To choose a digital agency well, check six things before you sign: who will actually do the work, exactly what is in and out of scope, who owns the accounts, data and assets, how performance will be measured and reported, what the contract says about term and exit, and whether their proof is relevant to a business like yours. A polished pitch and a strong portfolio matter less than clear answers to those questions, because most agency relationships that go wrong do so over scope, ownership and expectations rather than talent.
This guide is written to be useful whichever agency you choose, including if it is not us. The questions apply whether you are comparing Melbourne agencies, freelancers or a larger national firm.
Who actually does the work
The people in the pitch are not always the people on the account. Ask:
- Who will manage the account day to day, and how much of their time is allocated to it?
- Who builds the campaigns, writes the content or develops the site?
- Is any of the work subcontracted or offshored, and if so, which parts?
- What happens if your main contact leaves?
There is nothing wrong with specialists or subcontractors. What matters is knowing in advance, and being able to speak to the person responsible for the work.
Scope: what is included and what is not
Vague scope is the most common source of disappointment. A proposal that says "SEO" or "social media management" can mean almost anything. Look for specifics:
- which channels and platforms are covered
- how many campaigns, posts, pages or pieces of content per month
- whether creative production (photography, video, design) is included or extra
- whether ad spend is included in the fee or paid separately
- what counts as a change request, and how it is charged
Then ask what is excluded. A good agency will tell you clearly what it does not do.
Access and ownership
Before you sign, confirm that the business will own, or have administrator access to:
- the domain and website hosting
- the website itself, including any theme or custom code you have paid for
- Google Ads, Meta and other ad accounts
- Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager and Search Console
- the ecommerce platform, email platform and customer data
- photography, video and creative files produced for you
Accounts should sit in the business's name, with the agency given access. If an agency insists on running everything through accounts it owns, ask what happens to the history, data and assets when the relationship ends.
Reporting and how performance is measured
Ask to see an example report. A useful one connects marketing activity to business outcomes (sales, qualified enquiries, revenue, cost per customer) and explains what will change next. A report full of impressions, reach and clicks with no link to results tells you what happened without telling you whether it worked.
Also ask how they will measure performance, which numbers they consider success, and how the tracking will be checked. Our article on marketing KPIs that matter explains the measures we think are worth reporting.
Platforms and how recommendations are made
Agencies often have preferred platforms, tools and partners. That can be a strength, but ask why they are recommending what they are. Is the platform right for your catalogue and team, or the one they always use? Do they earn commissions or referral fees from any recommended software or suppliers? A good answer explains the trade-offs, including where another option would make sense.
Be wary of guaranteed results. No agency can guarantee rankings, specific returns on ad spend or a number of leads, because too much depends on the market, the product and factors outside their control.
Contracts, term and exit
Read the contract for:
- minimum term and notice period
- what happens to work in progress if you leave
- handover obligations, including account access and files
- who owns intellectual property in the work produced
- how fees change over time
A short initial term or a clear exit clause is reasonable to ask for. An agency confident in its work usually does not need to lock clients in.
Proof that is relevant to your business
Case studies are most useful when they resemble your situation: a similar business model, size, market or problem. Ask what the agency actually did on each one, over what period, and how results were measured. Results should come with a metric, a time frame and context. A headline number with none of those is hard to judge.
Reviews and testimonials should come from real clients. If something looks too polished, it is reasonable to ask whether you can speak to a current client.
Integrated or specialist?
Some businesses are best served by one partner across website, ecommerce, search, paid media and content, because those channels affect each other and one team can see the whole picture. Others need a specialist in one area and already have the rest covered internally. For Elite Euro Works, a European car specialist in Moorabbin, FORJ developed the website and runs paid search, social media and promotions, so the ads and the pages they send people to are planned by the same team. For Jibba's Hot Sauce, the need was speed: when the founder's interview at the Perth Royal Show went viral, the attention needed a website and marketing behind it straight away. Neither model is right for everyone. The useful question is which parts of the work need to be planned together for your business, and whether the agency can do those parts well.
If you're comparing Digital support, send us the current setup and the scope you're trying to cover. Our Digital team works across ecommerce, websites, SEO, paid media and content, and we will tell you plainly which parts we would take on and which we would not.
