So you’ve decided that an online marketing agency is the way to go for your business. But which one to choose? There are so many out there, and with so much competition it can be hard to find the right fit.

We’ve been through a similar journey, and in this article, we’ll share with you our list of the top five online marketing agencies based on our experience.

Why An Online Marketing Agency?

The number of digital nomads has hit an all-time high, and with mobile marketing driving traffic to websites even when they’re not being actively promoted, marketing agencies have never been more important.

Even traditionally ‘brick’ based industries like real estate and retail have seen a rise in the use of virtual storefronts and online marketplaces, effectively removing the ‘brick and mortar’ from our daily lives.

The benefits of having a virtual presence are too good to ignore. For starters, you get to test out different marketing strategies without spending a penny. You can also take advantage of the ever-increasing number of free tools available online that can help you with your marketing efforts. Plus, if you run a digital agency, you can offer a fully-managed and supported solution for clients who want to have a go at marketing themselves.

Top 5 Online Marketing Agencies You Can Hire

So which ones do we recommend? As marketers, we’ve been through a lot of agencies in our time. Some good, some bad. Some cheap, some expensive. So, we decided to rank our top 5 favorite digital marketing agencies based on a variety of key performance indicators, ranging from sales funnels to bounce rates and more.

Key Performance Indicators to Consider

When considering an agency, it’s important to measure its performance in key areas, such as conversion rates, leads, and revenue. This way, you’ll be sure to get the best value for your investment. You don’t want to work with an agency that performs well in some key areas and poorly in others.

Sales Funnel Performance

Conversion rates are the number of people who take a given action (e.g., make a purchase, fill out a form, or visit a certain page) after being exposed to (or visiting) a particular website or application. The higher the conversion rate, the better. Depending on your needs, you may want to look for an agency that offers completely custom, funnel-building solutions, or one that offers ready-made funnels.

Lead Generation Performance

The better the lead generation performance of an agency, the better. This refers to the number of leads that the agency generates, relative to the amount of marketing resources (e.g., budget) you invest in it. The better the performance, the cheaper the agency will be in comparison, as you’ll be able to generate more leads for a given amount of spend.

Bounce Rate

Bounce rate refers to the percentage of people who visit a particular website or application and then leave without doing anything. The lower the bounce rate, the better, as this indicates an engaging experience that keeps the user interested in your company and products. Ideally, you want to work with an agency that has a low bounce rate so that you can focus on creating high-quality content that keeps your visitors engaged.

Cost-Effectiveness

With all the talking heads in marketing circles, it’s no surprise that cost-effectiveness has become a common buzzword. However, the cost-effectiveness of an agency does not just refer to the cost of the product or service they provide. In order to get the most value for your investment, you want to work with an agency that is both affordable and effective. If you’re looking for an agency that offers an all-inclusive service, you may want to consider the quality of their work before calculating how much you’ll need to spend on advertising.

Client Retention

Client retention refers to the percentage of clients that continue to use the service (or product) provided by an agency, even after the initial contract expires. The better the client retention rate, the better. This is a critical metric if you’re looking for an agency that can help with a long-term project or need. In many cases, clients can be cost-prohibitive to acquire, and once you do, their behavior can be difficult to change. An agency that has a high client retention rate is effectively solving your problems while also earning your future business.

How to Choose An Online Marketing Agency

So you’ve decided that an agency is the way to go for your business. But how do you find the right one? Here are our top tips:

Set A Budget

Setting a budget is very important, as you don’t want to work with an agency that charges you excessively without providing value. While it’s always great to find a bargain, you can’t expect all the vendors you work with to be affordable. As previously mentioned, agencies that specialize in lead-generation rarely cost much, as most of their work is done for clients’ who cannot afford expensive marketing solutions. Knowing how much you can afford and what you can afford is more important than picking a bargain agency. Even better, be sure to set a budget for the first phase of the project, as the more you know up front, the less stress you’ll have later on.

Look At Their Track Record

We all like to think that the success of a business or organization can be attributed to pure brilliance and outstanding work ethic. However, in many cases, this is far from reality. Instead, many businesses and organizations achieve high degrees of success because of good fortune and strategic planning rather than out-of-the-box thinking and hard work. The fact is, everyone can succeed if they try hard enough. If you’re looking for an agency that is guaranteed to provide value, ensure that they’ve been around for a while and have a solid track record.

Look At Their Social Media Presence

If you want to attract potential customers to your business, have a look at their social media presence. Are they active on Twitter? Have they set up any YouTube videos? These are all important metrics that indicate the strength of their online presence. If they’re not active on social media, it can be a red flag. In many cases, an agency that is not present on social media is unable to properly engage with potential customers. In these situations, the client has little to no say regarding the content that’s created. In these situations, the agency is effectively amplifying the client’s message rather than engaging with potential customers themselves.

Additionally, be sure to check out their website. Does it match the rest of their marketing materials, such as logos, fonts, and colors? Are all the different links on the site working? These are all important questions that can help you determine the quality of their service. If their website is not up to par, it may be a sign that they’re not capable of doing the job effectively.

Look At Their Experience

As previously mentioned, everyone can succeed if they try hard enough. However, not all entrepreneurs and business owners are created equal. Some are better suited for the task at hand than others. If you’re looking for an agency that has extensive experience in the field, make sure that they are actually experienced and not just quoting case studies or using buzzwords.

Look At The Reviews

When selecting an agency, it’s important to look at the reviews, as they can give you an idea of how the agency functions and whether or not it is a good fit for your needs. In the reviews, customers will often share their experience with you, so be sure to read these carefully. In many cases, these will include important tips regarding the agency as well as suggestions for future clients. If possible, contact the customer directly to get additional information.