11 Questions Home Improvement Companies Should Ask Before Choosing a PPC Vendor
Picture this: You are an established home improvement company that has been working with a marketing agency to help manage your website, pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns, and social media.
After some period of time, you decide to part ways with the agency. Even though you may be leaving on good terms, the agency who has been managing your PPC accounts will not give you access to the account. You can’t export data from it, you can’t see the keywords and SEO research, you can’t see the success of your ads, etc. All of your PPC data is inaccessible.
Now that you’re looking for a new marketing vendor, you’re essentially starting from scratch, with no PPC data to give to your new agency.
Unfortunately, we have seen this happen more than once.
Whether you’re currently vetting marketing partners or already working with an agency, you should ask the following questions to avoid any unwelcome surprises should something happen.
Questions to Ask Your Marketing Agency
- What happens at the end of this relationship?
As an agency that values long working relationships, we like to think that the partnerships with our clients won’t end. But the truth is, sometimes they do. A good agency will want you to grow and will be transparent about the transition plan when & if the relationship ends.
Red Flag: They struggle to answer what happens at the end of the relationship.
- Who has access to what?
It’s important to ensure that you have access to anything that is being done with your company’s name on it. This means passwords, emails, and account information for any service that your vendor will be using.
Red Flag: They are reluctant to give up account/login information for the accounts they manage for you.
- Can I see the ads and the keywords that you are bidding on?
Do you have a say in your ad’s content and design? If you feel like one of your ads is not accurately portraying your company, will you know who to contact to make sure it does not go live? It’s best to get the answers to these questions at the beginning of a working relationship.
Pro Tip: Stay up to date on your PPC activity so you don’t feel completely lost if you end up switching vendors.
- What exactly am I paying for?
If your PPC vendor offers a flat rate (like we do!), make sure you know exactly what the rate does and doesn’t include.
Pro Tip: If you know exactly which services you are paying for, it is easier to ask for those same specific things when looking for a new vendor.
- Who owns my data?
Make sure any data that is produced is considered your property, not the agency’s. You will want to have access to data from your advertisements and campaigns should you decide to work with another vendor.
Pro Tip: Live by the phrase: “If I pay for it, I own it.”
- Where is my traffic being driven?
In most cases, you want your traffic to be going directly to your website, not a separate site. If your agency is planning to send traffic somewhere else, they should be up front with you about why they think it’s best for your business.
Red Flag: Your vendor or agency has created another website domain to track traffic, without discussing it with you first.
- Will you have access to my CRM?
You should always be able to choose your own CRM. You should also want your vendor to have access to it so they can see how many leads their efforts are generating. This is a great way for you to measure how well your agency is doing.
Red Flag: Your vendor does not actively use your CRM to monitor and report on incoming leads.
- Will you ask me for my feedback?
Your vendor should be concerned with the quality of the leads they are giving you and they should be checking in with you often to get your feedback. Additionally, you should always have a say in approving content before it goes out, if you choose.
Pro Tip: Initiate open communication with your PPC vendor from the beginning, this will make giving feedback much easier.
- How often will you make adjustments to my campaigns?
Your PPC vendor should be changing their bid strategy and monitoring what is going on with your leads regularly. If you are paying someone to create advertisements and campaigns, it’s their responsibility to monitor their success and to change their strategy as needed.
Pro Tip: Establish a scheduled check-in meeting with your PPC vendor to communicate about adjustments that are being made.
- Do you know who my competitors are, and are you working with any of them?
It is important that your PPC vendor has a firm understanding of your competitors, but you should not work with an agency that is actively trying to generate leads for a direct competitor, which could lead to a conflict of interest.
Red Flag: Your PPC vendor is secretive about their other clients.
- Will you build a remarketing audience?
One important part of PPC advertising is remarketing, which means showing ads to homeowners that have already visited your website. If your PPC vendor is not taking advantage of remarketing, you could be missing out on potential leads.
Pro Tip: You will know your vendor is remarketing for you if they have taken the steps to add a Google remarketing tag to your website.
If you’re looking for a digital marketing agency that can answer all of these questions with transparency, let’s talk. Our experienced team can help you navigate through the world of PPC with ease.
