Not to worry, that’s where we step in! Over our many years in the biz, we’ve gathered the 6 key questions you should be asking when choosing your digital agency:
An excellent place to start is getting to know the agency and the sort of work they’ve done before. Take your time to look through their portfolio and see if their work aligns with your own project goals.
Whether you’re after a brand refresh, mobile app development, or building a whole new website, you’ll want to see relevant examples and case studies to get a good insight into what they do and the quality of their work.
Also, look at the sort of clients the agency works with – are they in a similar industry to you? Do they work with any household brands? Can you read some client testimonials?
A good digital agency will take pride in who they work with and will highlight it on their website – so if you can’t find any case studies or previous work examples, they’re probably not going to be the best fit.
Another indication of what it’s like to work with an agency is their Net Promoter Score (NPS). This is a method to measure customer satisfaction based on a simple scoring system, so the higher it is, the better.
* Fun fact: our NPS is +82 – well above world-class!
Are there any particular technologies that the agency specialises in? Do they have any official certifications?
Think about the technologies you have in mind and seek out an agency that has a specialism in it. For instance, Cantarus partners with the Kentico and Umbraco CMS (Content Management System) platforms, so our clients can rest assured that we’re competent in delivering effective, high-quality solutions on each.
Certifications and accreditations are key indicators of an agency’s quality. Some credentials even have different tiers to consider. For example, we’re Cyber Essentials Plus certified - our security systems have been assessed by a 3rd party and certified by Crest to ensure we’re providing top levels of security and protection to our own and our customers’ data. You can see all our partnerships and accreditations here.
See if the agency sits on any popular digital agency directories such as the Recommended Agency Register. Here you’ll find a list of digital agencies across the UK and how clients rated them across various services such as UX or Web Design.
Communication really is key, so you’ll want to find out how the agency plans to keep in touch throughout the project. What does the discovery phase look like? How regular will your catch-up calls be? Who will be your main point of contact in case of emergencies?
See if the agency has a dedicated support team who will be able to look after you so you can carry on with your day-to-day job without worrying about what’s going on behind the scenes.
Winning or being highly commended for industry-recognised awards is usually a good sign that the agency produces top-quality work. Most agencies will list award wins on their website or via news articles, so this is something to consider before you select an agency for the job.
Ultimately, you’ll want to choose an agency with which you can form a long-term partnership – you’ll want to work with people you can get along with!
Find out what the general agency culture is like, learn more about the people who work there, note how they respond to your queries, and see if their core values align with yours. It’s essential to work with an agency that values the same things and runs similarly to yourself to avoid any disagreements later down the road!
Also, be sure to check out an agency’s Glassdoor rating – happy, motivated staff are much more likely to produce world-class outcomes for their clients.
A great relationship with your agency is the key to long-term success.
