Most agency conversations are controlled by the agency: they present, you nod, and you find out what you bought three months later. You can flip that by showing up with questions. Here are the ones that separate good partners from expensive disappointments, grouped so you can use them in a meeting.
About their process
1. What will the first 90 days look like? A good answer names specific steps: tracking setup, account build, launch date, first review. A weak answer is "we'll optimize."
2. Who will actually work on my account? Ask for names and roles. Find out whether the person you are talking to is the person who will do the work.
3. How do you decide where to spend my budget? Look for reasoning based on your goals and your numbers, not a one-size-fits-all package.
About ownership and access
4. Will my ad accounts, analytics, and website be in my name? They should be. You give the agency access. If the agency owns them, leaving can mean losing your history.
5. Who owns the creative and landing pages you make for me? Get it in writing. Many agreements say you own it while you are a client and not after.
6. Will I have full access to my data at any time? You should be able to log in and see your own results, not only a report.
About results and reporting
7. What will you report on each month? Look for spend, leads, calls, booked jobs or sales, cost per result, and what is changing next. Be careful with reports that lead with impressions and likes.
8. How will you track phone calls? For many local businesses, calls are the main conversion. Ask whether calls are tracked back to the ad or keyword that produced them.
9. How will we know if it is working? Agree on the numbers before you start. A simple check on profitability is our free ROAS Calculator.
10. What do you do when results are slower than expected? Good answers involve diagnosing the problem, adjusting, and communicating, not blaming the market.
About cost and contract
11. What is included in the fee, and what costs extra? Ask about setup, creative, landing pages, extra campaigns, and call time.
12. Is ad spend paid to the platform from my own account? It is usually cleaner and more transparent when you pay Google or Meta directly.
13. What is the contract length, and how do I leave? Check notice periods and what happens to your accounts and assets on exit.
About fit
14. Have you worked with businesses like mine? Ask for examples and references you can call. Do not accept results claims you cannot verify, and be wary of any promise of guaranteed outcomes.
15. What would make you tell me not to hire you? An honest agency will have an answer: your budget is too small for the market, your website needs fixing first, or you need a different service.
Red flags in the answers
- Vague answers about who does the work
- Reluctance to discuss ownership and access in writing
- Guarantees about rankings, leads, or returns
- Pressure to decide on the spot
- A report example that has nothing about leads, calls, or sales
Frequently asked questions
Two or three is usually enough to compare approaches and prices without getting lost.
Some agencies offer a short initial term. Even if they do not, you can start with a clearly defined first phase and review before expanding.
Say so. Many agencies will scope a single service, such as ads or a website, rather than a full package.
What to do next
If you would like to put these questions to us, we welcome it. Book a free strategy call, bring your list, and we will answer them directly. You can also learn more about how we work on our about page.
