Choosing a digital marketing agency is a high-stakes decision that most companies make with too little information and too much urgency. The right partner is rarely the one with the slickest pitch. It is the one that can show you, before you sign, exactly how the work will be done, who will do it, and how you will know whether it is working. This guide turns a fuzzy decision into a short set of questions that actually predict a good engagement, and flags the answers that should give you pause.
Start with your problem, not their service list
Every agency can recite the same list of services. That list tells you almost nothing. A better starting point is to write down the single commercial outcome you need over the next two quarters: more qualified leads, a lower cost per acquisition, or a website that finally converts the traffic you already pay for. Then judge each agency on how directly it connects its work to that outcome. An agency that reframes your problem in terms of its favourite service is selling capacity, not results.
Who will actually do the work?
Pitches are run by senior people. Delivery often is not. Ask who sits on your account day to day, what they specialise in, and how work moves between strategy, media, creative, and engineering. Fewer handovers means less gets lost in translation, so a single accountable senior team is usually a strength rather than a limitation. What matters is simple: the people who understand your account should be the people doing the work.
How will you know it is working?
Marketing that cannot be measured cannot be improved. Before you sign, ask how success is defined, which numbers are reported, how often, and what happens when a channel underperforms. Be specific about attribution. If the agency reports leads, ask how those leads are counted and how they are reconciled against your own CRM. Vanity metrics such as impressions, reach, and follower growth are easy to inflate and rarely tied to revenue. A strong partner will steer you toward the two or three numbers that genuinely move your business.
What does the first 90 days look like?
A good engagement has a visible shape. Ask for the plan for the first ninety days: what happens in the first two weeks, what is delivered by day thirty, and what you will review by the end of the quarter. A structured onboarding that establishes baselines, defines priorities, and then generates and refines the work tells you the agency has done this before. A vague promise to get started and see tells you the opposite.
Questions to ask before you sign
- Who is on my account, and what does each person specialise in?
- What outcome are we accountable for in the first quarter?
- Which numbers will you report, and exactly how are they measured?
- How do you reconcile the leads you report with our CRM?
- What does the first 90 days deliver, week by week?
- What happens when a channel underperforms?
- Who owns the accounts, data, and creative if we part ways?
A quick scorecard
| What to check | Good sign | Warning sign |
|---|---|---|
| Clarity of outcome | Ties work to a commercial number | Leads with a service list |
| The team | Names who does the work | Only the pitch team is senior |
| Measurement | Reports two or three real metrics | Reports reach and impressions |
| First 90 days | A week-by-week plan | We will see how it goes |
| Ownership | You keep accounts and data | Access held hostage |
The lowest-risk way to start
You do not have to commit to a twelve-month retainer to find out whether an agency is any good. A fixed-scope diagnostic, a short and clearly priced engagement that audits your current marketing and returns a prioritised plan, lets you judge the thinking before you buy the delivery. It is the cheapest information you will ever buy about a prospective partner.
If you would like that kind of assessment of your own marketing, book a consultation with Heraedges. We are a Cairo-based team working across Egypt and the Gulf, and you will get a first response within 24 hours.
Frequently asked questions
How much should a digital marketing agency cost? Pricing varies widely with scope and channels, so any single number is misleading. Ask each agency for a fixed-scope option for a first engagement so you can compare like for like, rather than comparing open-ended retainers.
Should I start with a retainer or a project? Start with a defined project or a diagnostic. Move to a retainer once you have evidence that the partnership works and that the numbers are moving in the right direction.