1. start with the outcome, not the service list
Before you talk to any agency, write down the one number you most want to change in the next 12 months — leads per month, online revenue, organic traffic, average order value. The right agency will obsess about that number. The wrong one will list services.
2. match size to stage
A 200-person agency doesn't get out of bed for a £5k/month brief — your account will sit with a junior. A solo freelancer can't carry a full rebrand and growth programme. Look for a team where your project sits comfortably in the middle of what they do.
3. ask who actually does the work
The senior people in the pitch often disappear after the contract is signed. Always ask: "Will the people in this room be doing my work day to day?" If the answer is no, ask who is, and meet them before you commit.
4. demand evidence, not case studies
A polished case study tells you the agency can use Figma. Ask for:
- The exact starting and ending numbers, with screenshots.
- What didn't work along the way.
- A reference call with a client of similar size.
5. red flags to walk away from
- Guarantees of rankings, traffic or leads. Nobody can promise these.
- 12-month retainers with no break clause.
- Reports full of vanity metrics (impressions, reach) and no business outcomes.
- An unwillingness to share who owns your ad accounts, GA, GSC and domain.
6. the questions that filter fast
- "How will we know in 90 days if this isn't working?"
- "What would you stop doing on our current marketing tomorrow?"
- "Who owns the accounts and the work if we part ways?"
- "What's the smallest version of this we could start with?"
7. pick the team you'd want in a crisis
Marketing is mostly small problems with the occasional fire. Pick people who answer the phone, tell you the truth, and care about your business — not the slickest deck.