an in-house designer. This would mean that the agency does not understand the importance of visual appeal and the content you receive will not work for today’s market.

Insist on up-to-date technology – Ask for the agency to show you websites that they have created, note down the site and check it on your phone. If the website is not responsive on your phone, you can be sure that your target market will not get reached.

Stay away from restrictive contracts – Good marketing agencies will not want to lock you in with long term contracts. Contracts that are restrictive tend to create a relationship where the agency is not diligent about impressing the company with their results. Look for an agency that offers contracts on a project-by-project basis.

Always read the fine print – You should read your contract in detail and avoid contracts that have fixed monthly costs for no specific services provided.

About the Author:
Pierre Zarokian is the co-founder of Web Design Express, a web design firm based in Burbank, CA. If you would like to hire Pierre Zarokian, check his Guru page.